I will start off this discussion by saying without any apologies that this indeed is my favorite film of the ten films I assigned. Zhang Yimou's To Live is a complete work of art and beauty to this viewer. First of all, the acting is pitch perfect. Gong Li is one of the greatest actresses of our generation that few Americans know anything about (save possibly for her dynamic role in the otherwise flat and tepid Memoirs of a Geisha). Her character, Jiazhen, is beautifully portrayed, believable, and all-together heartbreaking. You Ge is also outstanding as Fugui, one of the best character studies that you'll see in Chinese film. As a character study, the film works fantastically well. Where To Live really shines though, in my opinion, is as a vivid historical piece of 20th century Chinese history that Americans are generally (and sadly) not exposed to. The first shining moment of the film where terms like masterpiece start popping into my head is during the Chinese Civil War. Zhang Yimou could have easily fallen into the trap of overproducing epic battle scenes, but instead he focuses in on the human aspect of war (something tragically missing from the majority of Hollywood blockbusters). We then go from Nationalist to Communist China after the war, and we get to see the vast changes that the country experiences through a single family. The emotions in the film are raw and brutally honest, especially as we see Fugui's children grow into adolescence and later adulthood, with all of life's setbacks and bad breaks, and all the while China's dramatic political serves as a important backdrop. The film's final scene is one of the painful reality as to where Mao had truly taken China by the Cultural Revolution. This film was banned for years in China and the final scene brings some sense as to why. I know of no other film that gives audiences such a candid look at the Cultural Revolution as this one does. Bernardo Bertolucci came close with The Last Emperor, but not even that grand acheivement is able to wring raw emotion from one's soul as does this film. When most adults and really all intellectuals have been ousted from their positions in society in a grand overhaul, what happens to society in general? Who will your doctors be? Should that be a real concern, especially in situations such as the delivery of a child? This is a film that explores those thoughts. It does this, remarkably, without ever being overtly judgemental and without shoving a message down the viewer's throat. That, and so much more, makes this film one of the unsung masterpieces of the 1990s. If you enjoyed this film, I would recommend checking out some of Zhang Yimou's other work, some of the best would include Raise the Red Lantern, Hero, and one of my favorites of his that never gets recognized, Happy Times.
4 comments:
This movie was much better than I expected. At first I was reluctant to watch this movie, basically because it was for school. Once I actually got around to watching the movie, I was amazed. This movie is incredibly deep and emotional, and most Hollywood movies don't compare. The view of The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution from a Chinese familiy's standpoint is really enlightening. You always here about these events as being negative and backward, which they were. However, the majority of the people of China thought they were moving forward. The people of China got through these hard times by telling themselves things would always get better. One of my favorite lines of the movie is when Fugui tells his son about the chicken growing up. The final scene of the movie is a harsh and blunt consequence of the Cultural Revolution. The movie really lives up to the name, To Live. On a side note, I just found out the Zhang Yimou is directing the opening ceromony of the olympics, but I heard there weren't going to be any political depictions in the ceremony.
thanks for posting, i'm glad you enjoyed the film. i had no idea zhang yimou is directing the opening ceremonies of the olympics, thanks for the head's up. of course, i can't watch it because i moved into a new place recently and STILL don't have cable.
I have always had an interest in Asian culture, so when I saw that this movie was Chinese, I ordered it. Zhang Yimou's name wasn't mentioned in the description of To Live on the handout, so I was excited to see his name on the case when it came in the mail. Movies I have previously seen directed by him were Curse of the Golden Flower, and House of Flying Daggers. Yimou seems to enjoy working with Gong Li; she is also in Memoirs of a Geisha and Curse of the Golden Flower. She is a great actress and proved herself well in To Live, but in my opinion You Ge, playing Fugui, deserves credit for making the film so incredible. He pulled off his character so well, due to the realism in his emotions and actions. No other actor could possibly better his performance in expressing the genuine love he had for his family. The superb acting of the film channels all the vibrant emotions of the film to the audience, and no other directer could possibly manage that as effectively as Zhang Yimou. The humor throughout the film, crushing emotional blows to the family, and joy the family still derives out of life, are what make this movie To Live.
very well stated mr. hicks!
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