To Live | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

Audience Reviews

Ace W To Live (活着) is an incredible drama and a reverent historical portrait of life throughout modern Chinese history. This film rivals (and exceeds) its American counterpart in every way. Fugui and Jiazhen's lives sear themselves deeply itself into our minds and hearts. Truly, this film is an instant classic. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/15/23 Full Review Ms. L This movie was simply perfection...dark yet beautiful and full of gems Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/10/23 Full Review Chrissie Q The pinnacle of Chinese film history Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review William L If I had a nickel for every highly regarded, early-90s, Chinese-language film following a few select individuals through decades of social and political tumult using traditional puppetry as a major motif, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice (it's Hou Hsiao-hsien's 1993 film, The Puppetmaster, for the curious).To Live is one of a surprisingly substantial contingent of epic films to have been released in the final decade of the 20th century chronicling the development of Chinese history from the traditionalism of the Republic through the chaos and nationalism of the Great Leap Forward, alongside highly acclaimed works like The Blue Kite and Farewell My Concubine. This movement seems to have been the result of an increasingly relaxed atmosphere as China became more influential on the global stage and a generation of filmmakers that had been raised in the tumult came into the resources to get such projects up and running. However, virtually all were formally rebuffed in China itself, raking in awards abroad as the Communist Party rejected all historical criticism by banning the films from distribution and spreading hate against their messaging. Director Zhang Yimou submitted the film to Cannes without government approval and reaped th recognition, but it was 'dangerous' thematic touches and what was perceived as anti-state behavior that saw ambitious projects like these quashed in years to come as censorship came back into play. As a part of a larger, historically reflective film movement, To Live is not particularly unique in its criticism of the blind idolatry of the Communist movement or the policies that ignored actual human well-being in the name of political goals. However, it does present them in a particularly convincing way, developing a familial bond with evolving characters and using a story that allows them to express their flaws or misconceptions rather than to simply be virtuous vessels adrift on a Forrest Gump-esque stream of historical events. While the narrative may lean toward tragedy frequently to express the danger of the political instability that they endure through, there is plenty of genuine tenderness and sincerity to given them a sense of authenticity and care, glimmers of happiness and resilience despite the crushing weight of change that overlooks their suffering. In my opinion, one of the best of its kind, as a human-focused film that runs contrary to the Party line of the mid-20th century. (4/5) Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/18/22 Full Review Audience Member You want to understand more about China and Chinese communism? This is the film you should see. It shows the struggles of one family through the Chinese Civil War, The Great Leap Forward, The Cultural Revolution, and beyond. Each of these periods had their own horrors; but of all of these, The Cultural Revolution was the worst. "Out WIth the Olds and In WIth the News" was a major motto of The Cultural Revolution; which sounds like a good idea at first. But if you consider for a moment allowing all your college students to run everything in the country, you will soon realize that this is a concept of complete madness. The film shows us this madness in painstaking form. Hospitals without doctors; universities without professors; young people running everything; complete chaos. Zhang Yimou, the greatest director in the history of Chinese film, and one of the greatest of all directors from all countries, was a master with the camera; and he captures all of the misery that China went through during these decades. Gong Li, the greatest Chinese actress of all time, who would go on to make several other gems for Zhang, gives an Academy Award-level performance, as does the male lead, Ge You. This is one of best half-dozen films ever made in China. Don't miss it. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review starymelody x The mood of the movie is highly self-control,inviting the audiences to immerse together.No one had choise to change ,only they can do is to accept ,accept the fate ,the others ,accept everything.The most touching scene is Jia Zhen facing the whole process of her daughter,she is helpless ,she is hopeless ,she is collapsed . Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/10/21 Full Review Read all reviews

To Live

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