Pretty Good

From my favorite movies..

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

As an American viewer with no experience with China outside of a classroom, book, or film, I was unsure how well I would be able to grasp the intensely emotional personal stories of "To Live", considering their intersection with the political developments which envelop the film's characters and the events which shape their lives. The Chinese Revolution in 1949 and the subsequent regime of Mao Tse Tung, including Mao's Cultural Revolution, are formative events for modern China. Together with the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution is considered part of the great disaster that was Mao's efforts to consolidate power and spread socialism following the Revolution. In front of this backdrop, we witness the lives of Fu Gui and his wife, Jia Zhen, as well as their family and friends. Although the 1994 film is not an overt criticism of Mao's regime (to do so would be politically unwise for the filmmakers), the effects of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution have devastating effects on Fu Gui's family. Fu Gui and his family, as a whole, makes huge sacrifices (which the viewer will have to see for him/herself). The purges and political upheaval of the Cultural Revolution effect Fu Gui, his family, and their friends and neighbors, and an uprising of young against old, medical students against their doctors (symbolic of many student rebellions at this time) cause huge stirs and risks. The risky, paranoid, challenging, and life-changing effects of Mao Tse Tung's regime are well-captured in this film, and Westerners would certainly benefit from this perspective, which captures not only the bad, but the good or inoffensive qualities of Chinese life at this time. Not only that, but the character of Fu Gui might inspire any viewer (not to emulate him, but to avoid his mistakes).

"To Live" is a film that takes the viewer to urban China around the time of the 1940's. This is around the time that Mao Zedong and the Communist Party will eventually rise as the dominant power of Chinese politics. The story begins with one of the main characters, Fugui, gambling in a local establishment. He will eventually get caught up in the war between the Communists and the Capitalists for the control of China's government. He has recently lost his home due to his gambling debts, so when he arrives back home from the war he finds his children and wife, Jiazhen, living in poverty. He is overcome with joy when he first sees his family but, it is immediately followed by grief when he sees the conditions they have been living in during his absence. This soon becomes the main theme that continues throughout the movie; temporary joy followed by deep sorrow. The film does tell a great story but the deeper part of the story is meant to portray the hardships that come with living in Communist China. Without telling too much of the story itself, Fugui and Jiazhen live out their lives under the control of the Communist Party playing out this central theme of joy followed by sorrow. They are repeatedly told by Communist Party officers that if they work hard for the regime then the regime will essentially provide them with happiness for their hard work. There are even moments in the film where both of the main characters appear as though they are genuinely happy. However, as stated previously, every one of these fleeting moments of happiness are followed by some dramatic situation that leave the main characters in despair once again. The purpose of this repeated turmoil is utilized by the filmmakers to demonstrate how appalling and cruel, life within Communist China actually is. That the Communist Party will promise Chinese citizens with prosperity but the end result is only more suffering.

To live, the movie is based on an original novel by Yu Hua. In 1994, lifetime was directed by Zhang Yimou. According to Fu Gui's family rough fate as main line to narrate decades of up and sown of the suffering with Fu Gui and his family. These are showing one epitome of time in different the era of encounter. From the war of liberation and great leap forward to the Cultural Revolution, because they are lose too much and, their life have become numb. They are face probably only left "lifetimes" in their life. The movie is showing a compassion and sad black humor. It would condense the history and personal destiny. And the film showing that people cannot control own fate in history. This film review will focus on analysis the film's narrative approach and Fu Gui's character delineation.The film has clearly structure, and two main line interlaced. The first clue is the development of China's history. It is visible clue. The film would divided into four parts by the director, respectively in the forties, in fifties of great leap forward, in sixties of the Cultural Revolution and in the early eights. The film background is the modern history of China. Get through describe Fu Gui two generations of people's live, reflect to people's state of life in this historical background. According to this structure form of the line, the director would to depict characters into the history background. The director discards a lot of color of freehand brushwork type, and to emphasize feelings of original nature.The second clue is leather silhouette show. It is invisible clue. The leather silhouette show not only impact of emblem character and character rough fate, but also there are very important function in the transition of connection to the plot and scene. It is emphasize background and establish the emotional tone. Leather silhouette show is unique folk art, and has the very high artistic quality. The director is skillful use leather silhouette show in the film. For example, in the beginning of film, when Fu Gui gamble in casino, there is performances of a leather silhouette show. With a tense and fierce leather silhouette show, Fu Gui lost everything, and he was began the turning point of his fate. When he has nothing at all, Long Er gives leather silhouette for his. Fu Gui was began his career of a busk. The film's shot is ingenious transition from he picked up leather silhouette to scene of perform in the streets. Afterwards, he is captured by the communist party. The film's shot from under the bayonet leather silhouette transition to scene of perform leather silhouette show for the communist party. In the ending of film, the leather silhouette box is become chicken nest. The last scene is stand for new power and hope of living. It is the theme of the movie.Environment has a very important influence for character. To some extent, environment can change one person. Fu Gui from wealthy of gambling change to earthy farmers, and from earth farmers change to old man of kind to life. In different life experience and living environment, Fu Gu's character is also changing. He was born in the landlord family in the period of republic of China. Because he has a superiority of living condition, he formed the habit of gambling, and he has not sense of responsibility. However, when he loses everything and he witnessed the death of friend in the extremely cold environment, his survival desire is more and more intense. When he comes back, he is more cherishing reunion with his family. Fu Gui's patience and tolerance is Chinese farmers generally unique culture character. It comes from influences of China local culture and historical heritages. They are live in the misery and predicament, they cannot change life. However, Fu Gui is kind hearted. Chun Sheng accidentally killed his children, he has a passive forgave Chun Sheng. In the Cultural Revolution, he persuaded Chun Sheng to live, this is tolerant mentality, he not only forgave Chun Sheng in suffering, but also he can use with broad mind to accept the reality for his attack and shock and unfair.Living is not Fu Gui's patent, everyone is struggling in the fate. Jia Zhen, Lao Quan, mayor and Feng Xia, their fate is fate of China and fate of the most common Chinese people. Some people alive, and some people died, destiny often refuses to give happiness to kind and menial people.

My disbelief resisted suspension. For one thing, no wife, anywhere, would be dumb (or masochistic) enough to return to such an irredeemable reprobate. Also, since Everyman's misery was self-inflicted, he never seemed worthy of redemption. The scenes of the Civil War seemed gratuitous plot-padding. I could go on, but to my taste, Japanese movies of the 1950s were much more subtle than this episodic, overambitious oeurve manqué. De gustibus non est disputandum. Line added to meet silly 10-line requirement. Line added to meet silly 10-line requirement. Line added to meet silly 10-line requirement. Line added to meet silly 10-line requirement.