"To Live" movie Review

This movie was set up in China from the heady days of gambling dens in the 1940s to the austere hardship of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. It brought us to see the life of a Chinese couple, how they endure the pain, day by day and year by year. The story center on a prosperous son of a wealthy land-owner, Fu Gui (Ge You) who can’t stop his nasty addiction in gambling. Soon, he lost his fortune, family and wealth. His wife, Jia Zhen (Gong Li) abandoned him and brought both of their children to escape Fu Gui’s madness. One year later, Jia Zhen came back after she gave birth to their second child, You Qing. They reunited, thus life is not as easy as it may seem.

To Live, is a movie which has a simple title yet, conceals a universe. The movie portrait the struggle of the heroine, Jia Zhen with fate, who loses her wealth, position, and children. The one who says, “All I ask is a quiet life together.”Gong Li plays marvelously and terrifically in the movie, as a heroine, mother, and hope. She shows mom’s protective attitude toward every danger that her children might have to face and endure. Without any further reconsideration, she left her husband when he unable to stop his gambling addiction. Her goal is only one, to look forward toward a better future; where she could educate her children not to be like his husband. She present how strong woman can be in every harsh moment, when both of her children die unexpectedly (the youngest died in car accident and the older one died after giving birth).

The movie also shows how ironically live can be in this world. Fu Gui survive in his getaway to home, while the man, Long ’Er who won Fu Gui’s house at dice is executed as a counter-revolutionary landowner. Even the death of Fu Gui’s son is caused by his own best friends, Chun Sheng. These accidental events shows how fate of someone’s is always intervene with others, unexpectedly, surprising and somehow sad and gloom.

Though Zhang Yi Mou, the director of “To Live” had made extraordinary film, which also embellished by Gong Li’s honesty, the film was banned from China. Both Zhang Yi Mou and Gong Li were banned on further co-production and they even not allowed speaking about the film. Thus, To Live has been playing all over the world; exist as a fascinating testament about ordinary human life that conducted terrible conditions. A fascinating, strong and poignant film that shows the dreadful side of ambitious politicians, the luster of China’s history and a life of ordinary people that struggle for a quite life. A magnificent contribution to China’s filmmaking.