KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Cole McCreary Very often in movies that approach the subject of social revolution, a lot of screen time is committed to the more horrific aspects of it. This makes sense- violence puts asses in seats, as they say. However there is something to be said about a movie that instead delves to a more personal level, and shows just how much a system to devalues the individual can affect a family. To Live does this, and the impact it brings is notable. Xu Fugui and his family experience the communist revolution in China at all stages, and at every stage something is lost. Fugui loses his child during the drive for industry in the Great Leap Forward. Fugui loses his daughter during childbirth when all the doctors are thrown away during the Cultural Revolution. By showing these events, one very much gets involved with Fugui and his family. You root for him to succeed, even though there is no really no hint that he will. You root for his family to overcome the misfortunes that are thrown at him, even though you know that Fugui is almost helpless in the face of them. In all the struggles however, a few moments of happiness are seen. A few moments that show that even during the more chaotic times in China, people still found a way to live.

huizi shu 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.

p-u-c-111 Title: Huozhe (To Live)Directed by Yimou ZhangReleased: 1994To Live is a powerful drama set in mainland China which highlights many of the ills associated with the various changes in Chinese society during the mid-20th Century. The story spans across four of the most dramatic decades of political, social, and economic reform in Chinese history. Each decade encapsulates a particular event of Chinese socio-political upheaval. The film begins during the Civil war, leading into the midst of the 'Great Leap Forward', followed by the Cultural Revolution. The film follows the lives of Fugui, his wife Jiazhen, and their children Fengxia and Youqing, and depicts the manner in which Chinese families had to cope and adapt to the drastic upheaval in order to avoid being labelled a "capitalist" or a "reactionary" and suffer retribution. The family have to constantly change and reaffirm their identities in a desperate attempt to avoid reprisal. Sadly, as the story demonstrates this is something that in such a stirring time simply cannot be avoided.The Director, Yimou Zhang, utilizes fade shots to suggest the passing of time, the contrast between rich and dull backdrops to imply certain moods, the grandiose landscapes to symbolize isolation, and puts great emphasis upon the symbolism of the shadow puppetry scenes which are heightened by fire illuminating the canvas screen from behind.Fugui is a gambling addict in denial. He is confronted by his wife Jiazhen, a strong, devoted, and selfless woman, with the choice of either giving up gambling and joining her in leading a simple life with their daughter Fengxia, who after a childhood illness becomes a partially deaf mute, or to continue his current lifestyle alone. Youqing, the youngest member of the family, is mischievous and likable and while his father is away, develops a very strong attachment to his mother and his sister.Throughout the film the couple are forced to adapt to the rapid social changes around them in order to protect their family. Their agency as human beings is rendered down to the point where their foremost priority is to follow the majority and keep a low profile, while the fear of reprisal and becoming a target of the community leads the two to blame one another or themselves for the ills bestowed upon them by the socio-political situation in which they find themselves living. In one such instance Youqing stands up against three children who are bullying Fengxia and wrestles the main perpetrator to the ground. Later at a communal meal, Youqing pours a large bowl of hot noodles laced with a healthy quantity of chilli sauce over the head of the instigator stinging his eyes. Fugui tries to restore calm to the situation but the other boys' father claims he is a "counterrevolutionary". Fearing retribution of his sons' actions, Fugui feels compelled to publicly administer a thorough flogging upon Youqing. Fugui was unaware of the events which led to his son acting in such a way, but it is safe to say that regardless of whether he did or not know he would have had to have done the same. Having seen first-hand the hysteria that had gripped the public and how quickly such a seemingly insignificant accusation could suddenly lead to the masses calling for ones' head (the execution of Long'er), there was little else he could do.The two major personal tragedies the couple suffer are the deaths of their two children. The responsibility & circumstances of both deaths can be attributed to the shortcomings of the misguided political regimes during which they each passed. Firstly, Youqing, who at the age of 6 is sent out to work as requested by the government so the township can meet their steel production quota. The boy, having been overworked, has not slept in 3 days and is allowed to have a nap behind a concrete wall. The wall is struck by the district chief's jeep, which then topples over on top of the boy crushing him to death. In a strange twist of fate the District Chief responsible for the premature death of Youqing is Chunsheng - a friend of Fugui's from the civil war and the days of his shadow puppet troupe. Guilt-stricken, Chunsheng frequently offers the couple money as compensation. Jiazhen, out of principle and anger towards Chunsheng, does not accept the money, whereas Fugui does not accept the money in order to maintain his working class appearance. The fear of being labelled a "capitalist" certainly plays on his mind which could lead to him being imprisoned or even executed.The second instance is decades later when their only remaining child is giving birth to their grandchild. Because of the 'great leap forward' where educated peoples were persecuted there were no doctors at hand to care for their daughter during childbirth. They raise this issue with her husband, a leader of the Red Guard, so he collects a specialist from the detention centre to overlook proceedings. The specialist is visibly weak from starvation and stuffs himself full of steamed buns which ultimately incapacitate him when he is needed most. Fengxia, shortly after the birth begins to haemorrhage, but because there are no doctors in the hospital, and only students, nobody knows what to do to save her, which results in Fengxia slowly bleeding to death, dying silently in her mother's arms.The film makes one question whether these dramatic social upheavals were ultimately worth the tragedies so many families must have suffered and endured over the course of those four decades. Fugui throughout most of the film appears unassured by the direction China is heading, but supports the majority out of fear and for the safety of himself and his family. Towards the end of the film however, despite the horrendous losses he and his wife have suffered, Fugui appears genuinely convinced that society is moving forward and for the better of the new generations.

Luis Guillermo Cardona "Is our duty to be accountable to the people. Being accountable to the people means that every word, every action and policy as ours, must be consistent with the interests of the people. And if we make mistakes, we correct them".These are passionate words of Mao Zedong, uttered a few years before proclaiming the People's Republic of China following the triumph of the revolution that the same leader. Like all well-intentioned words of all world leaders, these are not fulfilled to the letter, because the rulers represent the head of chess, but many parts of the government stake, but those have to answer for some of his acts. And, middle managers, many mistakes, excesses and violations of the laws, can be committed by ignorance, dishonesty or abuse of authority... Of course, there will be orders that come from the top and that, conversely, are the media employees who bear the responsibility.Zhang Yimou, without doubt one of the most qualified directors of contemporary cinema and perhaps the number one in China, seems to have the best memories of the Cultural Revolution and movies like "Ju Dou" or "Raise the Red Lantern" which, as this, critics buried the unfortunate actions of the regime, have cost censorship and close supervision to all their projects. "¡LIVE!" is very accurate recreation of the life of a modest family, over several decades that started in the 40'... just on the eve of the People's Revolution. And Yimou accomplished effectively, and with very specific actions that play with feeling, with the freedom of action and expression, and the denial of certain rights, a plea to make it clear that strikes, a full three inches below the breastbone. Gong Li, his muse, his girlfriend and her lover, for several years, Jiazhen embodies the typical woman firm, clear in its objectives, able to survive with courage and fortitude to the worst tragedies. Her husband, Fugui, resembles a bird of ill omen, and the love between them seems born to those who lived no closer. Full of variegated hues, the Xu family life is intense, and she - like any other Family - emerge roses and thorns, while, with great subtlety, Yimou is giving subtle details of the oppression that obscures the legendary, and no doubt significant, under Mao. And if anyone wants to see indirect allusions to what the Chinese now live, you may find something that makes you nod.And there are things like perseverance brings reward, and the good that is hidden in all evil, or as inherent serenity to accept what goes against what is expected, this inspiring film, let us reach for a good reflection.And remember: ¡Whatever happens, you must live!, ¡This is the decision of the brave!