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Chinese auteur Zhang Yimou's 1994 epic tracks a rocky marriage through the equally perilous historical era of China's Communist takeover. In the 1940s, Fugui (Ge You) and his wife, Jiazen (the ravishing Gong Li), quarrel over Fugui's incredible lack of luck; he loses the family fortune in a Mandarin version of craps. After a humiliating time hawking thread on the streets, Fugui learns puppetry only to be arrested by the Nationalist army. The country's political changes then commence as Fugui attempts to change his own ways, despite seemingly unending hardships that continually threaten his family. Stretching all the way into the 1970s, To Live sports an incredible palette of vivid colors and episodes -- of particular note is a breathtaking sequence of the waning Nationalist grunts slogging it through the snow. But Zhang never loses sight of the structure that he sets in motion from the outset: The anatomy of the marriage is as thoroughly plumbed as anything in world cinema this side of Ingmar Bergman. Gong Li is, not surprisingly, working at her most teeth-clenching and soulful best, though it was Ge You who clinched the Best Actor prize at Cannes. Eddy Crouse

All Movie Guide

Zhang Yimou, often regarded as China's leading contemporary filmmaker, directed this drama chronicling the ebb and flow of one family's fortunes, set against the backdrop of China's tumultuous history between the 1940s and the 1970s. Fugui (Ge You) is the father of a once-wealthy family whose addiction to gambling and chronic bad luck causes him to lose his home in a game of dice with Long'er (Ni Dabong). Fugui's wife Jiazhen (Gong Li) abandons him, and he finds himself working as a peddler, until the man who now owns his home gives him a pair of shadow puppets. Fugui learns the art of puppetry and travels as a performer; while on the road, he is arrested by Nationalist forces, until he is liberated by advancing Red Army factions, and he comes him home to his wife and children as they adapt to the nation's new leadership. While once a lazy spendthrift, Fugui vows to change his ways, and he struggles to become a better worker and citizen. But Fugui and his family soon realize that there is adversity waiting for them around every corner, and the onset of the Cultural Revolution makes it clear that China's new regime can be as corrupt and callous as the old order. While a Grand Prize winner at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and recipient of the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 1995 BAFTA Awards, Huozhe did not fare well in its homeland. Chinese censors objected to the film's commentary about political abuses in China's past, as well as Zhang Yimou's attempts to present the film at several international festivals. As punishment, he was forced to write a formal apology and was not allowed to make another film for two years. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 027616085269
• Source: MGM (VIDEO & DVD)
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Surround
• Language: Mandarin
• Subtitles: English, Español, Français
• Time: 2:05:00
• Sales Rank: 11,430

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