To Live (1994)

活着

Spanning several decades of modern Chinese history, To Live reframes political catastrophe through the lens of everyday survival. Adapted from Yu Hua’s novel, the film follows an ordinary family as they are repeatedly reconfigured by war, collectivisation and ideological campaigns beyond their control. Zhang Yimou resists epic spectacle in favour of narrative restraint, allowing historical trauma to register through domestic spaces, bodily labour and incremental loss.

Rating

PG

Duration

133 min

Country

Hong Kong, China

Language

Mandarin

Cast

You Ge, Gong Li, Ben Niu

Director

Yimou Zhang

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