The To Live - Movie Review Example

Review Of The Movie ‘To Live’ There is a juxtaposition of macro history- evidenced by the civil war and micro history-showcased by Fugui and his family throughout the movie. However, micro history outshines macro history. This is due to the fact that Zhang concentrates more on the lives of the people who have been affected by a civil war and not the war itself. In fact, the movie has no antagonists or political purpose, all it shows is the suffering that innocent people go through due to the war and a harsh regime. As the title of the movie suggests, it is all about living a normal life without any form of purpose or unrest. The importance of micro history is best shown through the life and struggle of Fugui and his family. As the movie commences, Fugui is an irresponsible and carefree person who easily loses all his family’s wealth due to a gambling problem. This prompts the wife to abandon him with their daughter. After this incident, Fugui is reformed and he begins trading in threads and needles for survival, a clear contrast of what he used to be. Several months later he bumps into his wife and she agrees to have him back as her husband. Jiazhen is so compassionate about her husband that she forgives him instantly and lets him move into her house, a clear evidence of the importance of a family in that community. Fugui realizes his role as the provider. Together with Chunsheng, Fugui acquires a shadow puppet kit from Long’er to whom he lost all their family fortune. From the shows he is able to provide for his family. Another instance where the movie shows the superiority of micro history occurs when Fugui and Chunsheng are caught by the Communist army. They continue to perform the shadow puppet show for their captors as entertainment. Their job sustains them even during war. After his release, he finds his wife struggling with a job of delivering water. Despite her husband’s absence, Jiazhen made it her responsibility to take care of her kids. During the Great Leap Festival, Fugui forces his son to go to work even though he is very exhausted. He is accidentally killed by Chunsheng. The movie shows determination and resilience of the people even when life is unbearable. After the communists took power, they began squashing all forms of opposition. Landlords were targeted as they represented capitalists. Fugui witnessed execution of Long’er who had taken all their wealth. Fugui and Jiazhen are so shaken by the incident, they decide that life is more precious and therefore conceal their true identity. This is an excellent example in the movie where Zhang shows the audience of the importance life. The issue of family ties is also seen when members of the Fuji family protect each other from external aggression. When Fengxia is bullied by boys, her brother Yongqing comes to her rescue. He even pours noodles on one of the boy’s head during a communal dinner. The last instance that shows the superiority of micro history occurs when Chunsheng who was an official of the new Communist regime is declared a Capitalist. He loses purpose in life when his wife commits suicide. He offers Fugui his riches, but he declines. Jiazhen asks Chunsheng not to take away his life since he owes her a life. At the end of the movie, the imagery of the chicken turning to sheep and then an ox, gives the notion that Communism will eventually turn out fine. It also shows that Fugui and his family have accepted their fate and are optimistic that one day everything will be alright. The juxtaposition in this movie shows how macro history has a heavy impact on micro history both negatively and positively. The first negative effect of macro history is that it leads to mass killings. After being taken as soldiers of the Kuomintang, Fugui, Chunsheng and Lao Quan come to a battle ground filled with dead bodies. Lao Quan is shot dead when he is seen searching the dead bodies. Long’er and other landlords and counter-revolutionists are publicly tried and killed. Macro history is also responsible for separation of family members. When the civil war erupts, Fugui and Chunsheng are taken as prisoners of war. They are separated from their families for a long time. His mother died while he was entertaining Communist army. When Fugui returns he is shocked to find his wife doing odd jobs to survive. It is also due to his absence that his daughter Fengxia becomes both deaf and mute, since her mother could not afford her medical expenses. During the great leap forward, everyone was forced into hard labor including young boys. Fugui forces his young son who is sleeping due to exhaustion to go to work. While there, he is accidentally killed by Chunsheng’s truck. Chunsheng’s wife commits suicide after the regime declared his husband a capitalist. This plunges Chunsheng into a state of depression. He contemplates suicide, but Jiazhen advises him not to. Macro history is also responsible for the destruction of social facilities like hospitals. When Fengxia was expectant, all doctors and nurses had been detained for being too learned. They were able to get help from a doctor who had been denied food while in detention. He is given buns and he over eats them leading to the death of Fengxia. Another effect is forced labour. During the Great Leap Forward, everyone was forced to contribute all their ironware and also work in backyard furnaces including young boys. Fugui forces his young boy to go to work which eventually leads to his untimely death. It also leads to fear and uncertainty among people. Fear of speech and expression is evident in the movie. For example, the landlords and counter-revolutionists were executed for opposing the regime. Fugui fears for his life when he sees Long’er getting executed that he foregoes his noble past and embraces poverty. Despite having Mao Zedong’s portrait drawn on his wall, Fugui and his family still become victims of the regime. The allegiance to the new emperor does not keep them from trouble. Even chiefs and officials are not safe. This is seen when the emperor declares the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. On the other hand, macro life has also impacted micro life positively throughout history. Take for instance in the movie; the communist regime took away social classes and made every person equal. The Great Leap Forward enabled all people to work together for the betterment of the country. We can all agree that China underwent serious transformation and is among the most developed nations in the world today. Equality can also be seen during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution when Mao declared all chiefs and corrupt government officials as criminals. He did not like the idea that a few individuals were amassing so much wealth at the expense of others. To Live is a movie that showcases the lives of ordinary people during civil war. Unlike other movies that have some form a goal that the characters strive to achieve, usually involving villains; this movie does not depict any purpose or goal to be achieved. Fugui became a soldier against the Communists, but while in service he realized the importance of living a normal life. The movie shows the struggle people go through due to conflicts brought about by their leaders. People are always consumed in power struggles that do not benefit them. Fugui and his family tried as much as they could to show allegiance to the new regime, but they were still victims of their oppressive rule. But in the end, Fugui sees hope and a bright future. When his wife eventually claims that the chicken will be an ox, Fugui says the chicken will be trains and planes. Work cited to live. zhang yimau, 1994. Read More