To Live (Huo zhe)

1994

To Live (Huo zhe)

Critics Consensus

To Live (Huo zhe) offers a gut-wrenching overview of Chinese political upheaval through the lens of one family's unforgettable experiences.

86%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 22

96%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 7,368
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Movie Info

This Chinese saga chronicles 30 years in the life of a typical modern family. Their story begins in the 1940's in a tiny northern village. Fugui's wife Jiazhen leaves him when loses the family home while gambling with Long'er. In the late 40's Fugui has become a Nationalist soldier fighting Communists in the civil war. Beside him is longtime friend Chunsheng. Surrounded by death and carnage, Fugui soon grows up. He returns to his village after the war to find it communized. Long'er is executed for being a capitalist. The years pass. Each incident in the movie focuses upon Fugui and the political situation around him.

Cast

You Ge
as Fugui
Li Gong
as Jiazhen
Ben Niu
as Town Chief
Guo Tao
as Chunsheng
Ni Dabong
as Long'er
Liu Tianchi
as Adult Fengxia
Deng Fei
as Youqing
Ni Dahong
as Long'er
Zhang Lu
as Teenage Fengxia
Xiao Cong
as Child Fengxia
Dong Fei
as Youqing
Huang Zongluo
as Fugui's Father
Liu Yanjing
as Fugui's Mother
Lian-Yi Li
as Lao Quan
Zhao Yuxiu
as Dr. Wang
Kang Zhang
as Mantou
Liu Renbo
as Puppet Artist
Ding Jianjun
as Puppet Artist
Li Fangping
as Puppet Artist
Li Hong
as Puppet Artist
Wang Danning
as Puppet Artist
Wang Jianming
as Puppet Artist
Wang Yongwei
as Puppet Artist
Su Yan
as Puppet Artist
Zeng Quanbao
as Puppet Artist
Zhang Shaochun
as Puppet Artist
Yang Tongxun
as Puppet Artist
Dong Lifan
as Puppet Artist
Pan Yuejuan
as Puppet Artist
Jia Kangtong
as Puppet Artist
Zhang Zhongliang
as Puppet Artist
Li Wenliang
as Puppet Artist
Xie Liang
as Puppet Artist
Dai Zhongming
as Puppet Artist
Wang Yongguang
as Puppet Artist
Cui Lewen
as Puppet Artist
Chen Shuwen
as Puppet Artist
Huang Xinming
as Puppet Artist
Pan Jingle
Liu Guangming
Liu Hua
Qu Zhishao
Hao Bingli
Liu Xingwen
Wang Zengzhong
Du Zhonggan
Meng Guangtang
Jiang Wu
as Erxi
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News & Interviews for To Live (Huo zhe)

Zhang Yimou’s 10 Best Movies
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Critic Reviews for To Live (Huo zhe)

All Critics (22) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (19) | Rotten (3)

View All Critic Reviews (22)

Audience Reviews for To Live (Huo zhe)

  • Nov 25, 2010
    This was really good. Li Gong is recognizable from Hero (she's actually been in a lot of things). The scenes of mourning are painful to watch, because it is so real and honest. If you enjoyed other works by this director, (Hero, House of Flying Daggers and Curse of The Golden Flower being the most famous) you will probably enjoy this....no martial arts, however. This is a moving drama with some interesting history. Well done film.
    Cynthia S Super Reviewer
  • Apr 20, 2010
    [color=red]"To Live" is an emotionally powerful epic about a family living in China from the 1940's to the Cultural Revolution of the 1960's. I felt like this movie gave me the most realistic impression of living under Mao Zedong during this tumultuous period of time.[/color]
    Walter M Super Reviewer
  • Oct 22, 2009
    <a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.tinypic.com/27yrew0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> To Live was my fourth movie that I have seen from this excellent Chinese director Yimou Zhang.It was beautiful and so real and heartbreaking at times, you could feel the pain of the lead characters. Yimou traveled the viewer through three decades in the movie making us understand the people, their tragedy, respect, and adoration for the Communist. Gong Li was beautiful and I have seen her in the other movies of this same director. The movie was about this family going through life, surviving tragedies but they continue 'Living', That was the beauty of the film.
    Daisy M Super Reviewer
  • Sep 27, 2008
    An awesome foreign language movie that I watched in a history class.
    Andrew F Super Reviewer
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