This film is an exceptionally well-made film about an ordinary Chinese family from just after WWII until the 1970s. This takes it from pre-Communist China through the revolution and the Cultural Revolution to just before the death of Chairman Mao. All this is shown through the perspective of this peasant family. And, because they are peasants, it is generally non-critical of the government--through it all, they are devoted to the Chairman and don't do a lot of questioning during the country's excesses. However, this really isn't a weakness in the film, as this was pretty much the reaction from the common person.

The film excels with wonderful performances, beautiful music (sounding a bit like the music of Kitaro) and cinematography. This was a lovingly made and interesting slice of Chinese life.

I am half way through the eight-film collaboration of Yimou Zhang and Li Gong. They have worked together to make some excellent films, and this is no exception. It won at Cannes and at BAFTA, and was a Golden Globe nominee.

It is not a lavish production with brilliant cinematography and splendid costuming as other works. It is more in the style of Ju Dou.

You Ge, who won a Best Actor at Cannes for his role, is Fugui. He loses his family fortune due to a gambling addition and is homeless after his wife (Jiazhen) leaves with her child and child-to-be.

Jiazhen (Li Gong) returns to Fugui after the birth of their son and he sets off to do a town-to-town road show with his puppets. He soon finds himself a prisoner of the Nationalist Chinese and, when they all run away before a battle with Mao's army, he is their prisoner. He ends up doing shows for them until the war ends and he returns home.

This is where the film really gets interesting. First, you have the people's revolution, then there is the Great leap Forward, and finally, the Cultural Revolution. The same people are involved, but the attitudes keep changing. You may be a party official one day and an enemy of the State the next depending up which era you are in. In a sense, it it hilarious, but the people had to live through this and the impact on the lives of Fugui and Jiazhen are what the film is about. The constant fear that you will say or do the wrong thing is always present.

The joys and sorrows of this family are celebrated and embraced by the viewer, and you come away with a richer understanding of the people.

A really big chunk-of-Chinese-life flick and open ended narrative, "To Live" follows a married working class Chinese couple from the late 40's through the cultural revolution into the 70's. Unfortunately the film can't seem to find it's niche as it slips mercurially from comedy to drama never quite knowing when it's serious; a foible with is further confounded by the old school Chinese melodramatic style, characters who do everything by knee jerk, contrived scenes (particularly the war scenes),nebulous political undercurrents, and the no moral or message. Although the film received accolades from critics and public alike, I just couldn't get my head into this silly, wandering tale which I watched on the heels of "Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl", a much better pic IMHO. Recommended only for those really into Chinese film. (C+)