I was fascinated by this film about a family in China who went from being prosperous, losing everything due to the husband's gambling, and their trials during the Chinese Revolution. I think seeing the loving relationship of the parents really turned around my perception of Chinese culture...I'm conditioned to think women were either property just for show or slaves. And while I can't say this would win accolades from feminists, Jiazhen was a very capable and determined woman. I was also surprised to see how much emotion the men displayed. While I can assume there was some propaganda in the message, I think it does help the average US citizen think about our common humanity with citizens in this foreign country.
I'm not a film critic, so can't comment on how good it is from any point of view other than my personal reaction. ( )

Based on Yu Hua's novel, the film To Live tells a vivid history of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and several other political and social movements and their influence on individual lives. The protagonist, Xu Fugui, experienced a loss of fortune and families during these movements and socio-political changes, only living with his old cow. ( )