ToLive

張心宇

To Live（Zhang Yimou 1994）won the1994Cannes Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and a Best Actor award for Ge You.s performance.The film is an epic，multi-generational love story which “chronicles the lives of a prominent Chinese family from the 1950s to the turbulent Cultural Revolution of the 1970.s”（2）.To Live is banned by People.s Republic of China “due toZhangs]powerful depiction of the Chinese communist revolution”（1）.Zhang Yimou could not engage in making films in China with foreign financing for the next two years.Zhang，along with films star Gong Li，could not present or discuss the film in any form（1）.

Before analyzing the film，To Live，I contrast it to a history textbook，which is about 1950s to 1970s.The ‘history in the film is different from the history in textbook.In the textbook，this period of history is limited to three pages，which is the shortest context in the whole history of China.The few pictures and words create a sense of disconnection with the present.The characters are far away and the events feel hundreds of years away.I cannot touch peoples feelings and cannot know the impact of political climate to normal people.According to the textbook，

“China has experienced great twists and turns in the exploration of socialist construction.Great Leap Forward goes against the objective laws of economic development，causing significant losses to China's economic development.During the Cultural Revolution，China's democracy and legal system，suffered a serious violation and a lot of cadres and intellectuals were persecuted deeply”（17）.

However，the history is incomplete.The textbook does not tell any details about famine，death，suffering during that period of time.Now lets return to the film.To Live is another kind of historical account，which shows another kind of truth.The movie brings intensive and deep details of history into our life，which makes us feel like we are experiencing that period of time.We are standing beside people，watching them，and listening to them.We are suffering the same struggle； we can touch their emotions and thoughts in that specific moment.The director uses familiar people in family and cultural elements such as shadow-puppet，and Main Street in a humanistic way to portray the struggle for survival during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.

The first scene of film is on Main Street.From camera view，the street is empty and quiet in the morning.Only two people are walking peacefully to the end of street and disappear in the fog.The shops，which impose goods from foreign countries along the street，have not been open yet.In this shot，the Main Street exhibits a sense of peace.

The director utilizes Fu Gui（Ge You）.s children You Qin（Dong Fei）and Feng Xia.s（Xiao Jie）death to demonstrate how people have become victims at the political climate of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.During the Great Leap Forward of 1958，under the slogan“Surpass the UK，catch up with the USA，”China went into a frenzy to smelt steel.“Peasants abandoned agriculture for ore extraction and steel production while crops ripened and rotted in the fields.”Cities grew and expanded overnight and workers frenzied pursuit of urbanization.In that era people were anxious not to be labeled “passive resisters of the Great Leap Forward”； participation in the steel drive was the only route to glory.（China in Ten Words，114-115）Like countless other families，F(xiàn)u Guis family dutifully takes their part.Fu Gui pours all his energy into his shadow-puppet，boosting morale of the tireless workers.His wife，Jia Zhen（Gong Li），and children keep the site supplied with water.Workers make steel with extreme passion and they never sleep，so Jia Zhen and her children deliver water for 24 hours.Thus，You Qing，a little boy，never have a good sleep.In the school，You Qing is so tired that he leans against a wall and falls asleep soundly.Because the chief does not sleep for several days either，when he drives a jeep，unfortunately，the car accidentally knocks the other side of wall down.The wall collapses and You Qing dies.The director utilizes camera shots to portray how You Qins death aggrieves Fu Gui and Jia Zhen.For example，before Fu Gui rushes to You Qing，F(xiàn)u Gui stands in front of the screen of shadow-puppet.In the frontal view of him，he unconsciously opens his mouth，staring forward with wide-eyed，saying nothing.The light on his face is faint，and we are only able to see his eyes and mouth.On the contrary，the light on the screen behind him is so bright that we can even see several colorful shadow-puppets.In this shot，F(xiàn)u Gui is like a giant shadow-puppet coming out of screen.Zhang director uses the shot to suggest that Fu Gui is a puppet which cannot control its own fate.Puppets are controlled by Fu Gui.Fu gui is controlled by government.Fu Gui uses string to make each movement of puppet and to create stories.Government uses political movement to direct Fu Guis life.On the other hand，the director uses another method to depict Jia Zhen.When Jia Zhen is running to You Qin，the town chief forces people take You Qin away and people restrain Jia Zhen.s hands，arms，and body to impede her seeing her dead son.This is an opening scene and we find that the light on Jia Zhens face is bright，but we cannot see her facial expression clearly.More than 40 people encompass，grasp and hold Jia Zhen.She cannot move on her own.The 40 people represent a giant thick wall，which blocks Jia Zhen seeing her son.Similarly，government creates the prison its citizens，taking away their owner of choice.All the people are silent.We can just hear Jia Zhen hysterically crying and screaming，“You Qin！ Let me see you the last time！ You Qin！ Let me see…” She does not have control like many during the Great Leap Forward.She is one of thousands of normal people who have become prisoners of the nation.The dead son cannot see his mother； the mother cannot see her son more than death separates them.With the rhythm of slow music，we have the same searing pain in our deep hearts.Director Zhang uses You Qing.s death as an aspect of humanism to tell the true history of the Great Leap Forward.The Communist Party and Chairman Maos seriously problematic decision made people to pay for their unpractical scheme and unrealistic production targets.

During the Cultural Revolution，“big- character posters” appeared.Besides the function of protest，propaganda，and popular communication，big-character posters have another crucial function from 1966 to 1976 --- “used for everything from sophisticated debate to satirical entertainment to rabid denunciation； being attacked in a big-character poster was enough to end one's career.”“Mao wrote a big-character poster of his own，entitled ‘Bombard the Headquarters， protesting that ‘some leading comrades had adopted ‘the reactionary stand of the bourgeoisie…encircling and suppressing revolutionaries” and “stifling opinions different from their own.”（China in Ten Words，16）.Then，the great proletarian Cultural Revolution soon engulfed China with the speed of an unquenchable wildfire （16）.

From 1966 to 1976，widespread factional struggles took place in all walks of life.“In the top leadership，it led to a mass purge of senior officials who were accused of taking a ‘capitalist road”（China in Ten Words，16）.In To Live，when Fengxia gives birth to her baby，the professional doctors including accoucheurs are all treated as counter-revolutionaries in the “cow pens”.Erxi （Jiang Wu），her husband，spirits Doctor Wang（Zhao Yuxiu）out of cow pen and let him deliver Fengxias baby.However，Doctor Wang is too week to say any words because of starvation and abuse.As a result，F(xiàn)ugui buys 7 buns for him.Unfortunately，when Fengxia suffers an acute massive hemorrhage，Wang eats so fast that he chokes and is unable to do anything.Even worse，the Red Guards who deliver her baby cannot do anything to save her life.They just yield desperately： “We are just students.We dont know what to do.” In the end，F(xiàn)ugui and Jiazhen watch their daughter dying.Three shots suggest that people cannot control their life because of the Cultural Revolution.For example，when Fengxia suffers an acute massive hemorrhage，Red Guards do not know how to do.They keeping running out of operating room to ask doctor Wang and running back to see Fengxia what is going on.A shot focuses on the white curtain of the operating room door.All of the Red Guards are panicked and anxious.Their hands，which are stained with blood，lift the white curtain up when they come in-and-out.Therefore，the white curtain is full of blood.This shot uses the curtain to describe people the despair and hopelessness and foretell Fengxias death.Feng Xia and thousands of people are pure and do not have huge ambition.They just want a happy peaceful life.However，they are like the curtain，which is dyed by red blood.The white curtain represents China，which is tainted by the Red Guard.The blood of Chinas people like Fengxia is the price for the Great Leap Forward.For another example，when Jia Zhen hears the news，she rushes to her daughter and crying，“Doctor，please！ Please save Feng Xia.Feng Xia，you will be fine.Mom is here.Dont be afraid” Jia Zhen is so plaintive that her shaking hands even cannot touch her daughters face.A shot zooms in to focus on Jia Zhens frontal face.The light on her face is bright so that we can see the light reflecting the tears in her eyes，nose and face.With Jia Zhens face in the background，a comparison is made with the blurring image of Fengxia.The light does not fell on and the camera does not focalize on Fengxias face.However，we can see that her face is more pallid than Jia Zhens.Feng Xia opens her mouth and her lip turns blue.As the slow music of Erhu （a Chinese music instrument） goes on，this shot fades out.The peaceful music gives us a passage to relieve and blow off our oppressed emotion.When we are crying，we have the same emotion as Jia Zhen； we are experiencing the same tragedy as Jia Zhen； we indeed know what their feeling is during the Cultural Revolution； we know the history.The scene connects the viewers to characters in film，using tears，blue tips and music.The connection is designed to reflect the deep humanistic struggle of the Cultural Revolution.

When Erxi，F(xiàn)ugui and their friends are dragging doctor Wang to the operating room，a Red Guard in the room shouts loudly，“Come！ The puerperal is dying！ Come！” The doctor Wang is useless，so they put off him on the floor and run to Fengxia.A shot is full of sarcasm.In the shot，doctor Wang lies on the floor slowly and faces a wall.The wall has a Big-character poster： “Fight against academic authority reactionaries and take off their heads！” a big paperboard is hung on doctor Wangs neck – “Academic Authority Reactionaries – Wang Wei.” It is sarcastic.Fugui wants the doctor to save his daughter，but the doctor chocks and fails.The doctor is able to save peoples life but he has to stand out of operating room，for he is “reactionary”.In other words，the Cultural Revolution impedes the salvation of countless people，condemning thousands to death.The Cultural Revolution makes people involve in and pay for the ridiculous movement.Sadly，the common people evolve the majority of the suffering.Because of the political climate，F(xiàn)ugui and Jia Zhen lose their son and daughter，Erxi loses his wife and son loses his mom.A once happy family falls to pieces，just as a nation rips itself apart.

Not only family people，but also cultural elements such as shadow-puppet shows that people are hard to adjust to the changing political climate during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.Puppet is one of dominant icons in the movie.“The shadow- puppet motif is significant.It was the portability that attracted the Communists，however，who found this ‘rural cinema eminently adaptable for educating rural populations and advancing their political agenda.”The shadow-puppet is unique and is specialize to propaganda for Communists.

In the film，the puppet symbolizes Fu Gui.The change of meaning of puppet is the change of Fu Gui.In the beginning of plot，F(xiàn)uigui indulges in gambling.Shadow-puppet is an entertainment for him，which means that Fu Gui exhebits the absolutely ownership of his own fate.When Fugui loses his all properties，the puppet becomes a tool for him to support his family.In the show of shadow-puppet，the topic of songs is about normal peoples life.Some of the lyrics are graphic and funny.During the civil war，F(xiàn)ugui is forced to serve in Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalist Army.In the troupe，he comes to understand what the meanings of hunger and terror.However，even before the death，he never wants to throw the box of shadow- puppets away.In a shot，the camera looks down from up high； we can see hundreds of Communist soldiers are chasing behing Fugui and his friend Chun Sheng（Jiang Wu）.In the shot from distance，the background is full of thick white snow that gives a sense of isolation and desperation： Fugui and Chun Sheng is isolated by the environment and isolated by the Communist soldiers.They must be caught by the Communists，or they cannot find anyone to help them and survive.Fugui and Chun Sheng are unwieldy and slow，but Fugui still takes the heavy steel puppet box with him.He says，“I need shadow-puppet to earn money and support family.I won.t let Jia Zhen and my children suffer，” before he joins the army.At that time，puppet is more important than Fuguis life，because he believes that he can make great efforts to change himself and to improve his family.He has the control of his own fate.

During the Great Leap Forward，rows of“backyard furnaces” used for iron smelting are on the both sides of Main Street.The middle of street is a stage for Fuguis shadow puppet theatre.The topic of performance is how great is communists and Chairman Mao.Thought Fu Gui can play the puppet，he cannot choose the topic like normal people.s life.Fu Gui does have ownership of himself but he is losing it.During the Cultural Revolution，“all of the traditional arts were denounced as being frivolous and elitist and were dealt a crippling blow.”Even when Fuigui offers to place himself at the service of propaganda，shadow puppet theatre is declared counterrevolutionary and classic feudal types.Plenty of banners on the main street say，“The older，the more reactionary”and “Do as Chairman Mao says.”As a result，F(xiàn)ugui has to burn all of his shadow-puppets，which he never throws away during the civil war and Great Leap Forward.In the period of the Cultural Revolution，in order to survive，F(xiàn)ugui destroys his entire puppet.In other words，F(xiàn)u Gui totally loses the ability of control his own fate.He is not himself anymore.

The main street is also a significant icon for epoch.Director Zhang makes the main street as first shot of each era.The street is the opening of every apache： civil war in 1940.s，Great Leap Forward in 1950s，the Cultural Revolution in 1960s and late after in 1970s.As I mentioned in the third paragraph，the first scene of the film is an empty main street – few people and few posters.However，In the Great Leap Forward，the street is full of banners and posters such as “the liquid of steel is more important than our sweat！”“The working class leads us all racing towards Communism.”We can see big “backyard furnaces” which are machine for making steel.People donate all of their iron such as bicycles，pots，box and so on so as to bolster domestic steel production and propel China toward modernization.The street is also Fuguis work place – play puppet.Moreover，this is the place where Fugui and Jiazhen see their son Youqing for the last time.Let us see the street again.In the Cultural Revolution，lampposts，walls，shops，and trees are stuck with portraits of Maos，big- character posters，and slogans.The slogans say，“Whoever opposes it，we take as our enemy”“right to rebel！ Right to revolution！” and so on.After the Cultural Revolution，the first scene of movie comes back -- street is empty and quiet.All of protagonist disappear.People calm down.The society seems to become normal.Zhang utilizes the main street to show characteristics in different eras.The main street is used to walk in 1940.s.However，the street has one more function in 1950.s and 1970.s：a stage for political activities and propaganda.The road is still the road； the building is still the building.However，in each apache，the street has own style of decoration and gives different standard of political rules.Each shot with specific description of subtitles makes viewers know the era at once.

The author of China in Ten Words，YU Hua，summarizes the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution appropriately：

“In Chinas overheated political campaigns，revolution was just a short step away from counterrevolution.In popular idiom it was a matter of ‘flipping pancakes： everyone was just a pancake sizzling on the griddle，flipped from side to side by the hand of fate.Yesterdays revolutionary became todays counterrevolutionary，just as todays counterrevolutionary would become tomorrow.s revolutionary.”（China in Ten Words 171）

In To Live，we know that people are unable to control their fate.Nowadays，we still have not control.Up till now，the film has not been released yet，because the government does not want us to know the fact.Therefore，not only in history textbook，but also in daily life，what you are told is not necessarily accurate.No matter who writes history，no matter who decides what is “true”，truth is so powerful that even government is afraid.Maybe truth is the reason why To Live is banned in China.Finally，we should keep skeptic and do more research.Then，maybe we will get a new whole real story.

References：

[1]TO LIVE（dir Zhang Yimou），U.S.press kit（1994）.

[2]Yu Hua.（2010）.China in Ten Words.（Allan H.Barr，trans）New York：Pantheon Books，a division of Random House，Inc.

[3]http：//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big-character_poster.

[4]Samuel Goldwyn.Film Journal.（1994）.V.97.N.10.American Company Prometheus Global Media Publishing.New York.

[5]Mingguang Zhu，Shiyu Zhao，Zhige Wei.（2006）.Compulsory Education Curriculum Standard Experimental Textbook – History.1701，South Street，Zhong Guan Cun，HaiDian District，Beijing，China.People.s Education Publishing.3rd edition.