Movie Review: Huozhe (a.k.a To Live, 1994 Yimou Zhang)

Posted on September 19, 2008. Filed under: movies | Tags: Blood, Chinese, Communism, Fugui, Huozhe, movie reviews, To Live, Yimou Zhang |

“I want to live!” is called out several times and seems to be the ever-repeating focus throughout this warmly directed family/political drama.
The film begins with a young Fugui who is seen drinking alcohol excessively, singing/performing and gambling, signing himself into debts which are obviously too great for this young man to ever repay-choosing this ruckus life over a life spent fully devoted to his tender wife, innocent child and wise elderly father.
I could tell immediately that Fugui is an individual who is desperately trying to escape what he might define as an empty and unfulfilling life. I continue to see that same behavior in our time and in our own culture’s way.

Fugui may even say, when approached regarding his riotous life, “Hey, I just want to live” when this type of living always seems to destroy ones life-much to the agony of those loved ones that are so deeply impacted.
I was immediately impressed to notice the thumbprint that Fugui placed upon the lending documents and particularly that it was marked in red dye. It was my impression that the blood-red dye used to make the debt-mark must have some reflective parallel to the signer’s own blood. That by making his mark that he was giving away a portion of that which so preciously gave him life in exchange for what he felt he really wanted. An image that suggests that it is through the payment of the blood of its people that life gives us our rewards.
This theme of “I want to live” set side by side with the willing giving away of part of ones life in exchange for something greater seems to echo to me throughout this deep and thought provoking film.
Because of the times depicted and the Chinese location, communism makes a constant appearance throughout the film. The red color adopted by the communist party seemed to me to be a symbol of the blood spilt by the revolutionaries to give the people the life they were so desperate for. Yet, because of the blood paid, there was more blood to be paid to help it strengthen and grow within the country. As blood was lost in the film, the red color increased as if it was a mark left as payment made and a debt recorded.
It was my determination by the end that communism was not just a background, prop or theme in the film, but it was an actual character that seemed to speak unheard lines to the audience. Somehow in its voiceless way it spoke so loud that even the main characters lines could barely be heard at times. Yet, the communication given in its lines were eerily subtle and seemed to whisper its message.

At one point a boy places a few baby chicks into Fugui’s puppet chest that just so happened to be first giver of life to him when he was at his lowest point. Shortly before this happens, Fugui explains something profoundly to his son. A chicken will grow into a goose, then the goose into a sheep and the sheep into an ox and an ox into a little boy and so on. It was impressed to me that Fugui is describing communism in the 40’s as if it was a young chick and that it would grow and change as it matured. That, although it was now small and delicate and raw, it would soon change to something bigger and stronger and more useful and profitable until it is something truly priceless.
I suggest this film to anyone interested in watching something a little more than a box of laughs, a squish of special effects, and 32 ounces of product endorsements. This is a film that will make you think, make you cry and make you change your mind about a people with such a richly diverse history and a great love for life and desire to live.