The Cultural Revolution in China - Essay Example

    To Live

Few families were not affected by the cultural revolution in China. To live illustrates the impact of the Cultural Revolution on the political movement that was steered by communists. Wan Erxi represents the revolution of culture-making into the family Xu, which is evident through visual representation. Though the Xu family married the Cultural Revolution through the Wan Erxi, Fungui felt the attachment to the conventional values that opposed the revolutionary time.  This is represented by the shows of puppets that he performed through the income. This storytelling for a crowd is a Chinese custom that existed before.

Therefore, one should need not give up on hope no matter the situation a person faces. The film has some of the conventional Chinese though like Confucianism and Buddhism. Additionally, the film shows the responsibilities of a person in life. The film outlines the life of Fungui during various Chinese periods, like Cultural Revolution and the civil war. The conversation between Chun-sheng and Ji-Zhen expresses how important life is.

When Chun-sheng killed the son of Fugui and Jia-Zhen, Jia-Zhen told Chung-shend that he hated him. Life signifies the You-qing death. However, at the end of the movie, Chun-sheng lost hope in life due to the death of her wife but was encouraged by Jia-Zhen to live a strong life. Some of the conventional Chinese thoughts like Confucianism and Buddhism are offered the expression. In Buddhism, suffering arises due to human desires. Therefore, one needs to live a simpler life. In the film, we see Chun-send falling in love with cars. Driven by such a desire, he later becomes a driver after joining the army. The experience of Fugui in the film shows life’s responsibility, which is a belief from Confucianism. At the start, Fugui failed to understand the responsibilities and hardship that come along in life.

After losing almost everything, Fugui realized that he needs to take responsibility to take care of his family. He started earning a living as a puppeteer. When joined the army during the Cultural Revolution and civil war he kept saying that he had to live, he had to go home, he had a family that depended on him. The experience of Fugui shows that one needs to take responsibility in life irrespective of the condition that one faces. “To Live” is a movie that is filled with hope. It shows that even in difficult times when individuals suffer emotionally and physically, they still have a strong life belief. It is believed that life will always be better if one becomes hopeful in life and try best in living it. At the end of the movie, the conversation of Fugui with the grandson highlights the film theme. Chicken becomes geese after growing up, geese also become sheep after growing up, and sheep becomes ox when growing up. Therefore, life in China is always hard, but people still have hope. In addition, individuals will become better, when they believe in it.