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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka 'Huozhe' or 'To Live', 'Lifetimes', 'Leben!', 'Vivre!')
China 1994
Zhang Yimou's "To
Live" is a sweeping examination of the hardships
endured by a Chinese family during the political
upheavals following the communist revolution. At the
film's opening, Fugui (Ge You) is so dissolute from a
debauched life of drinking and gambling that he looks
like a drug-ravaged rock star. Every night he goes to a
club where, over the protests of his wife, Jiazhen (Gong
Li), and his father, the arrogant wastrel fritters away
the family fortune, running up such a ledger of debts
that, eventually, he is forced to sell off their
ancestral home to pay them off. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of his troubles. After being tossed into the street, his pregnant wife leaves him, taking their daughter with her. Forced to work as a puppeteer to make money, Fugui soon finds himself a prisoner of the Nationalist army and, later, a member of the revolutionary forces. Rocked by his experiences, Fugui returns home determined to change his ways and become a respectable citizen. And when his wife comes back to him with their new son, Youqing, it looks as if he might actually get a second chance. Having been forced out of the upper class, Fugui attempts to wipe out his past by becoming the perfect worker. But as Zhang pictures them, the political leaders in China are indifferent to individual happiness. Decade by decade through the various stages of communist development, Fugui and his family attempt to cope with the cruel winds of totalitarian fashion. And despite the countless tragedies, they manage to survive." Excerpt From Hal Hinson Washington Post HERE Fugui and Jiazhen endure tumultuous events in China as their personal fortunes move from wealthy landownership to peasantry. Addicted to gambling, Fugui loses everything. In the years that follow he is pressed into both the nationalist and communist armies, while Jiazhen is forced into menial work. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: May 17th, 1994 (Cannes)
Film Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
ERA Home Video NTSC (Taiwan) Region 0 - NTSC vs. MGM Region 1 - NTSC vs. Imprint (Collaborations: The Cinema of Zhang Yimou & Gong Li) - Region FREE - Blu-ray
|
Box Covers |
|
Part of Imprint's 8 Blu-ray Collaborations: The Cinema of Zhang Yimou & Gong Li BONUS CAPTURES: |
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Distribution | ERA Home Video Region 0 (Taiwan) |
MGM Region 1 (US) |
Imprint- Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 2:06:36 | 2:12:20 | 2:12:23.143 |
Video |
1.69:1/4:3 Letterboxed WideScreen Average Bitrate: 4.52 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1.78:1/16:9 |
1.85 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 40,804,045,170 bytesFeature: 36,724,137,984 bytesVideo Bitrate: 32.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. | |||
BitRate ERA | |||
MGM | |||
Blu-ray |
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Audio |
Mandarin Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround |
Mandarin Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround |
LPCM Audio Chinese 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit |
Subtitles |
Traditional Chinese, English (removable) |
English, Spanish, French, none. |
English, none |
Features |
Filmographies (in Chinese only) DVD Release Date: 3rd quarter 1998 |
Anamorphic widescreen Theatrical Trailer (01:44) DVD Release Date:
July 1st, 2003 |
Release Information: Studio: Imprint
1.85 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 40,804,045,170 bytesFeature: 36,724,137,984 bytesVideo Bitrate: 32.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: NEW Tony Rayns Interview on To Live (2021) (30:17) Interview with actress Gong Li (5:52)
Transparent Blu-ray Case inside Custom Box (see below) Chapters 12 |
Package - Imprint- Region FREE - Blu-ray
|
Comment |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
NOTE: We have added 36 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Imprint use a linear PCM stereo track (24-bit) in the
original Mandarin language.
"To Live"
has a few aggressive moments that come through with modest depth
and supportive score by
Jiping Zhao (Farewell
My Concubine,
The
King of Masks, and many Zhang Yimou films;
The Story of Qiu Ju, Red
Sorghum,
Raise the Red Lantern,
Ju Dou etc.) sounding clean
with consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. Imprint offer optional
English subtitles on their Region FREE
Blu-ray.
The
Imprint
Blu-ray
Zhang Yimou's "To Live" has
been a favorite film for years. Melodrama with subtle sentimentality. As
Zhang Yimou says;
"I believe that for a long time now Chinese films have been too
abstract, conceptual, gimmicky. They don't relate at all to the lives of
ordinary Chinese people. I'm certain that most audiences will like this
film. We haven't gone overboard on the tragic elements, but rather have
focused on the minute, amusing details in the life of a nobody. There
are tears and laughter, one following the other in a gentle rhythm like
the breath of a bellows." I am excited to indulge in the rest of
Imprint's
"Collaborations:
The Cinema of Zhang Yimou & Gong Li"
Blu-ray
Limited Edition Boxset *** ON THE DVDs (August 2003): )Compared to the digitally manipulated, vertically squeezed ERA transfer, the MGM looks far superior. It is sharper. The colors seem more real and muted in direct contrast to the obvious brightness boosting of the ERA. Both versions appear slightly cropped in various situations. I haven't been able to determine exactly where the missing 6 minutes from the ERA title are, unless it was taken from a PAL source and the speed not compensated (it looks to be about 4%). Skin tones in the MGM look a little red to me and I am still hoping for a better release for this masterpiece film with some substantial Extras (as opposed to just a trailer on the MGM). The MGM DVD is the obvious choice, but it still does not meet the deserved expectations that this fine film should be treated to. |
Recommended Reading in Chinese/Hong Kong/Taiwanese Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
Memoirs from the Beijing Film
Academy by Zhen Ni, Chris Berry, Ni Zhen |
Zhang Yimou: Interviews (Conversations
With Filmmakers) by Frances Gateward |
Chinese Films in Focus: 25 New Takes by Chris Berry |
Wong Kar-Wai: Auteur of Time (Bfi World
Directors) by Stephen Teo |
China into Film: Frames of Reference in
Contemporary Chinese Cinema (Envisioning Asia) by Jerome Silbergeld |
New Chinese Cinemas
by Nick Browne |
Once Upon a Time in China : A Guide to
Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and Mainland Chinese Cinema by Jeff Yang |
Chinese Film Theory by George S. Semsel |
Check out more in "The Library"
DVD Menus
Imprint - Region FREE -
Blu-ray
CLICK EACH
BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
1)
ERA - Region 0 - NTSC -
TOP
2)
MGM - Region 1- NTSC
MIDDLE
3) Imprint - Region FREE -
Blu-ray BOTTOM
1)
ERA - Region 0 - NTSC -
TOP
2)
MGM - Region 1- NTSC
MIDDLE
3) Imprint - Region FREE -
Blu-ray BOTTOM
1)
ERA - Region 0 - NTSC -
TOP
2)
MGM - Region 1- NTSC
MIDDLE
3) Imprint - Region FREE -
Blu-ray BOTTOM
1)
ERA - Region 0 - NTSC -
TOP
2)
MGM - Region 1- NTSC
MIDDLE
3) Imprint - Region FREE -
Blu-ray BOTTOM
1)
ERA - Region 0 - NTSC -
TOP
2)
MGM - Region 1- NTSC
MIDDLE
3) Imprint - Region FREE -
Blu-ray BOTTOM
1)
ERA - Region 0 - NTSC -
TOP
2)
MGM - Region 1- NTSC
MIDDLE
3) Imprint - Region FREE -
Blu-ray BOTTOM
More full resolution
(1920 X 1080)
Blu-ray Captures for
DVDBeaver
Patreon Supporters
HERE
Part of Imprint's 8
Blu-ray
Collaborations: The Cinema of Zhang Yimou & Gong Li
BONUS CAPTURES:
(ERA - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT, MGM - Region 1- NTSC
- LEFT)
Box Covers
Distribution
ERA Home Video
Region 0 (Taiwan)MGM
Region 1 (US)
Imprint- Region FREE -
Blu-ray