list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around To Live on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/To_Live/91645/default.aspx Title: To Live
Year: 1994
Director: Zhang Yimou
Plot: Zhang Yimou, often regarded as China's leading contemporary filmmaker, directed this drama chronicling the ebb and flow of one family's fortunes, set against the backdrop of China's tumultuous history between the 1940s and the 1970s. Fugui (Ge You) is the father of a once-wealthy family whose addiction to gambling and chronic bad luck causes him to lose his home in a game of dice with Long'er (Ni Dabong). Fugui's wife Jiazhen (Gong Li) abandons him, and he finds himself working as a peddler, until the man who now owns his home gives him a pair of shadow puppets. Fugui learns the art of puppetry and travels as a performer; while on the road, he is arrested by Nationalist forces, until he is liberated by advancing Red Army factions, and he comes him home to his wife and children as they adapt to the nation's new leadership. While once a lazy spendthrift, Fugui vows to change his ways, and he struggles to become a better worker and citizen. But Fugui and his family soon realize that there is adversity waiting for them around every corner, and the onset of the Cultural Revolution makes it clear that China's new regime can be as corrupt and callous as the old order. While a Grand Prize winner at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and recipient of the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 1995 BAFTA Awards, Huozhe did not fare well in its homeland. Chinese censors objected to the film's commentary about political abuses in China's past, as well as Zhang Yimou's attempts to present the film at several international festivals. As punishment, he was forced to write a formal apology and was not allowed to make another film for two years. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 19
Number of Lists: 12
Number of blog posts: 3
Number of discussion threads: 6
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:33:51 GMTTo Live1994Zhang Yimou<a href="/players/P___117624/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Zhang Yimou</a>, often regarded as China's leading contemporary filmmaker, directed this drama chronicling the ebb and flow of one family's fortunes, set against the backdrop of China's tumultuous history between the 1940s and the 1970s. Fugui (Ge You) is the father of a once-wealthy family whose addiction to gambling and chronic bad luck causes him to lose his home in a game of dice with Long'er (Ni Dabong). Fugui's wife Jiazhen (<a href="/players/P____42289/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Gong Li</a>) abandons him, and he finds himself working as a peddler, until the man who now owns his home gives him a pair of shadow puppets. Fugui learns the art of puppetry and travels as a performer; while on the road, he is arrested by Nationalist forces, until he is liberated by advancing Red Army factions, and he comes him home to his wife and children as they adapt to the nation's new leadership. While once a lazy spendthrift, Fugui vows to change his ways, and he struggles to become a better worker and citizen. But Fugui and his family soon realize that there is adversity waiting for them around every corner, and the onset of the Cultural Revolution makes it clear that China's new regime can be as corrupt and callous as the old order. While a Grand Prize winner at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and recipient of the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 1995 BAFTA Awards, Huozhe did not fare well in its homeland. Chinese censors objected to the film's commentary about political abuses in China's past, as well as <a href="/players/P___117624/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Zhang Yimou</a>'s attempts to present the film at several international festivals. As punishment, he was forced to write a formal apology and was not allowed to make another film for two years. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide19Tag Target (>10)12364http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u42118au8uo.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/To_Live/91645/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2009/6/29/42849.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 6/29/2009 3:33:51 PM
Body: I’m writing this to take a moment and reflect on my past 6 months in film viewing. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal of watching 200 films I haven’t previously seen in 2009. Today, I am relieved to report that with the 6th month of the year ending, I have just finished watching my 100th film. I decided to create a list of the films I’ve seen so I could better keep track of them. Also, because this is an attempt to expand my film knowledge as a whole, I like to be able to sort them by release year, my rating, and the country the originated. This way I can more clearly see any gaping holes in my choices of films. So with all of that in mind, let’s take a look. The oldest film I’ve seen this year was 1947’s Out of the Past. I have to say, I’m kind of disappointed in myself. I think I generally gravitate towards older films but to see that this is the oldest I’ve seen this year is somewhat shocking. I've only seen 2 films from the 40s this year. By Decade:1940s - 2 films 1950s - 10 films 1960s - 12 films 1970s - 12 films 1980s - 7 films 1990s - 1 film 2000s - 56 films So, as you can see, over half of the movies I've watched this year have been released in the within the past 9 years. I would chalk some of that up to availability plus a general attempt to stay current and up to date. I did find it pretty odd that I have only seen one film this year from the 90s. (To Live 1994) I grew up in the 90s, I fell in love with film in the 90s. Maybe that well is simply drying up. So in summary, the rest of my year needs to include more films from the 40s and prior and a few more from the 90s. By Country: Australia - 1 film Belgium - 1 film China - 3 films Czechoslovakia - 1 film France - 4 films Germany - 1 film Italy - 4 films Japan - 11 films Mexico - 2 films Romania - 1 film South Korea - 3 films Spain - 3 film Sweden - 1 film United Kingdom - 3 films United States - 61 films. Okay, so again it seems that the majority of films I've seen are some of the most readily available (domestic). Interestingly also, the 11 Japanese films I've seen this year are from only 3 directors (Miike, Suzuki and Kurosawa) 6 of the 11 are Seijun Suzuki movies. I love his films and I'm not going to stop watching them. I discovered Argentinian filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowski films this year (Mexico), thanks to Mycomplex. The Holy Mountain was good but I loved El Topo. Of the 4 Italian films I watched, 3 were from Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, Amarcord and La Strada) My favorite of the 3 and of all Fellini films is now La Strada. I watched the other 2 films in Park Chan-Wook's vengeance trilogy and I actually think Lady Vengeance may be the best of the 3. Last year, I devoted much more time to European film without much of an affinity for Asian cinema. This has changed this year. I am much more interested in Korean films lately. I think it just took me a little while to assimilate myself to thier style. I have also been able to scratch a few films off my "Classics I have no excuse for not having seen" list. I am now very happy to report that I have seen and enjoyed Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard and 12 Angry Men. Wow, that's embarrassing. Especially with the 12 Angry Men, but let me explain.... (excuse alert) I was always pretty convinced I would love this film. But when I am already that familiar with an iconic film that I've never actually seen, it takes a lot to want to actually put it on and sit through it. That being said, upon finally watching it, I immediately felt pretty stupid for letting such an incredible film slip by for that long. Notable 5: I'm going to conclude this post with a list of 5 films that I probably had the best time with so far this year. 1. La Strada - This is my most recent viewing. I've liked other Fellini films but none of his had such an enjoyable character as Gelsomina. I think she gave this film an entry point that I haven't previously experienced with his films. 2. Synecdoche, New York - I can't really describe how much I loved this film. It hit all the right notes for me and I probably only understood about half of it the first time. Monty (Mycomplex) told me that Charlie Kaufman may be the best American screenwriter alive today and I would have to second that. I would add that as much as I loved his work portrayed by Jonze and Gondry, I think this is his best film. He never over-exaggerated the outrageous things that happen, he just let them play out. Never even asking you if you were on board. 3. Let The Right One In - You know, the teenage vampire movie.... No, not that one, the good one. I don't have a lot to say about this one. It really is as good as you've heard. If you haven't yet, watch it. 4. Detective Bureau 2-3: Go Hell Bastards - By far, the best title of a movie I've seen in a long time. This is one of Seijun Suzuki's lesser known movies and I had one hell of a good time with it. If you liked Branded to Kill or Tokyo Drifter, this is a great watch along those same lines. 5. Lady Vengeance - As I said before, this is probably my favorite of the Vengeance Trilogy. It was just as aesthetically brilliant as Oldboy but I think it's 3rd act gave this film the heart that was missing in the previous 2. Well, that should just about do it. I now have just about 186 days to watch another 100 films. In case your not to good with the numbers, that works out to an average of 1 film every 1.86 days. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do it but it shall be done. Recommendations are more than welcome...... Peace & Love Emery.
]]>Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:33:51 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog6/29/2009 3:33:51 PM I&rsquo;m writing this to take a moment and reflect on my past 6 months in film viewing. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal of watching 200 films I haven&rsquo;t previously seen in 2009. Today, I am relieved to report that with the 6th month of the year ending, I have just finished watching my 100th film. I decided to create a list of the films I&rsquo;ve seen so I could better keep track of them. Also, because this is an attempt to expand my film knowledge as a whole, I like to be able to sort them by release year, my rating, and the country the originated. This way I can more clearly see any gaping holes in my choices of films. So with all of that in mind, let&rsquo;s take a look. The oldest film I&rsquo;ve seen this year was 1947&rsquo;s Out of the Past. I have to say, I&rsquo;m kind of disappointed in myself. I think I generally gravitate towards older films but to see that this is the oldest I&rsquo;ve seen this year is somewhat shocking. I've only seen 2 films from the 40s this year. By Decade:1940s - 2 films 1950s - 10 films 1960s - 12 films 1970s - 12 films 1980s - 7 films 1990s - 1 film 2000s - 56 films So, as you can see, over half of the movies I've watched this year have been released in the within the past 9 years. I would chalk some of that up to availability plus a general attempt to stay current and up to date. I did find it pretty odd that I have only seen one film this year from the 90s. (To Live 1994) I grew up in the 90s, I fell in love with film in the 90s. Maybe that well is simply drying up. So in summary, the rest of my year needs to include more films from the 40s and prior and a few more from the 90s. By Country: Australia - 1 film Belgium - 1 film China - 3 films Czechoslovakia - 1 film France - 4 films Germany - 1 film Italy - 4 films Japan - 11 films Mexico - 2 films Romania - 1 film South Korea - 3 films Spain - 3 film Sweden - 1 film United Kingdom - 3 films United States - 61 films. Okay, so again it seems that the majority of films I've seen are some of the most readily available (domestic). Interestingly also, the 11 Japanese films I've seen this year are from only 3 directors (Miike, Suzuki and Kurosawa) 6 of the 11 are Seijun Suzuki movies. I love his films and I'm not going to stop watching them. I discovered Argentinian filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowski films this year (Mexico), thanks to Mycomplex. The Holy Mountain was good but I loved El Topo. Of the 4 Italian films I watched, 3 were from Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, Amarcord and La Strada) My favorite of the 3 and of all Fellini films is now La Strada. I watched the other 2 films in Park Chan-Wook's vengeance trilogy and I actually think Lady Vengeance may be the best of the 3. Last year, I devoted much more time to European film without much of an affinity for Asian cinema. This has changed this year. I am much more interested in Korean films lately. I think it just took me a little while to assimilate myself to thier style. I have also been able to scratch a few films off my "Classics I have no excuse for not having seen" list. I am now very happy to report that I have seen and enjoyed Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard and 12 Angry Men. Wow, that's embarrassing. Especially with the 12 Angry Men, but let me explain.... (excuse alert) I was always pretty convinced I would love this film. But when I am already that familiar with an iconic film that I've never actually seen, it takes a lot to want to actually put it on and sit through it. That being said, upon finally watching it, I immediately felt pretty stupid for letting such an incredible film slip by for that long. Notable 5: I'm going to conclude this post with a list of 5 films that I probably had the best time with so far this year. 1. La Strada - This is my most recent viewing. I've liked other Fellini films but none of his had such an enjoyable character as Gelsomina. I think she gave this film an entry point that I haven't previously experienced with his films. 2. Synecdoche, New York - I can't really describe how much I loved this film. It hit all the right notes for me and I probably only understood about half of it the first time. Monty (Mycomplex) told me that Charlie Kaufman may be the best American screenwriter alive today and I would have to second that. I would add that as much as I loved his work portrayed by Jonze and Gondry, I think this is his best film. He never over-exaggerated the outrageous things that happen, he just let them play out. Never even asking you if you were on board. 3. Let The Right One In - You know, the teenage vampire movie.... No, not that one, the good one. I don't have a lot to say about this one. It really is as good as you've heard. If you haven't yet, watch it. 4. Detective Bureau 2-3: Go Hell Bastards - By far, the best title of a movie I've seen in a long time. This is one of Seijun Suzuki's lesser known movies and I had one hell of a good time with it. If you liked Branded to Kill or Tokyo Drifter, this is a great watch along those same lines. 5. Lady Vengeance - As I said before, this is probably my favorite of the Vengeance Trilogy. It was just as aesthetically brilliant as Oldboy but I think it's 3rd act gave this film the heart that was missing in the previous 2. Well, that should just about do it. I now have just about 186 days to watch another 100 films. In case your not to good with the numbers, that works out to an average of 1 film every 1.86 days. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do it but it shall be done. Recommendations are more than welcome...... Peace &amp; Love Emery. http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_recent_Chinese_period_martial_ar/657/42818/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 6/26/2009 1:10:22 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="leeroy711"] I went with Hero as well.. Did you realize that of the 7 films you listed, 3 are Zhang Yimou films? I noticed this because I just watched To Live (not a martial arts movie) yesterday and was pretty blown away by it. Of those 3, I thought Hero was the best.... Lots of eye candy. I think I would have liked to have seen Tony Jaa included in this poll. I liked Ong-Bak and loved The Protector!!!! [/quote] Yeah I almost thought about just making this a Zhang Yimou poll, but it didn't then encompass all of the movies Tom suggested. I don't know if Ong-Bak really fits the rest of them or not. For one, Ong-Bak is from Thailand and the rest are pretty much Chinese. I think the rest of them are really period pieces too, where although Ong-Bak had a lot of tradition in it, it seemed like it was set in modern day. I don't know much about The Protector. But I will concur that Ong-Bak kicks a lot of ass!!!! [/quote] Ooops, my bad. I guess I didn't really read the full title of the poll.. Somehow I missed the whole Chinese period part of the question.
]]>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:10:22 GMTleeroy711Movie Polls6/26/2009 1:10:22 PM[quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="leeroy711"] I went with Hero as well.. Did you realize that of the 7 films you listed, 3 are Zhang Yimou films? I noticed this because I just watched To Live (not a martial arts movie) yesterday and was pretty blown away by it. Of those 3, I thought Hero was the best.... Lots of eye candy. I think I would have liked to have seen Tony Jaa included in this poll. I liked Ong-Bak and loved The Protector!!!! [/quote] Yeah I almost thought about just making this a Zhang Yimou poll, but it didn't then encompass all of the movies Tom suggested. I don't know if Ong-Bak really fits the rest of them or not. For one, Ong-Bak is from Thailand and the rest are pretty much Chinese. I think the rest of them are really period pieces too, where although Ong-Bak had a lot of tradition in it, it seemed like it was set in modern day. I don't know much about The Protector. But I will concur that Ong-Bak kicks a lot of ass!!!! [/quote] Ooops, my bad. I guess I didn't really read the full title of the poll.. Somehow I missed the whole Chinese period part of the question. http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_recent_Chinese_period_martial_ar/657/42817/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 6/26/2009 12:49:13 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] I went with Hero as well.. Did you realize that of the 7 films you listed, 3 are Zhang Yimou films? I noticed this because I just watched To Live (not a martial arts movie) yesterday and was pretty blown away by it. Of those 3, I thought Hero was the best.... Lots of eye candy. I think I would have liked to have seen Tony Jaa included in this poll. I liked Ong-Bak and loved The Protector!!!! [/quote] Yeah I almost thought about just making this a Zhang Yimou poll, but it didn't then encompass all of the movies Tom suggested. I don't know if Ong-Bak really fits the rest of them or not. For one, Ong-Bak is from Thailand and the rest are pretty much Chinese. I think the rest of them are really period pieces too, where although Ong-Bak had a lot of tradition in it, it seemed like it was set in modern day. I don't know much about The Protector. But I will concur that Ong-Bak kicks a lot of ass!!!!
]]>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:49:13 GMTRisseladaMovie Polls6/26/2009 12:49:13 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] I went with Hero as well.. Did you realize that of the 7 films you listed, 3 are Zhang Yimou films? I noticed this because I just watched To Live (not a martial arts movie) yesterday and was pretty blown away by it. Of those 3, I thought Hero was the best.... Lots of eye candy. I think I would have liked to have seen Tony Jaa included in this poll. I liked Ong-Bak and loved The Protector!!!! [/quote] Yeah I almost thought about just making this a Zhang Yimou poll, but it didn't then encompass all of the movies Tom suggested. I don't know if Ong-Bak really fits the rest of them or not. For one, Ong-Bak is from Thailand and the rest are pretty much Chinese. I think the rest of them are really period pieces too, where although Ong-Bak had a lot of tradition in it, it seemed like it was set in modern day. I don't know much about The Protector. But I will concur that Ong-Bak kicks a lot of ass!!!! http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_recent_Chinese_period_martial_ar/657/42806/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 6/25/2009 4:11:45 PM
Body: I went with Hero as well.. Did you realize that of the 7 films you listed, 3 are Zhang Yimou films? I noticed this because I just watched To Live (not a martial arts movie) yesterday and was pretty blown away by it. Of those 3, I thought Hero was the best.... Lots of eye candy. I think I would have liked to have seen Tony Jaa included in this poll. I liked Ong-Bak and loved The Protector!!!!
]]>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:11:45 GMTleeroy711Movie Polls6/25/2009 4:11:45 PMI went with Hero as well.. Did you realize that of the 7 films you listed, 3 are Zhang Yimou films? I noticed this because I just watched To Live (not a martial arts movie) yesterday and was pretty blown away by it. Of those 3, I thought Hero was the best.... Lots of eye candy. I think I would have liked to have seen Tony Jaa included in this poll. I liked Ong-Bak and loved The Protector!!!! http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Historical_Drama/643/38290/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: seely
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 12/12/2008 9:40:16 AM
Body: One outstanding historical drama I only recently saw was "To Live". Its set in pre-communist/communist/post-communist China, and follows one family's journey through that amazing period and transformation. The film was nothing short of breathtaking. It is subtitled, but you're so drawn into the story that you won't notice after 2 or 3 minutes.
]]>Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:40:16 GMTseelyCommunity Recommendations12/12/2008 9:40:16 AMOne outstanding historical drama I only recently saw was "To Live". Its set in pre-communist/communist/post-communist China, and follows one family's journey through that amazing period and transformation. The film was nothing short of breathtaking. It is subtitled, but you're so drawn into the story that you won't notice after 2 or 3 minutes. http://www.spout.com/blogs/lmstanley/archive/2008/9/26/35610.aspx Post By: lmstanley
Post To: lmstanley Blog
Post Date: 9/26/2008 3:55:00 PM
Body: I liked this movie overall. I've been thinking about it for days, mostly because of the tragic circumstances that befall this family. To Live opened my eyes to Chinese history and how the government affects the lives of every day citizens. The sacrifice that people made for the good of the whole or the good of the government is difficult to watch. I.E. giving up pots and pans to be melt down for iron for the war. Or sending your children off to work in the refineries. For a me, it was a bit of a tear-jerker and overall I found the movie sad. The main characters ability to bear it and carry on is inspiring. That said, I'm not sure I'd watch it again.
]]>Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:55:00 GMTlmstanleylmstanley Blog9/26/2008 3:55:00 PMI liked this movie overall. I've been thinking about it for days, mostly because of the tragic circumstances that befall this family. To Live opened my eyes to Chinese history and how the government affects the lives of every day citizens. The sacrifice that people made for the good of the whole or the good of the government is difficult to watch. I.E. giving up pots and pans to be melt down for iron for the war. Or sending your children off to work in the refineries. For a me, it was a bit of a tear-jerker and overall I found the movie sad. The main characters ability to bear it and carry on is inspiring. That said, I'm not sure I'd watch it again. http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Watchin_Wednesday/September_24th_To_Live_1994/624/35443/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: csprague
Post To: Movie Watchin Wednesday
Post Date: 9/23/2008 1:09:33 PM
Body: I watched this one in my intro class for foreign film, it was probably the movie that made me really appreciate filmmaking outside of the US the most. There is so much I don't know or understand about China and it's history, I found this movie to be a good primer on the subject. Anyway, check out the movie synopsis and some other people's reviews on the detail page. We will be watching the film in two parts since it is so long. If you miss one week it will be available to borrow if you would like to see the whole thing. It is subtitled.
]]>Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:09:33 GMTcspragueMovie Watchin Wednesday9/23/2008 1:09:33 PMI watched this one in my intro class for foreign film, it was probably the movie that made me really appreciate filmmaking outside of the US the most. There is so much I don't know or understand about China and it's history, I found this movie to be a good primer on the subject. Anyway, check out the movie synopsis and some other people's reviews on the detail page. We will be watching the film in two parts since it is so long. If you miss one week it will be available to borrow if you would like to see the whole thing. It is subtitled. http://www.spout.com/groups/Friends_of_Foreign_Flicks/Re_Why_I_got_into_foreign_films/591/27761/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: indieabby88
Post To: Friends of Foreign Flicks
Post Date: 4/24/2008 1:32:42 PM
Body: I totally agree! One of the biggest perks of foreign films for me is when I'm learning about a different culture while simultaneously being entertained. I always cite "To Live" and "Raise the Red Lantern," two movies I saw in my History of East Asia class, as prime examples. I wouldn't say that's specifically why I got into watching foreign movies, but it's one reason why I enjoy them. I watch foreign films for the same reason I watch any other movie: simply because it looks interesting. For me, a movie is a movie, no matter where it comes from, and I feel like what makes a movie appealing should go beyond whether or not you have to read subtitles. I can't stand it when someone refuses to watch a foreign film because they "don't like reading." For a while in high school and my first year in college, I got really into Spanish, Mexican and South American films. We watched a lot of spanish-language movies in my high school spanish class, like "The Sea Inside," "El Norte" and "The Official Story" as chances to learn about the cultures, and to see how much of the movie we could understand with our limited command of the language. The high point was when our teacher let us watch "El Mariachi." I was pretty excited last year when I saw "Pan's Labyrinth" and realized I could actually understand what the actors were saying fifty percent of the time.
]]>Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:32:42 GMTindieabby88Friends of Foreign Flicks4/24/2008 1:32:42 PMI totally agree! One of the biggest perks of foreign films for me is when I'm learning about a different culture while simultaneously being entertained. I always cite "To Live" and "Raise the Red Lantern," two movies I saw in my History of East Asia class, as prime examples. I wouldn't say that's specifically why I got into watching foreign movies, but it's one reason why I enjoy them. I watch foreign films for the same reason I watch any other movie: simply because it looks interesting. For me, a movie is a movie, no matter where it comes from, and I feel like what makes a movie appealing should go beyond whether or not you have to read subtitles. I can't stand it when someone refuses to watch a foreign film because they "don't like reading." For a while in high school and my first year in college, I got really into Spanish, Mexican and South American films. We watched a lot of spanish-language movies in my high school spanish class, like "The Sea Inside," "El Norte" and "The Official Story" as chances to learn about the cultures, and to see how much of the movie we could understand with our limited command of the language. The high point was when our teacher let us watch "El Mariachi." I was pretty excited last year when I saw "Pan's Labyrinth" and realized I could actually understand what the actors were saying fifty percent of the time. http://www.spout.com/blogs/indieabby88/archive/2008/4/5/26990.aspx Post By: indieabby88
Post To: Bloggish review blog
Post Date: 4/5/2008 4:13:44 PM
Body: The message of Lou Ye's film "Summer Palace" seems to be this: depressed people have sex. A lot. There are three major characters in Ye's film that have some obvious issues, and all of them waste no time hopping into bed with each other in an attempt to escape their apparent (and unexplained) pain. The director manages to make this situation somewhat interesting during the first half of the movie, but the last half drags miserably to a conclusion that doesn't seem like a neat wrap-up of the events we've witnessed, but a confession that Ye is just as bored with the movie as the audience is, and he wanted it to be over as much as I did. It's pretty seldom that I come across a film that has me counting down the minutes until the end, but "Summer Palace" managed to do just that. The story starts with Yu Hong, a girl from a small town in China who gets accepted to Beijing University just before the Tiananmen Square massacre. She makes friends with a girl, Li Ti, and through her meets Zhou Wei, a young man with whom Yu Hong begins a turbulent relationship. This is the interesting half of the film. Despite the fact that Yu Hong doesn't seem to feel much unless she's sleeping with someone, the culture surrounding her, Li Ti and Zhou Wei provides an interesting backdrop.After the night of the Tiananmen Square incident (an event which I thought was sadly underplayed in the movie), Yu Hong decides to drop out of college and goes back home with an old boyfriend of hers. Li Ti and Zhou Wei, who have been sleeping together (imagine that) go to Berlin with the help of Li Ti's boyfriend who's studying there. We follow all the characters, through Li Ti and Zhou Wei's weird, seemingly one-sided affair (Li Ti is obsessed with Zhou Wei, Zhou Wei appears to be in it only for the sex) and Yu Hong's series of meaningless affairs and relationships. This part of the movie quickly descends into the doldrums. The "full boil" described by Manohla Dargis of the New York Times in a blurb on the DVD's cover quickly cools down to a state of near-stagnancy.I think perhaps what would have saved "Summer Palace" from its dull and unfortunate fate is a bigger sense of politics. China in the late 80s was full of political unrest among the young, and the movie barely illustrates this point. In fact, the Tiananmen Square massacre is shown as little more than a bunch of excited kids getting beaten down by soldiers, and is an event that seems to have little to nothing to do with the film's main characters. The conflict that stems between them all seems to come from Yu Hong's need to be around Zhou Wei, and Zhou Wei's increasing confusion about what the hell is wrong with Yu Hong."Summer Palace" had the potential to be an interesting little movie, maybe some engaging cross between "To Live" and "The Dreamers" (if one can imagine such a thing) but unfortunately the movie takes the mind-numbingly mediocre middle ground and does nothing. It doesn't make any political statements, neither does it try to revolutionize through its love scenes."Summer Palace" has a promising start, but that's all. It is, essentially, a movie that goes nowhere, does nothing and really has nothing to say.
]]>Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:13:44 GMTindieabby88Bloggish review blog4/5/2008 4:13:44 PMThe message of Lou Ye&#39;s film &quot;Summer Palace&quot; seems to be this: depressed people have sex. A lot. There are three major characters in Ye&#39;s film that have some obvious issues, and all of them waste no time hopping into bed with each other in an attempt to escape their apparent (and unexplained) pain. The director manages to make this situation somewhat interesting during the first half of the movie, but the last half drags miserably to a conclusion that doesn&#39;t seem like a neat wrap-up of the events we&#39;ve witnessed, but a confession that Ye is just as bored with the movie as the audience is, and he wanted it to be over as much as I did. It&#39;s pretty seldom that I come across a film that has me counting down the minutes until the end, but &quot;Summer Palace&quot; managed to do just that. The story starts with Yu Hong, a girl from a small town in China who gets accepted to Beijing University just before the Tiananmen Square massacre. She makes friends with a girl, Li Ti, and through her meets Zhou Wei, a young man with whom Yu Hong begins a turbulent relationship. This is the interesting half of the film. Despite the fact that Yu Hong doesn&#39;t seem to feel much unless she&#39;s sleeping with someone, the culture surrounding her, Li Ti and Zhou Wei provides an interesting backdrop.After the night of the Tiananmen Square incident (an event which I thought was sadly underplayed in the movie), Yu Hong decides to drop out of college and goes back home with an old boyfriend of hers. Li Ti and Zhou Wei, who have been sleeping together (imagine that) go to Berlin with the help of Li Ti&#39;s boyfriend who&#39;s studying there. We follow all the characters, through Li Ti and Zhou Wei&#39;s weird, seemingly one-sided affair (Li Ti is obsessed with Zhou Wei, Zhou Wei appears to be in it only for the sex) and Yu Hong&#39;s series of meaningless affairs and relationships. This part of the movie quickly descends into the doldrums. The &quot;full boil&quot; described by Manohla Dargis of the New York Times in a blurb on the DVD&#39;s cover quickly cools down to a state of near-stagnancy.I think perhaps what would have saved &quot;Summer Palace&quot; from its dull and unfortunate fate is a bigger sense of politics. China in the late 80s was full of political unrest among the young, and the movie barely illustrates this point. In fact, the Tiananmen Square massacre is shown as little more than a bunch of excited kids getting beaten down by soldiers, and is an event that seems to have little to nothing to do with the film&#39;s main characters. The conflict that stems between them all seems to come from Yu Hong&#39;s need to be around Zhou Wei, and Zhou Wei&#39;s increasing confusion about what the hell is wrong with Yu Hong.&quot;Summer Palace&quot; had the potential to be an interesting little movie, maybe some engaging cross between &quot;To Live&quot; and &quot;The Dreamers&quot; (if one can imagine such a thing) but unfortunately the movie takes the mind-numbingly mediocre middle ground and does nothing. It doesn&#39;t make any political statements, neither does it try to revolutionize through its love scenes.&quot;Summer Palace&quot; has a promising start, but that&#39;s all. It is, essentially, a movie that goes nowhere, does nothing and really has nothing to say. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily
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