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To Live (1994) | Ranked Top 5% · CriticCrunch

To Live backdrop

To Live

Movie1994·133 min

To Live

Directed by Zhang Yimou

Drama Romance War

A drama romance film directed by Zhang Yimou.

◈ CrunchScore

Top 5%

of all movies · weighted by audience size & source agreement

★ TMDB Audience Rating

8.1/10

392 ratings

About To Live

Married couple Fugui and Jiazhen endure tumultuous events in mid-20th century mainland China as their personal fortunes move from wealthy landownership to peasantry.

Pacing: Measured (4 of 9)
Tone: Bittersweet (4 of 9)
Intensity: Intense (7 of 9)
Complexity: Layered (6 of 9)
Humor: Light-touch (4 of 9)
Scale: Broad (6 of 9)
Spirit: Earnest (5 of 9)
Texture: Gritty, Contemplative
Story Tags: ambition hubris, trauma recovery, survival of spirit, mid century, historical event, international, romantic partners, everyman, rise and fall, nonlinear flashback, tragedy arc

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Where to Watch To Live

To Live is not currently available on any tracked service.

Details

Director: Zhang Yimou
Language: Chinese

Cast

Ge You, Gong Li, Niu Ben

⬡Explore cast & crew→

How To Live Ranks

All movies

Top 5%

1990s movies

Top 5%

Drama movies

Top 4%

1990s Drama movies

Top 5%

★Zhang Yimou films#1 of 20

Top 5% in every cohort we track — a consistent classic.

the vibe

To Live Vibe

What it feels like

measuredbittersweetintenselayeredlight-touchbroadearnest

gritty

contemplative

What it's about

rise & fallnonlinear flashbacktragedy arcambition hubristrauma recoverysurvival of spiriteverymanromantic partnershistorical eventinternationalmid-century

pacing

measured 4/9measured 4/9

tone

bittersweet 4/9wistful 4/9

intensity

intense 7/9intense 7/9

complexity

layered 6/9layered 6/9

humor

light-touch 4/9light 4/9

scale

broad 6/9broad 6/9

spirit

earnest 5/9earnest 5/9

texture

grittygritty