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Pages:
3 pages/≈825 words
Sources:
2 Sources
Style:
APA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Movie Review
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
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Topic:

The Theme Of To Live Zhang Yimou Movie Review

Movie Review Instructions:

The film is here https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=ZB7HYhUpDz8&t=28s
Film Review Assignment Rubric
To Live (活着 Huozhe) 1994 Samuel Goldwyn/Era International/Shanghai Film Studios; 125 minutes; Winner, Grand Jury Prize and Best Actor, 1994 Cannes Film Festival; Director: Zhang Yimou; Starring: Ge You, Gong Li
A film review is not a summary of the plot. Rather, your film review should discuss the issues raised by the film, address the film’s purpose and importance. In a nutshell, it is a critical analysis of the content and issues of the film. The length of your review should be 800-1,000 words. The content of your review should include the following in any order you choose.
1) In one short paragraph, describe the film in general terms. Describe the plot and setting. What subjects does it cover? What issues does it raise? What do you see as the purpose of the film?
2) What is the central theme of the film? The theme is the message or the main idea the film is trying to communicate to the audience. It is the point the director is trying to make through the film.
3) What are the motifs (sometimes called sub-themes, or themes) and symbols in the film? How are they used to develop and deepen the main theme? A motif is a recurring element in a story or film. It can be an image, a sound, a song or melody, an object or idea, or a character’s line (words) that repeatedly occurs in the film. Motifs help to reveal, develop, deepen and expand the main theme. A symbol is one thing that represents another. Symbols can be colors, images, objects, or characters that are used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. Your task is to tell me how motifs and symbols help to reveal, develop, deepen and expand the central theme that you have identified.
4) What is the relationship between the state and individual in this film?
5) (Optional) Comment on the representation of reality. Is the film historically (or factually) accurate and realistic? Does it contradict or support anything you have learned?
6) (Optional) Briefly summarize and emphasize the strengths and weaknesses of the film.
Requirements:
 Must use the MLA or APA citation format.
 Must have a title page, double-spaced with a 12 point Times New Roman font.
 Must be submitted through the Dropbox on Brightspace by 5 p.m., Sept. 28, 2018.
 Must place the following on top of the first page of your review:
To Live (活着 Huozhe) 1994 Samuel Goldwyn/Era International/Shanghai Film Studios; 125 minutes; Winner, Grand Jury Prize and Best Actor, 1994 Cannes Film Festival; Director: Zhang Yimou; Starring: Ge You, Gong Li

Movie Review Sample Content Preview:

Movie Review
Author Name
University Name
Introduction
Directed by Zhang Yimou, To Live was released in 1994. Besides English, this Chinese movie was released in different languages, and it featured Gong Li and Ge You. The story of To Live has been inspired by a book of the same name by Yu Hua. Though the film received gained success in all parts of the world, it was denied by the Chinese government due to its controversial story and the critical portrayal of some political campaigns run by the Communist government (Guangcai, 2011).
The movie sheds light on the life of a China-based family that is given tough times, leading the wife to loss her wealth, children and position. From 1940’s heady days of gambling dens to the Cultural Revolution of 1960, To Live depicts a lot of social and political problems and has various political twists that engage the audience from the start till its end (2003).
At first, we see that the husband is behind all the problems his family (the wife and kids) is facing. Fugui (Ge You), a gambler, loses his home and wealth. Jiazhen (Gong Li), his wife, decides to quit on him as things get out of her control. Eventually, the husband begins selling thread and needles on the streets to earn a living as he has no other option for his survival (Guangcai, 2011).
The Theme of To Live
In 1949, Mao Tse-Tung’s Communist Party brought a lot of revolutions in China. The country experienced different social, cultural, political and economic changes, some of which were positive while the others were negative. To Live is basically a movie about a family’s experiences during its challenging and tough times. It is the journey of a wife, her husband and little ones toward the revolutionary stage when everything changes all of a sudden and things get out of their control (Guangcai, 2011, p. 58). The three decades of China that have been transcended in this movie are the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese Civil War, and the Great Leap Forward. In simple words, we can say that To Live shares the bitter truths of China’s political system, especially when the Communist government took over the control of everything. The film emphasizes the experiences of ordinary people as they struggle for their survival and have to face various challenges due to the conflicting policies set by the Chinese government. Director Yimou beli...
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