Huozhe (To Live)
Director: Zhang Yimou
Staring: You Ge (Xu Fugui) and Li Gong (Xu Jiazhen)
Married couple Fugui and Jiazhen live a tragic and joyous life through the changing events in China from the 40's to the 70's.
Their lives change as Fugui, a gambling addict, gambles away their ancestral home and wealth changing their lot from landlord class to peasant class. Fugui loses everything: his home, his wealth, his family, and his father's last remnants of respect as his father dies with hateful words toward his son still fresh on his lips.
Fugui and Jiazhen reunite after Fugui finds humility in his new peasant life and she returns to him with their 2 children. Fugui becomes a puppet entertainer and one night is conscripted into the Kuomintang Army and eventually, after capture, into the Red Army.
While Jiazhen is alone she takes up work delivering hot water in thermoses to the towns people (this is sort of like a milkman) not knowing if her husband is dead or alive.
After the Communist Government wins over the hearts, minds and territory of their home town, Fugui and Jiazhen are reunited again and continue to raise their family in Communist China.
The theme of the movie is echoed with the reoccurring words of Xu Fugui: "and life will get better and better."
There is an interesting neutral view of the Cultural Revolution that, by itself, is worth watching for. It is not shown in a bad nor good light, IMO. If you know anything about the Cultural Revolution you will understand the whole scene much better. Do a bit of research before watching this movie to get a better grasp of the events, especially the students taking over the hospital.