Cultural Issues in Zhang Yimou’s To Live (1994)
One of the primary objectives in learning cultural studies is to explore cultural and social landscapes to determine the impact of patterns, trends, and changes on people’s way of life. Furthermore, cultural studies highlight the influence of culture on people’s experiences that shape their views and perspectives of the world, and on the interaction and relationships among people (Barker, 5). In terms of the operational application and understanding of cultural studies, this discipline is concerned with the analysis of cultural and social worlds, the transformation of this knowledge to and within pedagogical paradigms, and the political relevance of these issues (Barker, 5). Considering these aspects of cultural studies, the succeeding discussion applies the operation or system of this discipline towards the analysis and interpretation of the film To Live (1994) directed by Zhang Yimou. Hence, the discussion focuses on the cultural issues inherent in the film and the relevance of China’s political and historical background on the socio-cultural landscape in the country.
The film’s relevance lays in its correlation to one of the most challenging times in China’s history. During the 1940s, as in the previous and succeeding decades, China underwent a series of revolutions politically that consequently changed the cultural, economic, and social landscape. Hence, the film spans four decades of China’s history from the 1940s to the 1970s, during which decades of political and civil conflict shaped the cultural, social, and even economic landscapes in the country.
After the Second World War, several conflicts took place in China resulting from warring political parties and conflicting interests. Conflict was an outcome of political struggle among parties seeking control of the government. The socio-political landscape in China from the 1940s to the 1970s is relevant in cultural studies because it significantly influenced culture and way of life. Family structure, for instance, illustrates inherent cultural issues resulting from political conflicts and social change. In To Live, we witness the impact of difficult times on the protagonist’s family. Civil war tore Xu Fugui’s family apart in that it has forced men including Fugui to serve military forces. The obligatory engagement of men in war efforts during this time illustrate the Chinese community’s valuing of nationalism (Wei & Liu, 91).
In terms of the concept of family in cultural studies, To Live also illustrates part of Chinese culture known as collectivism. Within this context, collectivism means that the Chinese value their family’s well-being over individual or personal concerns and interests. Chinese families aim to establish prominence in society and work to preserve their family’s reputation. Hence, Fugui’s actions in the film are unacceptable because his gambling addiction brought shame to his family and also reduced his family’s wealth and influence. As a result, Fugui’s wife and children left him. Nonetheless, Fugui reconciled with his family later on and seemingly changed his ways in order to support his family. Fugui’s role in the film illustrates the prevailing patriarchal society in China (Du & Chen, 75). The Chinese expect men to become the breadwinners in their families. Fugui has fulfilled this role in the film by not only serving under China’s military arm but also by working in entertainment to support his family.
Family dynamic in the film shows the importance that the Chinese place on status. This aspect of the film does not only illustrate the value that Chinese people place on status in terms of wealth and influence but also the prevailing social structure in China. From the onset, the film reveals Fugui’s gambling problem. Fugui’s addiction is partly a result of his upbringing. Fugui was raised in a wealthy family, which then made him careless about money. Nonetheless, Fugui accumulated a significant amount of debt due to his gambling so much so that he had to hand over his family’s wealth and assets to pay for his debts. After doing so, Xugui’s wife and children left him because of the desolate state of their family. This aspect of the film illustrates class structure in China before the spread of communism throughout the country. In the past, the Chinese adhered to the prevailing hierarchical class structure (Goodman, 23).
In terms of familial issues, the film also illustrates the contrast between family structures before and after the prevalence of communism. In To Live, Fugui and his wife Jiazhen had two children – Fengxia and Youqing. Fugui and Jiazhen had two children before the establishment of China’s communist government. During the 1970s, one of the main problems in the country was the growing population. Overpopulation in China during this time threatened socio-economic growth. Hence, one of the primary objectives of China’s communist government was to curb the rapid population growth in the country. In 1979, the Chinese government implemented the onechild policy to limit the number of children being born in families, particularly in rural areas (Morgan &Kunkel, 253).
Fast forward to the 21st Century where research suggests that China’s one child policy has turned out to be detrimental to the country’s economy in the long run. For this reason, family structure as depicted inthe film is a relevant cultural issue because the policy implemented by China’s communist government in 1979 not only reduced the number of able bodied citizens in the country at present time due to increasing population of the elderly but also challenges cultural traditions and observances particularly when it comes to the care of elders in the family. As argued by Morgan and Kunkel (253), “for the upcoming generations of older people, the combination of very small family size and migration patterns will challenge the traditional system of norms and expectations about the responsibilities of children to provide care for elders”.
People’s lives during the Great Leap Forward illustrates the impact of communism on culture, specifically the loss of cultural traditions. To Live captures this cultural issue as it follows Fugui’s family and the way that their lives changed due to the socio-political changes in Chinese society. The foregoing discussion also illustrates other cultural issues inherent in the film such as the contrast or differences between the prevailing culture before and after the instatement of the communist government. Essentially, To Live not only illustrates the difficult lives the Chinese endured during the turbulent history of China but also the impact of political conflict and policies on cultural traditions.
Works Cited
Barker, Chris. 2002. Making sense of cultural studies. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
De Blij, Harm J. 2005. Why geography matters: Three challenges facing America: Climate, change, the rise of China, and global terrorism. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Du, Shanshan & Chen, Ya-chen. 2013. Women and gender in contemporary Chinese societies. Oxford, UK: Lexington Books.
Goodman, David S. 2000. Social and political change in revolutionary China. Boca Raton, FL: Rowman & Littlefield.
Morgan, Leslie A. & Kunkel, Suzanne R. 2011. Aging, society, and the life course. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Wei, George & Liu, Xiaoyuan. 2001. Chinese nationalism in perspective: Historical and recent cases. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
