To Live

Dir: Zhang Yimou, 1994, China (9.2*)
Yet another Yimou (Hero, Road Home, House of Flying Daggers) classic, this one an epic, covering four decades in a family’s life, from just after WW2 until the late 80’s. Ge You as the husband won Best Actor at Cannes, and its hard to imagine that Gong Li as his wife did not win best actress, she has to have been one of the world's best actresses in the 90’s.

Yimou tells a long story but maintains the interest, and includes several massive scenes, one during war (the Maoist Revolution), one at a steel foundry, both unforgettable and among the best in any epic. Films like this one got him selected to direct the 2008 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, and they were even more mind-blowing, creating a 'once in a lifetime experience' for all Olympic fans. Yimou is a true visionary, a rare artist among filmmakers.