To Live — Movie Quotes

Fugui first says this to his son Youqing during the Great Leap Forward, explaining the progression towards a communist paradise in simple, agricultural terms. He repeats a variation of this to his grandson Mantou at the very end of the film, but this time it feels more like a personal fairy tale of hope rather than political rhetoric.

This quote, which translates to "Our family is like a little chicken. When it grows up, it becomes a goose, then a sheep, then an ox. After the ox is Communism, and there will be dumplings and meat every day," reflects the simple, almost childlike hope and propaganda of the era. Fugui repeats a version of this to his grandson at the end, but with a more personal, less political hope for a better future, showing his evolution.

Chunsheng, who has been branded a reactionary during the Cultural Revolution and whose wife has committed suicide, comes to Fugui and Jiazhen to give them all his money and announce his intention to kill himself. After Fugui refuses the money, a grieving but resolute Jiazhen says this to him, forcing him to continue living.

Translated as "You still owe us a life, you have to live well!", this is a powerful and unexpected statement from Jiazhen. Instead of seeking revenge on Chunsheng, who accidentally killed her son, she commands him to live when he is suicidal. It's a profound expression of the film's theme of the value of life, even in the depths of grief and despair. It shows that even in her immense sorrow, Jiazhen understands the sanctity of life.

Jiazhen says this early in the film after Fugui has lost their fortune. It establishes her character's central motivation and the film's overarching theme of valuing simple, everyday life over wealth or status.

This line, meaning "I don't want anything, I just want our family to live a quiet life together," encapsulates the core desire of the ordinary people in the film, a stark contrast to the grand, tumultuous political ambitions of the era. It is the emotional thesis of the movie, highlighting the universal human yearning for peace and stability.