IMDb >
Tong nien wang shi (1985)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsTong nien wang shi (1985) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
1988 (USA) morePlot:
This depiction of childhood and adolescence draws heavily from the filmmaker's own boyhood. Like many of their compatriots... more | add synopsisPlot Keywords:
Awards:
5 wins moreUser Comments:
A great introduction to the world's greatest director moreCast
(Credited cast)| Mei-Feng | |||
| Yu-Yuen Tang | ... | Grandmother | |
| Feng Tien | |||
| Shufen Xin | |||
| Ann-Shuin Yiu |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
A Time to Live and a Time to Die (USA) (festival title)A Time to Live, a Time to Die (International: English title) (DVD title)
The Time to Live and the Time to Die
Tong nian wang shih (Taiwan)
more
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
Argentina:138 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente) | France:137 min | USA:138 minCountry:
TaiwanColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoFilming Locations:
TaiwanFun Stuff
Trivia:
This film is inspired by screenwriter-turned-director Hou Hsiao-Hsien's coming-of-age story. It is the second installment of Hou Hsiao-Hsien's "Coming-of-Age Trilogy" that features three prominent Taiwanese screenwriters' coming-of-age stories - the other two are _My Summer at Grandpa's (1984)_ (inspired by the childhood memories of Chu Tien-Wen) and _Dust in the Wind (1986)_ (inspired by the coming-of-age story of Wu Nien-Jen). moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Tong nien wang shi (1985)Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Hao nan hao nu | Xiao bi de gu shi | Sheng xia guang nian | Xi meng ren sheng | Bei qing cheng shi |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Biography section | IMDb Taiwan section | Add this title to MyMovies |


I recommend A TIME TO LIVE AND A TIME TO DIE as a great introduction to the films of Hou Hsiao Hsien, who I consider the greatest director working today. Like most of his films, this one is about the telling of history, the effort to recreate the memories of the past, in this case his childhood memories growing up in rural Taiwan. His family has escaped Communist China but live as if they will make their return someday. That someday never comes, the family grows old, and members die one by one. These tragedies (filmed with heartbreaking solemnity) serve as punctuation marks for the film's narrative, which isn't so much concerned with plot details as it is with capturing the sense of what it was like to live at that time, as the kids develop their own sense of belonging, in a country they have adpoted just as it has adopted them. His method of editing and storytelling is something close to revolutionary, and he would refine it in his later films. His ability to set scene after impeccable scene and let the ideas ferment over their totality is unparalleled. This is perhaps his most accessible film, full of heart and pathos. It may seem slowgoing by Hollywood standards, but if you have the willingness to let it wash over you, you will be transported, both mentally and emotionally.