"To Live"

The movie “To Live” used three methods to clearly show the history of live under Mao in the ‘50s. It was through the villagers’ contribution to the country, their daily life, and the social hierarchy in China.
First of all, he ensured that every villager were to donate all their steel to the government. This can seen by how several men came into the main actor’s house, to collect steels, and checking off their names once they have donated something. This shows how strict Mao Zedong was when he came to contributing to the government and the country.
Secondly, every villager was working really hard. Before Mao Zedong came in, there were a lot of people drinking wine, hanging out with their friends, and playing cards. After Mao Zedong came in, there was rarely any villager seen not working. People even had to go to a place to have their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was to make sure the villagers won’t spend much of their time cooking, and allow them to concentrate on working hard. Also, drinking water wasn’t available anywhere. People had to order in order to get water.
Thirdly, in the movie, several villagers were happy to be classified as poor, as those who were rich were arrested or executed. This shows how Mao Zedong was strict when it came to social hierarchy, and maintaining an equal society throughout China.