This is one of the best Chinese movies in history. The film discusses the grey areas under Chinese drug control and the boundary between law and human feelings. The whole movie has promoted the Chinese society's reflection on the control of drugs for the treatment of severe diseases and the excessively high price. to some extent, it also satirizes the inadequacy of the Chinese government in related issues. in fact, after the movie hit, people enthusiastically discussed related issues on the internet, which has also prompted the Chinese government to further make more positive changes to the inadequacy of current drug control. Such movie themes are rare under the current control system of the Chinese government for movie and TV creation themes.
I don't understand at all that one of the comments written by IMDB user thebigsick thinks that the theme of this movie is a cliche, and even thinks that this movie has won good public praise and attention purely by means of propaganda and hype.
Sorry, I can't understand why you think that way. The theme of this movie alone is worth thumbs up. Almost all Chinese movies will use a lot of online publicity before and at the beginning of their release. this is a commercial movie, there is no problem with doing so. However, not all movies will gain a good reputation because of hype. if the movie itself is very bad, and only depends on a lot of publicity and hype in the early stage. in less than three days, it will get a lot of bad reviews. Because the audience is not a fool.
This movie scored 8.9 points on the well-known Chinese film review website douban movie ( you can understand it as China's IMDB, douban movie is a platform with a lot of credibility in China. many people will refer to douban's score before deciding whether to spend money on a movie,only a very small number of Chinese movies can score more than 7 points on douban ).Within a week of this movie's release, it has accumulated 1.8 billion RMB ( about 27 million us dollars ) in box office. Whether you like it or not, this proves that it is a good movie. So the user thebigsick didn't understand the real meaning of this movie at all, or why Chinese people think it is a good movie.
42 Reviews
Not a beautiful story
sylenas7 July 2018
Not a beautiful story, but it is one of my favourite Chinese movies so far, From what I know, this one is based on a real story with some rearrangement. Xu Zheng and Ning Hao are very creative filmers. Constrained by the influence Chinese government, a lot of themes are not allowed to be filmed in mainland China. However, this one obviously neatly sidestepped the conflicts with government.
Fun, emotional and witty
dominicbrady0113 July 2018
A good movie. Some clever parts and an unusual set of characters make for a good watch. I recommend this movie. Some cliche parts but it's based on a true story so fair enough. Quite a feel good movie with some roller coaster emotional parts. Best movie I've seen in a while. Having said that it's not exactly phenomenal or to be held up against the greats but forgetting comparison with other better movies it does well as a standalone movie.
India-China Movie Takes On Swiss Drug Company
avery-125 July 2018
Dying to Survive, a 2018 Chinese drama based on the real-life story of Lu Yong, a Chinese leukemia patient who bought cheap cancer medicine from India for 1000 Chinese cancer sufferers in 2004. It's called a comedy-drama but there's just a little comic relief in an otherwise very serious movie. It's also called a noir comedy, which gives a greater idea what you're in for.
It's very moving and realistic. The film is loosely based on the story of Lu, who has been regarded as a hero of sorts for importing and selling less expensive anticancer drugs from India to Chinese for CML patients charged huge prices by a Swiss pharmaceutical giant.
One of the best Chinese films I've seen in recent years
aliensqueen22 July 2018
Combined with partial reality, with great written and brilliant acting, one of the best films I've ever seen in recent years. Lots of emotional and powerful scenes, recommend for those who would appreciate really good drama/featured films.
The soul on the balance
michaelsundmlis13 July 2018
It's not related to the politic correctness of Chinese government. It's just the trade-off between the pharmaceutical companies and the patients.
Higher drug price -> Companies gets more money -> More drug researched -> better drug produced and the old drug price drop. It is a chain of the free market in theory.However, that's why the theory is always in theory.
Yes we will finally get the market balance of the drug price when the drug matches the average buying power. However, how many people would die before and after it? Can we really put the lives and souls onto the balance?
Was it worth it? (Yes you are right, I am playing Frostpunk:)
Higher drug price -> Companies gets more money -> More drug researched -> better drug produced and the old drug price drop. It is a chain of the free market in theory.However, that's why the theory is always in theory.
Yes we will finally get the market balance of the drug price when the drug matches the average buying power. However, how many people would die before and after it? Can we really put the lives and souls onto the balance?
Was it worth it? (Yes you are right, I am playing Frostpunk:)
High costs of medicine is a global problem, this movie should get more exposure
wesseldj-485818 February 2019
It's a shame that this movie doesn't get the international recognition that it deserves. Because unaffordable medicine is a global problem not that of China alone. It's also a problem in first world countries even those with a sophisticated welfare system. It just so happens that it hits third world countries harder because of the wealth gap.
Pharmaceutical companies, mostly western ones holds a monopoly position in the industry and claims that the high costs is needed to fund research of new medicine. How much of that is true is to be debated. Especially when most pharmaceutical companies are listed in the stock exchange, one is left to wonder why the funds for research cannot be collected through stock and shares. And the assumption is easily made that most of the money goes directly as profit into the pockets of the management. Earning money over the bodies of others as they say....
Well done of these chinese film producers to make this issue go public and open for debate, and many other countries should be ashamed for not addressing this subject. The movie is very raw and well shot, with some comedic elements and some very emotional scenes. All of the actors brought their A game and it made you feel as if you were watching a documentary instead of dramatic version of the story which is based on real event.
The overal message is clear, sometimes one have no choice to go against the mainstream, in order to do some good. For all the people concerned they meant well.
Pharmaceutical companies, mostly western ones holds a monopoly position in the industry and claims that the high costs is needed to fund research of new medicine. How much of that is true is to be debated. Especially when most pharmaceutical companies are listed in the stock exchange, one is left to wonder why the funds for research cannot be collected through stock and shares. And the assumption is easily made that most of the money goes directly as profit into the pockets of the management. Earning money over the bodies of others as they say....
Well done of these chinese film producers to make this issue go public and open for debate, and many other countries should be ashamed for not addressing this subject. The movie is very raw and well shot, with some comedic elements and some very emotional scenes. All of the actors brought their A game and it made you feel as if you were watching a documentary instead of dramatic version of the story which is based on real event.
The overal message is clear, sometimes one have no choice to go against the mainstream, in order to do some good. For all the people concerned they meant well.
Balancing Act: Intellectual Property Protection and Innovation
gameswordsman30 July 2023
"Intellectual Property" is not an inherent natural right; nowadays, its protection in commercial activities is meant to compensate for intellectual labor and incentivize innovation. Developing new drugs incurs high costs, and recouping those expenses during the patent protection period provides the motivation for companies to continue their research. However, after the protection period expires, other pharmaceutical companies can produce a large number of generic drugs, leading to a significant drop in drug prices.
Reasonable intellectual property protection strikes a balance between encouraging innovation and widespread dissemination of achievements. Yet, if handled improperly, it can become a thorny issue. Neglecting intellectual property protection for the sake of "reckless development" may lead to a "counterfeit society," putting everyone at risk. Additionally, exploiting certain clauses may create "intellectual property barriers" that hinder technological advancement. These are all aspects worth contemplating beyond the excitement of watching the movie.
Reasonable intellectual property protection strikes a balance between encouraging innovation and widespread dissemination of achievements. Yet, if handled improperly, it can become a thorny issue. Neglecting intellectual property protection for the sake of "reckless development" may lead to a "counterfeit society," putting everyone at risk. Additionally, exploiting certain clauses may create "intellectual property barriers" that hinder technological advancement. These are all aspects worth contemplating beyond the excitement of watching the movie.
A feeling from my heart
chenkaorong14 August 2018
This is a realistic movie from China.Realistic meaning is greater than the movie itself.That dying to survive represents the movie theme.the contest between emotion and law,which is a lasting and sharp topic.To a large extent,the theme's overcoming influences and promotes the development of Chinese movies.
Some Details you won't want to miss
realpanfengli15 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
1. Orange. Lv Shouyi always treat others an orange since it is cheap and he believed that vitamin C might help for the disease.
2. Sihui was called to dance by the nightclub man, and Cheng Yong threw a lot of money, letting the nightclub man go dancing. Under the undressing stage, Sihui laughed and shouted the most vigorously, "take off, take off his clothes, take off his pants." The first moment makes me felt good, but it felt very distressed in the second second. I can think about how many times such a scene is faced by Sihui every day.
3. Lü Shouyi took the medicine, one by one, recycled to the bottle, whereas when Peng Hao died, he was crushed by a large truck, and the medicine was scattered all over the place.
4. I have been selling medicines so many years, and I've realized there is only one kind of illness in the world -- poverty. You can't help with it. What's more, there are too many to help.
5. Pastor Liu always told Cheng "God Bless You" in English and when they finally scattered, Liu stared at Cheng for a while and said "God Bless You" in Chinese.
6. Cheng was playing spider card in the beginning, which indicated the year.
7. When Cheng came to Lv's house for the first time, the house was small but had a children's room and a dining room. From the downstairs, it looked like an ordinary residential building. Many households' balconies were sealed and equipped with anti-theft nets. The second time Cheng came to Lv's home, the spirit position was set in the bedroom, next to the bed. If the house still has a living room, it should not be placed in the bedroom. After Cheng went out, it was an empty corridor. It didn't say it in the movie, but I think that after Lv was treated several times, the original house was sold and replaced with a smaller and more cramped place, which also corresponded to the words said by a grandpa to the police officer in the end that "the house is gone".
8. The cheap small hotels where the patients lived together appeared several times in the movie. The first time was Cheng and Lv to sell medicines, the second time was to chase Peng here, the third time the old lady encouraged everyone to have hope. The poverty is suppressed and worn out, and hopes coexist and appear in turn.
9. In the beginning, Cheng huddled in the chair and played spider cards, and thought it is reasonable to not pay the rent. He asked his neighborhood to help, but said in a natural tone: I let you put in your hotel, you have not set? The nursing home boss advised Cheng to bring his father to the hospital for examination. Cheng blows his beard and blinks, pretending knowing everything: doctors were all cheating, even if you didn't get sick, you would see the disease! But he didn't dare to look directly to the boss's eyes. After paying the money, facing the boss's dissatisfaction, he stuffed a pack of cigarettes, nodded, in slick and shabby image.
10. When Zhang was caught, he didn't sell Cheng out.
11. At the beginning of the film, Cheng's father had an hemangioma, He ate porridge and spilt it everywhere. He also deliberately avoided eating. Explain that he was already in serious ill. After Cheng earned money, he arranged surgery for his father. The second time Cheng took his son to visit his father. When the old man was feeding porridge, he was anxious to eat, explaining that his body really improved a lot.
12. Zhang Changlin sold more than ten years of fake medicine, marketing all over the country, making countless money, killing countless people. But when he resold the real medicine, he was caught in less than a year... The movie indicated that the fake medicine was made in starch and so that the cost price was cheap and it was sold cheap too, but Zhang was caught because the real medicine he sold were too expensive for the patients considering the cost price increased.
Started out good, but lost momentum halfway through...
paul_haakonsen23 May 2022
"Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen" (aka "Dying to Survive") was a movie that I hadn't even heard about as I came across it by random chance in 2022. And the movie's synopsis, mixed with this being a comedy, seemed like an interesting combination. So of course I sat down to watch what writers Jianv Han, Muye Wen and Wei Zhong had to offer.
I will say that "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen" had potential, and the movie was pretty adequate for the first hour, give or take, but then the movie started lose momentum and became a sluggish narrative. It was so difficult to sit through the movie after that point.
Now, I wasn't familiar with the cast that portrayed the characters in "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen", but they definitely had an interesting cast ensemble for the movie, and they put on good performances.
There was untapped potential in "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen", and director Muye Wen seemed to drop the ball about halfway through the movie, and never really managed to pick it back up and bring it to the goal line.
If you enjoy Asian movies then "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen" is not really one that is worth taking the time to rush out to get to see. Sit down and watch it, perhaps, if you have nothing better at hand. I know, however, for a fact, that I will not be returning to this movie a second time.
My rating of "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen" lands on a four out of ten stars.
I will say that "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen" had potential, and the movie was pretty adequate for the first hour, give or take, but then the movie started lose momentum and became a sluggish narrative. It was so difficult to sit through the movie after that point.
Now, I wasn't familiar with the cast that portrayed the characters in "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen", but they definitely had an interesting cast ensemble for the movie, and they put on good performances.
There was untapped potential in "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen", and director Muye Wen seemed to drop the ball about halfway through the movie, and never really managed to pick it back up and bring it to the goal line.
If you enjoy Asian movies then "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen" is not really one that is worth taking the time to rush out to get to see. Sit down and watch it, perhaps, if you have nothing better at hand. I know, however, for a fact, that I will not be returning to this movie a second time.
My rating of "Wo Bu Shi Yao Shen" lands on a four out of ten stars.
Great movie and so touching
wangchen61514 July 2018
This is the best movie I have ever seen in China about social conflicts in modern time. I am so glad to see the the young director who is as old as me, daring to challenge the authority's strict review process to reveal something truly matters for people. For a young director who just starts his career, if the movie is banned to go to the theatre, it means the end of his career and he will lose all the trust from the investors. And probably never has the chance to make movies again. However, he chooses to insist on something he believes that truly matters.
It is all about what you believe
yiw20006 December 2018
You can tell it is a good movie by ratings, reviews, word of mouths. But you can only tell a great movie by watching it yourself. Because that is the only way it can touch your heart.
And there is no less touching my heart in this movie. All the characters are believable. None of them is perfect, all of them are plain mediocre, some even "bad" on an average scale. However, they show such a harmony and understanding among all of them, you see a unity that quiet but enduring.
The main character went through a rough road of emotional change through the incidents. The moment he came back and decided on the price of the medicine, I saw something in his eye. Something that only someone believes can have. Everything after that is just continuation of that moment, driving by the same belief all these people have.
And who are these people that have such a power after all? I ask myself. Well, my answer is simple, it is everyone, including you and me. Just when we believe.
And there is no less touching my heart in this movie. All the characters are believable. None of them is perfect, all of them are plain mediocre, some even "bad" on an average scale. However, they show such a harmony and understanding among all of them, you see a unity that quiet but enduring.
The main character went through a rough road of emotional change through the incidents. The moment he came back and decided on the price of the medicine, I saw something in his eye. Something that only someone believes can have. Everything after that is just continuation of that moment, driving by the same belief all these people have.
And who are these people that have such a power after all? I ask myself. Well, my answer is simple, it is everyone, including you and me. Just when we believe.
China style of Funny first and then overwhelmingly touching
m-6528811 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I would say..this movie proves the China director of Xu Zheng, talented and insightful. This movie is based on a true event whose protagonist is still "doing his business" after released from jail...
It starts with A middle-aged man with his father in need of his money for operation, his wife planning to take away his child. This man accidentally was introduced to a man with serious cancer who asked his help to smuggle Indian drug to save his life to replace the Swiss extremely expensive one that he cannot afford.
He gradually "imported" and got his first capital from this business. However as he understood more about the truth, he went to his self redemption road and earned himself "the god of cancer drug"...
Quite similar to the Attorney from Korean...but more fun to watch and more releastic in most plots...
It starts with A middle-aged man with his father in need of his money for operation, his wife planning to take away his child. This man accidentally was introduced to a man with serious cancer who asked his help to smuggle Indian drug to save his life to replace the Swiss extremely expensive one that he cannot afford.
He gradually "imported" and got his first capital from this business. However as he understood more about the truth, he went to his self redemption road and earned himself "the god of cancer drug"...
Quite similar to the Attorney from Korean...but more fun to watch and more releastic in most plots...
Cried three times
cleopatra-7072127 July 2018
It's a very profound movie shows some hidden problem in China. Very surprised under such censorship we can still uncover this grey area out in China. Love this kind of not-so-fancy but meaningful film that you will keep thinking after watching.
Dying to Survive
jackson_ro18 November 2018
This film changed my perception towards Xu Zheng as he delivers a truly powerful performance. No doubt the powerful subject helps him, as this is a great story to be made into a film. A milestone movie for China as the subject is impactful and authentic (mostly), and most importantly allowed to be shown. The character development is also very well done and supported by a cast of memorable co-stars. A movie that does not try to reach the stars, and just really wants to tell a great story in its own ways, something many other Chinese films needs to learn from.
A masterpiece.
shawnxia19 November 2018
Not until today did I see this movie. I believe it is going to become a new milestone of China's film industry. The director got his target. Deeply attracting the audience with its touching,humorous and even urban plots. With the actor like Xuzheng and Wangchuanjun representing so perfectly small characters when they are facing choices mattering lives. Thank you all.
Definitely the best Chinese movie ever
l-7263011 August 2018
Antiheroes are unusual in Chinese movie but this movie's main character, Yong, was a scoundrel smuggler and accidentally became a hero.
This movie actually focuses on and not just Chinese medicine problem. It's about humanity and trade-off between legal principles and moral conscience. The theme could be better if it revealed deeper problems but I think it's good enough.
Plus I really enjoy the typical Chinese humor.
This is a nice movie
dingyixinxiang22 August 2018
Bitter Truths of Life
GoodBailey1118 April 2020
An easy watch but painful portrayal of sickness, poverty, and corruption. Two hours went by so fast as I swallow the hard pill that tragedy is truly everywhere and in everyone. I am a bit lost for words because we also suffer hell from incompetent and greedy governance. It might not be the same as CML but it kills people all the same. I am really angered by this movie not because of its quality- but because I was reminded that poverty is never a choice for the poor but a selfish act of the rich. Getting treated is nothing but a privileged of the few. It's utterly despicable! Now, more than ever, I am empowered to turn this hatred into actions and continuously demand accountability for all the inhumane acts of society. Thanks to Lu/Chen Yong's kindness and bravery! May the world be full of him.
Worth the time, really touching movie and important topics.
divg-57-80005415 August 2019
This is a movie about how much patents and pharmaceutics can be over the life of people. It has a good message and critic about most countries health systems, government and market.
It´s based on a real story, so, this is a relevant movie.
Easy to watch, you wont be bored.
"Poverty is the only illness in the world"
e-574116 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The primary objective of a movie is to entertain the audience by presenting a captivating story, while a good movie also incorporates various artistic elements and employs skillful techniques to evoke empathy among the audience. Dying to Survive, directed by Wen Muye, is a movie that amazed a large population of the audience in China after its release in 2018. Although it is Wen's debut film, he effectively engages the audience in the movie while provoking the audience to think introspectively and to reflect on the critical social issue-the cost of life-saving drugs. Along with the leading actor, Xu Zheng's spectacular performance, the movie received numerous accolades and remained a hot topic in discussion months after its screening.
The central storyline of the movie revolves around a drug called Glinic, which takes its name from the real drug Gleevec, a highly effective medicine targeting chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) synthesized by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis. However, before Novartis' patent expires, the price of the drug is prohibitive to most patients in China with this life-threatening condition. Cheng Yong, the protagonist, accidentally finds out that the Indian generic Glinic has the same therapeutic effect with a significantly lower price; then, the movie can be divided into three parts: Cheng smuggles the drug to "earn good money," quits for fear of arrest and revenge from the antagonist Zhang Changlin, and resumes selling at a much lower price with a personal loss. Wen Muye and other scriptwriters employ different strategies in these three parts to engage the audience throughout the movie.
For the first part of the movie, Wen uses conflicts among characters and an extensive amount of humor to grab the audience's attention and facilitate the progression of the story. For example, at the beginning of the movie, Cheng beats his pregnant ex-wife and her lawyer during the discussion of their son's custody, which leads to a fight with Detective Cao Bin, who is also his ex-wife's brother. This brief scene portrays Cheng as a violent, reckless, and unsuccessful middle-aged "loser" who has no resemblance to the "God of Medicine" (the literal translation of the original title). This negative portrayal of Cheng leaves the audience with a misleading first impression, which amplifies the drastic transformation of the character to an altruistic hero later in the movie. Additionally, this personal enmity rationalizes Detective Cao's suspicion towards Cheng in the smuggling investigation.
The dramatic conflict and losing the custody of his son provide Cheng with the ambition to earn "big money" by smuggling drugs. Before doing so, he needs to form a group of helpers, and that is when Wen Muye integrates multiple humorous plots into the story to further engage the audience. In order to negotiate with the manager of the Indian drug factory, Cheng finds Pastor Liu, who is fluent in English, to translate for him. However, Liu is reluctant to do it since it is against his belief in Christianity. Cheng then tells him that God says, "saving a life is better than building a seven-tier pagoda," which is actually from Buddha. The majority of Chinese people are more familiar with Buddhism than Christianity and would understand the humor instantly. Then, Cheng quotes "If I do not descend to hell, who descends to hell" (Wen, Dying to Survive, 00:27:35-00:28:00) from Buddha and mistakenly attributes it to God again. The second misquote seems repetitive, but it foreshadows Cheng's destiny-getting arrested for distributing Glinic.
After effectively engaging the audience, Wen starts to introduce more foil characters to evoke emotions and empathy among the audience. The combination of dialogue, filming techniques, and sound vividly demonstrates the theme of realism and prepares for a thought-provoking ending. The most representative foil character is an elderly patient who begs Detective Cao to stop the investigation after he arrests a group of patients who has been benefiting from the inexpensive Indian generic drug. Wen utilizes close-up shots with low-key lighting to portray an extremely vulnerable figure, which creates an intense feeling of repression. Wen also deliberately eliminates all other sounds to amplify the elderly woman's monologue in a feeble voice. The question "can you guarantee that you can stay healthy for the rest of your life?" and "such bad luck may fall on any family" from the patient elicit extensive sympathy and some degree of fear among the audience. Although not everyone has experienced life-threatening conditions or seen loved ones suffering from critical illnesses, most of the audience has been sick or been in the hospital before, so the fear of serious illnesses and expensive medical bills mentioned by the patient is ubiquitous.
To enhance the theme of realism, Wen uses moving cameras with quick shifts of angles to mimic the effect of a hand-held camera. This strategy gives the movie a texture similar to that of a documentary, which encourages the audience to connect the story to real life, especially among those audiences who experience similar miseries. Moreover, Wen successfully targeted the young adult population by continuously incorporating various emblems that represent the early 2000s, such as the previous version of the Chinese currency, the first version of the online chatting software Tencent QQ with Window XP, and vintage televisions to instantly draw the audience back to the real early 2000s with the things they grew up with.
The meticulous demonstration of realism establishes the smooth character progression of the protagonist Cheng Yong. After witnessing the deaths of Lv Shouyi and Huang Mao, along with miscellaneous influences from other characters, Cheng turned from selling drugs for profits to selling drugs to save people for a pecuniary loss. However, the progression of the two antagonists is one of the drawbacks of the movie.
The most prominent antagonist Zhang Changlin is a fraud expert who sells counterfeit drugs with no medicinal benefit to patients with CML. After Zhang threatens Cheng to transfer his franchise of Indian generic drug, he raises the price of the drug ten times higher, which leads to the deaths of several patients who used to buy the drug from Cheng. After Cheng realizes this, he resumes selling drugs, but this time, he sells at a personal loss. Zhang is eventually moved by Cheng's altruistic act, so after the police arrest him, he tries his best to protect Cheng at the cost of his commutation. However, Zhang's transition seems too abrupt to the audience. Compared to Cheng, who has been through multiple tragedies and epiphanic moments, Zhang's description is limited to a selfish, profit-driven, and apathetic con artist. The fact that only a single encounter with Cheng completely changes him in a substantial way is not particularly persuasive.
On the contrary, Wen manages to dramatize the pharmaceutical company Novartis by oversimplifying their business model to depict them as the other antagonist. However, the character of the company is less dynamic than Zhang. There is a pharmaceutical representative from Novartis in the movie who always wears a set of formal suits, neglects people's protests, and urges the police department to arrest the drug dealer multiple times. As a result, the audience will inevitably picture an unscrupulous pharmaceutical company behind this ruthless character. However, Wen did not mention how much capital and labor pharmaceutical companies have invested before they can commercialize a new drug, and they only have the patent for a limited amount of time. On the other hand, Wen omits the role that the Chinese healthcare system played in drug pricing. For instance, the Chinese government imposed import taxes on all life-saving drugs before the case of Lu Yong brought public attention. Ironically, in the end, Wen uses large fonts in subtitles to highlight that the government stopped imposing taxes on drugs for critical illnesses and regulated the price of those drugs with new healthcare policies. It is plausible to assume that Wen purposely omits the essential agencies for drug pricing for political reasons and bypasses strict censorship.
Dying to Survive is one of the best Chinese movies I have watched after movie censorship became much stricter in China. It is entertaining, thought-provoking, and even promoted the legislation of the healthcare laws in China. More importantly, to the general audience, the movie compels us to reflect on life as the most beautiful gift that should not be taken for granted, so every day and every minute of our life should be cherished.
The central storyline of the movie revolves around a drug called Glinic, which takes its name from the real drug Gleevec, a highly effective medicine targeting chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) synthesized by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis. However, before Novartis' patent expires, the price of the drug is prohibitive to most patients in China with this life-threatening condition. Cheng Yong, the protagonist, accidentally finds out that the Indian generic Glinic has the same therapeutic effect with a significantly lower price; then, the movie can be divided into three parts: Cheng smuggles the drug to "earn good money," quits for fear of arrest and revenge from the antagonist Zhang Changlin, and resumes selling at a much lower price with a personal loss. Wen Muye and other scriptwriters employ different strategies in these three parts to engage the audience throughout the movie.
For the first part of the movie, Wen uses conflicts among characters and an extensive amount of humor to grab the audience's attention and facilitate the progression of the story. For example, at the beginning of the movie, Cheng beats his pregnant ex-wife and her lawyer during the discussion of their son's custody, which leads to a fight with Detective Cao Bin, who is also his ex-wife's brother. This brief scene portrays Cheng as a violent, reckless, and unsuccessful middle-aged "loser" who has no resemblance to the "God of Medicine" (the literal translation of the original title). This negative portrayal of Cheng leaves the audience with a misleading first impression, which amplifies the drastic transformation of the character to an altruistic hero later in the movie. Additionally, this personal enmity rationalizes Detective Cao's suspicion towards Cheng in the smuggling investigation.
The dramatic conflict and losing the custody of his son provide Cheng with the ambition to earn "big money" by smuggling drugs. Before doing so, he needs to form a group of helpers, and that is when Wen Muye integrates multiple humorous plots into the story to further engage the audience. In order to negotiate with the manager of the Indian drug factory, Cheng finds Pastor Liu, who is fluent in English, to translate for him. However, Liu is reluctant to do it since it is against his belief in Christianity. Cheng then tells him that God says, "saving a life is better than building a seven-tier pagoda," which is actually from Buddha. The majority of Chinese people are more familiar with Buddhism than Christianity and would understand the humor instantly. Then, Cheng quotes "If I do not descend to hell, who descends to hell" (Wen, Dying to Survive, 00:27:35-00:28:00) from Buddha and mistakenly attributes it to God again. The second misquote seems repetitive, but it foreshadows Cheng's destiny-getting arrested for distributing Glinic.
After effectively engaging the audience, Wen starts to introduce more foil characters to evoke emotions and empathy among the audience. The combination of dialogue, filming techniques, and sound vividly demonstrates the theme of realism and prepares for a thought-provoking ending. The most representative foil character is an elderly patient who begs Detective Cao to stop the investigation after he arrests a group of patients who has been benefiting from the inexpensive Indian generic drug. Wen utilizes close-up shots with low-key lighting to portray an extremely vulnerable figure, which creates an intense feeling of repression. Wen also deliberately eliminates all other sounds to amplify the elderly woman's monologue in a feeble voice. The question "can you guarantee that you can stay healthy for the rest of your life?" and "such bad luck may fall on any family" from the patient elicit extensive sympathy and some degree of fear among the audience. Although not everyone has experienced life-threatening conditions or seen loved ones suffering from critical illnesses, most of the audience has been sick or been in the hospital before, so the fear of serious illnesses and expensive medical bills mentioned by the patient is ubiquitous.
To enhance the theme of realism, Wen uses moving cameras with quick shifts of angles to mimic the effect of a hand-held camera. This strategy gives the movie a texture similar to that of a documentary, which encourages the audience to connect the story to real life, especially among those audiences who experience similar miseries. Moreover, Wen successfully targeted the young adult population by continuously incorporating various emblems that represent the early 2000s, such as the previous version of the Chinese currency, the first version of the online chatting software Tencent QQ with Window XP, and vintage televisions to instantly draw the audience back to the real early 2000s with the things they grew up with.
The meticulous demonstration of realism establishes the smooth character progression of the protagonist Cheng Yong. After witnessing the deaths of Lv Shouyi and Huang Mao, along with miscellaneous influences from other characters, Cheng turned from selling drugs for profits to selling drugs to save people for a pecuniary loss. However, the progression of the two antagonists is one of the drawbacks of the movie.
The most prominent antagonist Zhang Changlin is a fraud expert who sells counterfeit drugs with no medicinal benefit to patients with CML. After Zhang threatens Cheng to transfer his franchise of Indian generic drug, he raises the price of the drug ten times higher, which leads to the deaths of several patients who used to buy the drug from Cheng. After Cheng realizes this, he resumes selling drugs, but this time, he sells at a personal loss. Zhang is eventually moved by Cheng's altruistic act, so after the police arrest him, he tries his best to protect Cheng at the cost of his commutation. However, Zhang's transition seems too abrupt to the audience. Compared to Cheng, who has been through multiple tragedies and epiphanic moments, Zhang's description is limited to a selfish, profit-driven, and apathetic con artist. The fact that only a single encounter with Cheng completely changes him in a substantial way is not particularly persuasive.
On the contrary, Wen manages to dramatize the pharmaceutical company Novartis by oversimplifying their business model to depict them as the other antagonist. However, the character of the company is less dynamic than Zhang. There is a pharmaceutical representative from Novartis in the movie who always wears a set of formal suits, neglects people's protests, and urges the police department to arrest the drug dealer multiple times. As a result, the audience will inevitably picture an unscrupulous pharmaceutical company behind this ruthless character. However, Wen did not mention how much capital and labor pharmaceutical companies have invested before they can commercialize a new drug, and they only have the patent for a limited amount of time. On the other hand, Wen omits the role that the Chinese healthcare system played in drug pricing. For instance, the Chinese government imposed import taxes on all life-saving drugs before the case of Lu Yong brought public attention. Ironically, in the end, Wen uses large fonts in subtitles to highlight that the government stopped imposing taxes on drugs for critical illnesses and regulated the price of those drugs with new healthcare policies. It is plausible to assume that Wen purposely omits the essential agencies for drug pricing for political reasons and bypasses strict censorship.
Dying to Survive is one of the best Chinese movies I have watched after movie censorship became much stricter in China. It is entertaining, thought-provoking, and even promoted the legislation of the healthcare laws in China. More importantly, to the general audience, the movie compels us to reflect on life as the most beautiful gift that should not be taken for granted, so every day and every minute of our life should be cherished.
Beyond Good and Evil
angiehenle28 September 2018
It reminds me of Nietzsche's book "Jenseits von Gut und Böse" (beyond good and evil). To understand China and the Chinese people, as well as all the people in developing countries in general, this film is a must, particularly for future business leaders.
Synopsis: Yong (courage in Chinese) is a medicine smuggler who illegally smuggled fake cancer medicines from India. Nevertheless for thousands of poor patients who could never afford the same effect real pills from Germany, his "business" provided them the only hope to live on. So is he an IP criminal or is he a human savor? Which should we obey, the external law or our own conscience?
Get ready for some tears and laughter! This film is bitter sweet.
Synopsis: Yong (courage in Chinese) is a medicine smuggler who illegally smuggled fake cancer medicines from India. Nevertheless for thousands of poor patients who could never afford the same effect real pills from Germany, his "business" provided them the only hope to live on. So is he an IP criminal or is he a human savor? Which should we obey, the external law or our own conscience?
Get ready for some tears and laughter! This film is bitter sweet.
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