Life on a String

Life on a String

1991 · 110 min · ★ 6.9 · Drama

A blind man's master told him that after he has broken 1000 strings on his Banjo, he can open the Banjo to get a script for his eyes. After 60 years he broke the 1000th string.

Directed by Chen Kaige · Written by Chen Kaige

Your Rating

Cast

Make it a double feature

4h 41m together

Life on a String

Farewell My Concubine

Both from Chen Kaige.

More from Chen KaigeSee all →

VoiceVoice · 2012
Voice
★ 9.02012
SeriesTalk
The Grand Mansion GateThe Grand Mansion Gate · 2001
The Grand Mansion Gate
★ 8.92001
SeriesDrama
This Chinese period drama series follows the fortunes of a prominent merchant family engaged in Traditional Chinese Medicine during the waning years of the Ching dynasty. The affairs of this family of doctors/pharmacists (which in those days were one and the same) are intimately linked with social upheavals of the time such as the encroachment of Christian missionaries and foreign imperialism as well as conflicts that inevitably emerge in a large upper class family. Comparable in scope and production value to such recent titles as "Downton Abbey", the lives and character of both masters and servants intertwine in plot lines that spans more than a generation.
The Volunteers: Peace at LastThe Volunteers: Peace at Last · 2025
The Volunteers: Peace at Last
★ 8.22025
MovieDramaWar
Set during the final phase of the War to Resist U.S. and Aid Korea, the film depicts the tense final battles and simultaneous peace negotiations leading to the armistice, capturing the spirit of perseverance and sacrifice on both the battlefield and the diplomatic front.
Something Just Like ThisSomething Just Like This · 2020
Something Just Like This
★ 8.02020
SeriesDrama
Qian Xi Xi grew up living with Duan Ran, a second-generation heir of a rich family. The two childhood sweethearts are inseparable even after they enter the work force as e-commerce entrepreneurs. They experience ups and downs, obstacles and complications that are beyond what they had imagined. But throughout the process, they made friends with people who share similar ambitions and together, they carve out their own path. Follow their journey of discovering true love and fulfilling their dreams.
Farewell My ConcubineFarewell My Concubine · 1993
Farewell My Concubine
★ 8.01993
MovieDrama
In an epic tale of theater, gender, love and class, two Beijing opera actors navigate political turmoil as their friendship evolves over decades.
The Last EmperorThe Last Emperor · 1987
The Last Emperor
★ 7.61987
MovieDramaHistory
A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.
Yellow EarthYellow Earth · 1984
Yellow Earth
★ 7.21984
MovieDramaMusic
A communist soldier is sent to a remote region of China in order to collect folk songs. Staying with a peasant family (a widower with two small children), he discovers a community whose way of life is completely alien to him, but he gradually wins their trust.
The Emperor and the AssassinThe Emperor and the Assassin · 1998
The Emperor and the Assassin
★ 6.91998
MovieHistoryDrama
In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering.
TogetherTogether · 2002
Together
★ 6.92002
MovieDramaFamily
When a violin prodigy Xiaochun and his father head to Beijing seeking fame and fortune, they soon discover a fierce world of cutthroat ambition. But when Xiaochun is "adopted" by a famous music tutor, success finally seems within reach - until a shocking discovery begins to unravel his entire world, and the boy must make the most difficult choice of his life. Can he achieve the fame his father had always hoped for without losing the extraordinary passion that sets him apart?
Ten Minutes Older: The TrumpetTen Minutes Older: The Trumpet · 2002
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet
★ 6.92002
MovieDramaDocumentary
Ten Minutes Older is a 2002 film project consisting of two compilation feature films entitled The Trumpet and The Cello. The project was conceived by the producer Nicolas McClintock as a reflection on the theme of time at the turn of the Millennium. Fifteen celebrated film-makers were invited to create their own vision of what time means in ten minutes of film.
Caught in the WebCaught in the Web · 2012
Caught in the Web
★ 6.72012
MovieDrama
The story of three women whose worlds collide - a social commentary about the 'sound bite' society we are becoming, where perception becomes reality and judgments based on limited facts quickly spread, without regard for the truth or the damage they could cause.
Temptress MoonTemptress Moon · 1996
Temptress Moon
★ 6.71996
MovieDramaRomance
Set in the decadent 1920s, Temptress Moon tells the very complicated story of a wealthy family living on the outskirts of Shanghai. Their youngest daughter, Ruyi, is brought up as a servant to her opium-addicted father and brother. Meanwhile, her brother-in-law Zhongliang has a successful, if illegal, career seducing and blackmailing married women in the city. When he comes to Ruyi's home the two fall in love, and trouble ensues.
The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and DeathThe Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death · 2024
The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death
★ 6.62024
MovieDramaWar
The movie focuses on the battle of Cheolwon, where the 63rd Army of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (CPVA) was ordered to enter the battlefield of Cheolwon in May 1951, just after a month-long battle, to fight against four divisions of the United Nations Army (UNA). The volunteers fought with bloodshed and finally brought the enemy to the negotiation table.
My People, My CountryMy People, My Country · 2019
My People, My Country
★ 6.62019
MovieDramaHistory
Anthology of short films directed by several different directors.
To Each His Own CinemaTo Each His Own Cinema · 2007
To Each His Own Cinema
★ 6.42007
MovieComedyDrama
Commissioned to mark the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, "To Each His Own Cinema" brought together 33 of the world's pre-eminent filmmakers to produce short pieces exploring the multifarious facets of cinema and their perspective on the state of their chosen artform in the early 21st century.
The Battle at Lake ChangjinThe Battle at Lake Changjin · 2021
The Battle at Lake Changjin
★ 6.42021
MovieDramaWar
Korean War, winter 1950. In the frozen and snowy area of Changjin Lake, a bloody battle is about to begin between the elite troops of the United States and China.

More Like This

ScarfaceScarface · 1932
Scarface
★ 7.41932
MovieCrimeAction
In 1920s Chicago, Italian immigrant and notorious thug, Antonio 'Tony' Camonte, aka Scarface, shoots his way to the top of the mobs while trying to protect his sister from the criminal life.
CrashCrash · 1996
Crash
★ 6.51996
MovieThrillerDrama
A car crash victim inexplicably finds himself aroused by car accidents and becomes involved with an underground subculture of like-minded souls.
AparajitoAparajito · 1956
Aparajito
★ 7.81956
MovieDrama
Apu and his family have moved away from the country to live in the bustling holy city of Benares. As he progresses from wide-eyed child to intellectually curious teenager, eventually studying in Kolkata, we witness his academic and moral education, as well as the growing complexity of his relationship with his mother.
Paths of GloryPaths of Glory · 1957
Paths of Glory
★ 8.31957
MovieWarDrama
A commanding officer defends three scapegoats on trial for a failed offensive that occurred within the French Army in 1916.
MiseryMisery · 1990
Misery
★ 7.81990
MovieDramaThriller
After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
The Cider House RulesThe Cider House Rules · 1999
The Cider House Rules
★ 7.11999
MovieDrama
Homer is an orphan who was never adopted, becoming the favorite of orphanage director Dr. Larch. Dr. Larch imparts his full medical knowledge on Homer, who becomes a skilled, albeit unlicensed, physician. But Homer yearns for a self-chosen life outside the orphanage. What will Homer learn about life and love in the cider house? What of the destiny that Dr. Larch has planned for him?
All the King's MenAll the King's Men · 2006
All the King's Men
★ 5.82006
MovieDramaThriller
The story of an idealist's rise to power in the world of Louisiana politics and the corruption that leads to his ultimate downfall. Based on the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Robert Penn Warren, loosely based on the story of real-life politician Huey Long.
West Side StoryWest Side Story · 1961
West Side Story
★ 7.21961
MovieCrimeDrama
In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood, even as two young members from opposite sides fall dangerously in love.
The Piano TeacherThe Piano Teacher · 2001
The Piano Teacher
★ 7.32001
MovieDramaRomance
Erika Kohut, a sexually repressed piano teacher living with her domineering mother, meets a young man who starts romantically pursuing her.
The Rules of AttractionThe Rules of Attraction · 2002
The Rules of Attraction
★ 6.22002
MovieDramaRomance
The incredibly spoiled and overprivileged students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a bisexual classmate.
Shoot the Piano PlayerShoot the Piano Player · 1960
Shoot the Piano Player
★ 7.21960
MovieDramaThriller
Charlie is a former classical pianist who has changed his name and now plays jazz in a grimy Paris bar. When Charlie's brothers, Richard and Chico, surface and ask for Charlie's help while on the run from gangsters they have scammed, he aids their escape. Soon Charlie and Lena, a waitress at the same bar, face trouble when the gangsters arrive, looking for his brothers.
The Story of Adèle H.The Story of Adèle H. · 1975
The Story of Adèle H.
★ 7.01975
MovieDramaHistory
In the 19th century a mysterious woman named Adele H. crosses the ocean, from Europe to North America, to relentlessly pursue a handsome officer that denies her satisfaction.
Fear and Loathing in Las VegasFear and Loathing in Las Vegas · 1998
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
★ 7.21998
MovieAdventureDrama
Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.
The Karate KidThe Karate Kid · 1984
The Karate Kid
★ 7.21984
MovieActionDrama
New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
The Chinese Botanist's DaughtersThe Chinese Botanist's Daughters · 2006
The Chinese Botanist's Daughters
★ 6.42006
MovieDrama
At the house of a famous Chinese botanist teacher his daughter and a female intern fall in love with each other - a forbidden love that must be kept secret.
The BeachThe Beach · 2000
The Beach
★ 6.52000
MovieDramaAdventure
Twenty-something Richard travels to Thailand and finds himself in possession of a strange map. Rumours state that it leads to a solitary beach paradise, a tropical bliss - excited and intrigued, he sets out to find it.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter