Bridge of Life and Death

This film (drama)Also known as生死桥，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2010Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese，Current Douban rating7.3(For reference only)。

A sky bridge creates a path from the mortal world to the heavens. From this path emerges the legendary story of three children floating in the mundane world. The late Qing Dynasty Beijing is noisy and chaotic, with people’s joys and sorrows as straightforward and unrestrained as the sunshine of that time. Growing up in a theater school, Huaiyu (played by Jia Nailiang) and his good friend Zhigao (played by Wang Bowen) grow freely under such sunlight. Orphaned, Huaiyu loves the theater in his bones, but just like his unclear origins, his guardian, the theater master Li Shengtian (played by Guan Dongtian), resolutely refuses to let him learn. Yet, everything about Peking opera and the theater school seems to draw him in with a sense of destiny. Becoming a star is a vague but firm belief in his young heart. Zhigao is a child born into poverty. Raised by his mother, a secret prostitute, his only dream is for him to learn to perform Peking opera — it is said that his mother, Honglian (played by Kong Lin), was once in love with a famous actor while working as a prostitute, and gave birth to Zhigao to continue her memory of that actor. In the bustling sky bridge, they meet the girl Dandan (played by Wang Ziwen), who comes to the capital to perform. The three children, each with their own uncertain backgrounds, bond over their shared passion for the theater and swore to be siblings. In the backyard of Yonghegong, the three friends encounter a mysterious old eunuch, an extraordinary man with the ability to see through fates and predict the future. He has foreseen the downfall of the Qing Dynasty, which compels him to prepare an escape route. The three children ask for fortune-telling, but the three ominous prophecies — "better dead than alive," "better alive than dead," "die first and live again" — seem to hang over them like a spell and a puzzle. Nevertheless, as children, those ominous predictions do not hinder their carefree growth and happiness. The strong Zhigao protects Huaiyu and Dandan, and they spend their childhood together, filled with play, punishments from the theater troupe, fights in the alleys, and boating in Beihai. The Qing Dynasty falls. A stir spreads through Beijing, filled with crying and laughter at the same time. To young Huaiyu, this seems like a joyous occasion — Uncle Li Shengtian suddenly agrees to let Huaiyu study theater just as the world is turning chaotic, prompting Huaiyu to bid farewell to his family tutor, Lu Xinsheng, and embark on his journey to fulfill his dream of becoming a Peking opera star. As their dreams draw closer, the three children also gradually grow up. Their once simple play becomes tinged with shyness. Both Huaiyu and Zhigao have secretly admired the beautiful and strong-willed girl Dandan, who in turn inexplicably develops different affections for the two brothers. The theater school comes to an end. The intrigues in the theater world cause the school to fall apart. Li Shengtian takes on the challenge and forms a theater troupe, with Huaiyu stepping onto the stage, living up to expectations. However, the path to becoming a star is full of hardships. Besides practicing diligently, he must constantly face difficulties and plots from peers. Luckily, with the support of his master and friends like Zhigao, as well as Dandan, who has quietly taken root in his heart, Huaiyu remains strong. The emotions of the three continue to grow. Dandan has feelings for both boys but is increasingly sure she loves Huaiyu; both Huaiyu and Zhigao love Dandan, but in different ways. Zhigao pursues her plainly, even asking his brother to step aside, while Huaiyu, prideful, cherishes the bond of brotherhood but also harbors ambitions for greatness. In the hesitation and retreat of Huaiyu, Dandan’s heart aches, while Zhigao remains oblivious. However, jealousy and speculation create a small rift between the three. In the early Republic of China, warlords clash. Beijing is in turmoil. Huaiyu is pursued after helping his childhood friend Jinbao (played by Sun Jian), and to seek refuge, he hastily flees to Shanghai. Before leaving, Huaiyu subtly expresses his feelings to Dandan and resolves to withdraw from the emotional entanglement with her and Zhigao. Dandan’s heart-wrenching cry makes Zhigao realize he can never compare to Huaiyu in her heart. The 1930s Shanghai, compared to Beijing, is a dazzling and bizarre world. The entertainment and film industries prosper like never before, leading global fashion. The power of media such as newspapers, magazines, and radio expands rapidly. Lu Xinsheng also enters Shanghai’s media industry to make a name for himself. Feeling somewhat inferior upon entering Shanghai, Huaiyu quickly gathers his courage, refusing to admit defeat. On this unfamiliar land, he believes he will become the best star. Overseeing Huaiyu and booking him for performances in Shanghai is the gangster boss Jin Xiaofeng (played by Du Yuan), the employer of Shi Zhongming (played by Fang Zhibin). He is a man who instills fear, like a tiger. Jin Xiaofeng’s influence pervades the entertainment and media industry in Shanghai, while he secretly engages in many undisclosed businesses, instilling fear in others. However, Huaiyu seems not to fear this man and inadvertently inflicts a deep wound on Jin Xiaofeng — by chance, he meets a woman named Duan Pingting (played by Wan Qian), a movie star. Duan Pingting falls in love with Huaiyu, who is mesmerized by this beauty, unable to extricate himself. Unbeknownst to him, this woman is the lover of gangster boss Jin Xiaofeng. Jin Xiaofeng's pride is wounded by the actor, forcing Huaiyu to leave the stage, with his life now fraught with danger. Luckily, Duan Pingting's love allows Huaiyu to step into the film industry, where he begins to make a name for himself amidst the rising storm of Shanghai's film scene. Dandan is determined to leave Beijing and search for Huaiyu in Shanghai. What she sees is a close relationship between Huaiyu and a major star. Huaiyu reluctantly asks Dandan to return to Beijing, but the defiant and desperate Dandan secretly chooses another path — for revenge and dignity, she becomes acquainted with Jin Xiaofeng. Dandan's face reminds Jin Xiaofeng of his first love long ago. Swayed by a warm feeling deep inside, he agrees to fulfill all of Dandan's requests, making her famous. In the eye of the storm are the intertwined characters: the bewildered yet striving Huaiyu, the proud yet lonely Duan Pingting, and the cold Dandan, who has changed due to despair and has become a famous star. There looms a hand influencing their fates — Jin Xiaofeng. After making Dandan the "Queen of Linen," he begins to support her in movies and attempts to acquire the film company where Huaiyu and Duan Pingting work, hoping to crush them. They engage in a fierce, evenly matched rivalry in which media outlets focus on every heavyweight participant. However, all that Jin Xiaofeng does for Dandan does not win him the girl he cherishes. When Jin Xiaofeng discovers Dandan's emotional entanglement with Huaiyu, he turns his hatred on Huaiyu, vowing to make him suffer. Meanwhile, Zhigao, now gaining fame in Beijing, is seen with Dandan’s former friend, Xiao Qiao (played by Xu Cuicui). Jin Xiaofeng invites Zhigao to perform in Shanghai and carefully arranges for Huaiyu and Zhigao to perform together, planning to attack Huaiyu in the chaos after the performance. But Li Shengtian, accompanying him, steps up and takes Huaiyu’s place in death. At this moment, considering Dandan's plight, Huaiyu courageously goes to warn her alone — though his love for the glamorous life has immersed him, in the face of death, he cannot forget the purity of his first love. Huaiyu and Dandan, in a daze, plan to escape to Hangzhou, abandoning all the fame, fortune, and their lives with Mr. Jin. Returning to their roots, but it’s too late; on the way back, Jin's men kidnap Huaiyu and order Zhigao to be thrown into the Huangpu River. Jin Xiaofeng wants Huaiyu to suffer, and with lime, he destroys his eyes and face. Huaiyu finally realizes that the fortune he drew as a child, "better dead than alive," is indeed his fate. Fortunately, he has the love of Duan Pingting, and together they, a pair of stars who suddenly rise in Shanghai, support each other and retreat to Hangzhou. Jin Xiaofeng's revenge is complete, but his business collapses completely. His subordinate Shi Zhongming schemes to bring this arrogant man down. In the end, all Jin Xiaofeng desires is Dandan, but he is murdered on a secluded island with her. When Zhigao comes to save Dandan, he finds her with tears streaming down her face, dazed... After the blood rain, calm must return. "Born again," Zhigao returns to Beijing. A few years later, Zhigao marries Xiao Qiao, becomes a father, takes care of his widowed mother, and the bewildered Dandan. He is an actor just like his father and supports a theater troupe. Duan Pingting accompanies Huaiyu back to Beiping. The sky bridge no longer exists. He goes to the theater, and the blind Huaiyu sits in the audience listening to Zhigao's performance. After the show, Zhigao receives a note, and the name on it makes his heart tighten: it’s Huaiyu. He rushes out, and in the autumn alleys of Beijing, only a setting sun hangs in the sky, and at the corner, there is a long, familiar shadow...