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JOURNEY FROM THE FALL
***1/2 out of *****
Reviewed by Juan Incognito Screening in the 2007 World Cinema Showcase
Back to KP's WSC Coverage  Genres
Drama
2006
Written and directed by
Ham Tran
Cast
Kieu Chinh ... Ba Noi
Long Nguyen ... Long
Diem Lien ... Mai
Jayvee Mai The Hiep ... Thanh
Khanh Doan ... Nam
Cat Ly ... Phoung
Nguyen Thai Nguyen ... Lai Films about the Vietnam War have become almost a cliché given their over-exposure since the 1980s, which perhaps may be a little insulting, but hey, what can you do? However this film manages to bring a fresh perspective, by focusing entirely upon the story of a South Vietnamese family’s struggle to survive after the fall of Saigon. Adding to this the director has used a refreshing style that beautifully delivers an authentic vision of  the time period through his use of colour and technique. Saigon, 1975, the Communists are in the process of capturing the city and there is widespread panic. Not surprising I guess, given that many people were closely aligned with the defeated South Vietnamese regime, of which Long was a propaganda officer (I think?). His family wishes to flee, as they know they will be targeted by the victorious communists but Long gets cold feet, he does not want to abandon his country. Their planned escape foiled, the family stays and awaits punishment. At this point the film splits, with the arrest of Long and his imprisonment in in a re-education camp, his family remaining free to worry about him and their own future. From this point their stories are largely separate and in some cases confusingly so. While the different stories follow a generally normal progression there is a fair amount of cutting to and fro along the time line, in order to better tell the story. So where Long is shown battered and bleeding in the camp at one point we are then shown how he came to that point later on. While this is a little confusing sometimes it does push the story along nicely, and in some ways parallels normal everyday story telling in a way that more linear films often do not. While Long remains inside the camp, desperately trying to survive, his family escapes to California, where they attempt to make a new life. While their personal safety is now assured they are unable to really be comfortable, since they do not know if Long is still alive. This uncertainty and how each family member deals with it starts to  break the family apart. No one comes out of it with clean hands, except the captain of the refugee boat, who acts as a surrogate father for the family without any expectation of getting the respect he deserves, or indeed the love of Long’s widow, who waits, despite her near certainty of his death. On that note the film ends, without resolution. Stylistically I really enjoyed the film, it was beautiful to watch. The story, and the way the divergent paths were portrayed also enjoyable, bringing a different light on the war and the question of what happens to the losers in such a struggle. Auckland screenings at the Academy Cinema
Mon 26 Mar 2007 - 8:30 pm
Thu 29 Mar 2007 - 1:30 pm
Sun 1 Apr 2007 - 8:30 pm Wellington screenings at the Paramount Theatre
Wed 4 Apr 2007 - 3:45 pm
Sat 7 Apr 2007 - 2:00 pm Christchurch screenings at Rialto Cinemas
Thu 19 Apr 2007 - 1:15 pm
Wed 25 Apr 2007 - 8:15 pm Dunedin screenings at the Regent Theatre
Wed 2 May 2007 - 8:15 pm
Fri 4 May 2007 - 1:30 pm |
