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Thanks, William . . . (Reply to this comment)
by metalluk
I read your fine review of the film, of course, and noted as well your comments on the review by Trust12345. One reason that I reviewed this film was to offer a third opinion. I think that the film is quite distinctive and excellent taken on its own terms. I will say just one thing for the other side -- in fairness to Trust12345. Most films I find I enjoy even more after writing a review than I did before writing it -- because of the added depth of understanding. In the case of this film, I found that reviewing it slightly (and I say only slightly) diminished my enjoyment of it because knowing it was produced entirely on a soundstage, I no longer experienced the story as taking place in Vietnam. The sets began to look like sets in a theater rather than the real deal. Nevertheless, I am still enraptured with the detail level of observation that the film is able to achieve so successfully.
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Mar 25 '04
6:38 am PST
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... (Reply to this comment)
by WilliamJones
A very thorough, well-written review.
You highlight many of the points I tried to raise in my Epinion and I appreciate your strong advocacy of a movie I am particularly fond of (a movie I feel is one of the very best from the 1990s).
...the film was ultimately shot entirely on soundstages in France. That decision was necessitated in part by practical considerations, including the inevitable lack of interest on the part of the Vietnam government of the 1990’s on reliving its colonial past. At the same time, it proved an aesthetic advantage, given Hung’s conception, by allowing control of the most intimate details of set, lighting, camera positions, and sound effects. The visual perfection of the film could probably not have been achieved outside the studio setting.
Absolutely, turning what some might perceive as a limitation into, as you say, "an aesthetic advantage."
I take it you felt the movie should have been awarded the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. I wholeheartedly concur.
Regards,
William
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Mar 24 '04
9:45 am PST
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An Altogether Refreshing Movie! (Reply to this comment)
by sbroadwell
I found "Scent of Green Papaya" relaxing and a welcome respite from the obnoxious cacophony of noise and mindless frenzy that American directors find so necessary. My 11yr old daughter even enjoyed watching the movie with me a second time. Thanks for your wonderful foreign film reviews! They are truly helping us rent good foreign films more often.
Sue Broadwell
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Mar 22 '04
7:07 am PST
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Re: Excellent review (Reply to this comment)
by metalluk
Thanks for your nice comment! The other film that I had in mind as better than Belle Epoque for that award year was Strawberry and Chocolate, a fine Cuban film dealing with treatment of gays in Cuba in the early days of the Castro regime. I don't mean to rag on Belle Epoque -- which is a well-made and entertaining film -- but The Scent of Green Papaya is very distinctive and creative in its minimalistic technique while Strawberry and Chocolate has a strong message and well-drawn characters.
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Feb 29 '04
7:34 am PST
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Excellent review (Reply to this comment)
by brendan2,  in Movies
You said there were at least two foreign films that were better than Belle Epoque. What's the other one? :) Anyway, this movie sounds very interesting. I'll have to see if it's at the video store. Thanks for such a helpful review.
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Feb 28 '04
11:59 pm PST
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