teb@stat.Berkeley.EDU (Thomas E. Billings) (09/27/89)
BROTHERS AND RELATIONS
A film review by Thomas E. Billings
Copyright 1989 Thomas E. Billings
Synopsis:
A young man, a veteran, returns to his family home after the Vietnam war. He
quickly finds that he doesn't fit into peacetime society, and is deeply
disturbed by the rampant corruption he observes. He leaves Hanoi to try to
find his place in the world. An interesting melodrama.
Vietnam (English subtitles), black and white, 1986, 90 minutes.
Directors: Tran Vu, Nguyen Huu Luyen
After the Vietnam war, Hien, a (partially) disabled veteran, returns to
the home he grew up in. His return is not anticipated, as his surviving
relative (his brother) thought he was dead. Further, his return causes some
complications, for his room has been rented to an elderly man and his teenage
daughter.
Hien tries to adjust to civilian life, but he has numerous problems. He
tries to get a job, but finds his lack of education (he was drafted before
college) makes it difficult. Furthermore, he finds the rampant corruption and
influence peddling that surrounds him (and which his brother's wife is expert
at) to be very offensive. He realizes that he is a misfit, and this depresses
him.
Despondent, he leaves Hanoi to go stay with his former platoon leader, who
is making a living as a fisherman in a coastal province. There he tries to
start his life anew, and the story gets more complicated from there.
This is the sort of film that I usually don't like. Further, it has some
real flaws. When Hien goes to work as a fisherman, he meets and takes an
interest in a beautiful young woman who works as a forester in the coastal
province. There is a montage of scenes of them together, set to music, as is
the style in "Hollywood" romance movies. This montage has to be seen to be
appreciated; it is truly corny, and had the audience in stitches! Thus
although the montage is "flawed," it's still "good"!
However, in its totality, the film is a sensitive, engrossing portrait of
an alienated veteran. Additionally, the film highlights the corruption that is
apparently engulfing Vietnam. Towards the end of the movie, there is a family
argument which serves up a bleak, sarcastic, and incredibly bitter view of
influence peddling in the government. It's surprising that such a negative
view of their government got past their censors (perhaps this film came under
the liberalization program).
Poor Hien identifies more with those who died in the war, than with the
corrupt and materialistic survivors. In this sense, the film touches on
universal themes, in a very interesting way. Overall, very good to excellent;
worth seeing.
Distribution. This film is in limited distribution as part of "The Vietnam
Film Project," a touring exhibition organized by the UCLA Film and Television
Archive, with assistance from The Asia Society (New York) and the East-West
Center (Hawaii).
Comment. A new (1989) Vietnamese film is/will be in theatrical release in the
U.S. soon: SURNAME VIET, GIVEN NAME NAM; Director: Trinh T. Minh-ha. The
film centers on the experience of women in Vietnam, and Vietnamese immigrant
women in the U.S.
Reviewer: Thomas E. Billings, Department of Statistics
University of California, Berkeley
Reviewer contact: teb@stat.Berkeley.EDU