The Scent of Green Papaya, a Vietnamese film directed by Tran Anh Hung, has very few words but yet conveys messages which define the Vietnamese culture. While there are few spoken lines, the camera angles and pictures illustrated suggest much about this family. The young servant, Mui, is often shown interacting with nature; such as the frogs and the ants that live around her mistress's house. She does not often touch them but she is shown to be observing them. This suggests at her appreciation and respect for nature. This connection to and respect for nature can be linked to the Vietnamese in general. The house in which Mui serves in is exposed on all sides to the outside world. There are large, unscreened windows which lets the nature in and the house is decorated with different types of plants. The camera's detailed attention to these symbols shows the viewer the respect the Vietnamese have for all things alive. The movie frequently shows moments where a character is delicately admiring a specific item of personal value. In one scene, Mui, as a young girl, is shown running her fingers along a small wooden box. These tender symbols suggest at the Vietnamese's appreciation for family and spiritual connections.
The movie shows us the differences in males and females. While the women are always seen preparing the food, specifically the green papaya, the boys of the film, particularly the younger ones, are shown as contradicting the actions of the women. The mistress has a special attachment to one of her vases, and the youngest boy is seen peeing into it. Mui is seen several times observing ants working from afar, but the older boy is shown crushing it with his finger. it is made apparent that women are of high importance to the household. Their work with food is always shown as very detailed and up-close, suggesting that the Vietnamese women, as well as the Vietnamese in general, are meticulous and hard workers.
The movie as a whole provides us insight into the lives of the Vietnamese that were destroyed in the war, showing the viewer the complications of their relationships as well as the extent of their daily-living work.
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The Scent of Green Papaya, a Vietnamese film directed by Tran Anh Hung, has very few words but yet conveys messages which define the Vietnamese culture. While there are few spoken lines, the camera angles and pictures illustrated suggest much about this family. The young servant, Mui, is often shown interacting with nature; such as the frogs and the ants that live around her mistress's house. She does not often touch them but she is shown observing them. This demonstrates her appreciation and respect for nature. This connection to and respect for nature can be linked to the Vietnamese in general. The house in which Mui serves in is exposed on all sides to the outside world. There are large, unscreened windows which let the nature in and the house is decorated with different types of plants. The camera's detailed attention to these symbols shows the viewer the respect the Vietnamese have for all things alive. The movie frequently shows moments where a character is delicately admiring a specific item of personal value. In one scene, Mui, as a young girl, is shown running her fingers along a small wooden box. These tender symbols suggest at the Vietnamese's appreciation for family and spiritual connections.
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Scent of Green Papaya also addresses the issue of the war. On more than one occasion, the sounds of the curfew alarm can be heard at night. This alarm illustrates the idea that the Vietnamese people are being held prison in their own country. They are not allowed at night for fear of government and war. When the boy is shown dripping wax on the ants, it is seen as a metaphor for the American attacks on the Vietnamese. The Vietnamese represent the ants, large in number but small in size, and the Americans are careless boys, crushing all the ants by dribbling hot wax wherever they please.
The movie as a whole provides us insight into the lives of the Vietnamese that were destroyed in the war; it highlights everything from family relationships to daily chores. The Vietnamese are shown as meticulous but simple creatures. The Americans seem to be portrayed in this movie as ruthless and hasty, as they disregard the Vietnamese as well as the magic of nature.