The film, "Scent of Green Papaya" was very different than any other film I have seen due to its ability to portray the daily life of a Vietnamese family using a very limited amount of words. Almost everything learned about the Vietnamese life through this film is seen through images and through the actions and behavior of the characters.
The symbolism in this film is clear and abundant, not a scene goes by where something is not represented. The close up views of nature as well as when we see Mui simply studying small animals such as ants and lizards and taking care of her pet crickets show that the Vietnamese value the simple aspects of life just as much as the complex one. Symbolism can also been seen through the ants in various other ways. In one scene, viewers see one of the sons slowly torturing ants to death on his window sill by pouring hot candle wax onto them, trapping them in the sticky mess. The ants struggle to get free but eventually accept their fate and wait there to die. This could represent the soldiers currently struggling in the war or the soldiers marching off to war, unknowingly sending themselves to their own deaths.
You can also see symbolism in the way that males and females are represented throughout the film. Females are almost constantly seen doing housework, whether it be cooking, cleaning or anything else. This shows their ability to work hard and their dedication to their families. On the other had the men are constantly seen disrupting things and being troublesome, ranging from the father running off with the family's money to the son peeing in the mistresses favored vase. By comparing males and females we see that females can be just as competent as men, especially in hard times.
Symbolism is also found in the occasional sirens heard, signaling curfew, and the planes heard flying overheard. These sounds symbolize that the war is beginning to make its way into the home of all Vietnamese people, though its presence is not yet extremely prevelant and destructive.
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The film, "Scent of Green Papaya" was very different than any other film I have seen due to its ability to portray the daily life of a Vietnamese family using a very limited number of words. Almost everything learned in the film is seen though the different images, symbolism, and actions presented.
ReplyDeleteThe symbolism in "Scent of Green Papaya" is obvious throughout the entire film. One of the scenes that sticks out is when the young boy is playing with the ants. He kills the ants by covering them in wax simply for fun. These killing of the ants symbolizes the Vietnam War that is looming on the horizon. The ants represent the Vietnamese soldiers being killed by napalm coming from above, similar to how the boy drips the wax from above. The ants also represent how the Americans will oppress the Vietnamese, killing and engaging in the war with very little reason to do so.
Another symbol is in the form of the Green Papaya. The green papaya symbolizes the women's work in the household and shows that they are equal participants in the household. This relates to what we have been learning in class because we've learned that women fought alongside men in the Vietnam War. By seeing that women also have an equal part in the household, I better understand how women were seen as equal in Vietnamese society and ended up in the war when American women did not.
Mui is also an important symbol in the movie. She symbolizes Vietnam in its natural state. She does this through her love and respect for nature. She also symbolizes a Vietnam that will endure, no matter what it goes through or has to endure. This relates to what we have learned in class because even with all of the destruction caused to Vietnam by the war, the Vietnamese were able to endure and still win the war in the end. With the odds stacked against them they were able to make a come back and return to their own way of life.