Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Indochine
The film “Indochine” is a film that depicts the French influence and occupation of Vietnam from the 1930s until 1954, when the French left Vietnam. The journey and influence of the French is best shown through the life of the main character, Elaine, who is a French rubber plantation owner. Elaine represents one of the three sides that are present in this film. She represents the French; holding herself above others in her dress, way of caring herself, and speech. Another side shown in the film is the Vietnamese nationalists, shown through Elaine’s daughter, Camille. Camille is Vietnamese, but she was raised by French principles leading her to defy her values and her mother as she leaves the plantation. Their relationship shows the struggles between the French, the mother, and the Vietnamese nationalists, Camille. The third side, which is not as present as the first two, is the Vietnamese communists who are portrayed as a disorganized disempowered group. The plot of the film pertaining to Elaine and Camille parallels the French occupation in Vietnam and it is only fitting that the film ends just as the French leave Vietnam.
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The film “Indochine” is a film that depicts the French influence and occupation of Vietnam from the 1930s until 1954, when the French left Vietnam. It explains the ideas of paternalism in relation to the French and Vietnamese and the changed relationships between the two states. The idea of paternalism is best shown through the colonialism of the French in Vietnam. In one of the scenes this is depicted when a worker is being beaten, which shows the power struggle of the natives, the Vietnamese, against those who hold the power, the French.
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Another side shown in the film is the Vietnamese nationalists, shown through Elaine’s daughter, Camille. Camille is Vietnamese, but she was raised by the French principles of her mother. It is these principles that lead her to defy her values and her mother as she leaves the plantation. Their relationship shows the struggles between the French, the mother, and the Vietnamese nationalists, Camille.
The third side, which is not as present as the first two, is the Vietnamese communists who are portrayed as a disorganized disempowered group. Tanh is a communist; he was expelled from French school because of his involvement and support of the communists. Tanh was fighting for the independence of France, but then he uses the French techniques against them later.
The plot of the film pertaining to Elaine and Camille parallels the French occupation in Vietnam and it is only fitting that the film ends just as the French leave Vietnam.