There are certain films in which the cinematography is so good that no other tool is necessary to tell the story. These movies could pass off as silent flicks and no one would bat an eyelid, so beautifully shot they are. 'Cinema Paradiso', with its flashback narrative and stunning shots of the Sicilian landscape, is one of them. Another that comes to mind is 'Le Grand Bleu' (The Big Blue), the best homage to the Mediterranean Sea I have ever seen in my life. And to this list I would like to add 'The Scent of Green Papaya', a French-produced, Vietnamese film, which I first saw many years ago, in 1995.
The movie tells the story of Mui, a peasant girl, who becomes a servant for a middle-class family. The mother, Truong Thi Lôc, is still grieving for her dead daughter, who would have been Mui's age, and this leads her to treat the latter as her own child. This first part of the film is seen through Mui's innocent eyes and the result is a very palpable and physical product. The sounds we hear, the food Mui and the cook make and the words the different characters utter, feel ever so real. There are lots of close-ups, from a bug that meets an early death as a consequence of one of the children's experiments to the preparation of the title-inspiring papaya recipe, a delicacy in Vietnam.
The second part catches Mui as a young woman after she has left Truong Thi Lôc's household to become the servant for a pianist who happens to be also a friend of the family. Mui falls for him but he is already engaged to a very lively woman. Whereas his wife-to-be only wants to go to parties and soirées, the groom just wants to stay home and play the piano. Unlike the first thirty or forty minutes of the film, where the approach is more angelic and blithe, the second act has an almost balletic proposition. The three main characters pirouette - literally in one scene - around each other, and their elongated figures point more at the world of turned-in legs than the domain of cinemascope.
The dénouement finds the pianist choosing Mui over his fiancée after spending a night with the former. On watching the movie for the second time, I was not sure whether there was a subliminal message behind the pianist's decision. Could it be that the director was implying that passivity (Mui's) was an attribute to which women ought to strive rather than independence, as symbolised by the pianist's former inamorata? Food for thought there.
What cannot be denied is that 'The Scent of Green Papaya' is one of those films that sticks in one's mind forever. A little cinematic, and dare I say, balletic gem, indeed.
Copyright 2010
Next Post: 'Road Songs', to be published on Thursday 14th January at 11:59pm (GMT)
Oh yes, an unforgettable film, one of my favourites ever. They don't make films slow and exquisitely controlled anymore. Every cinematic shot something to pause and revel in. I have been looking forward to this review since you last posted.
ReplyDeleteFather watched this film when he still could see and he remembers it clearly. He was speaking of you at the dinner table today! Can you imagine? He often praises me indirectly by mentioning the fact that a critical reviewer such as yourself takes time to comment on my writing :)
I must admit, I have never seen this movie. But your review is just tantalizing, and the trailer, too. So, here's a new movie to add to my list. I will most definitely watch this one soon. Thank you for an excellent review, Cuban!
ReplyDeleteNevine
I also first saw this film when it first came out 15 yrs ago and loved it - remeber all the beautiful close-up images which were spectacular - Greetings from Mexico
ReplyDeleteI have to google for words to comment at your posts. Nice would not do it.
ReplyDeleteWomen can act passive until they become wives.
I don't know how I missed seeing this movie, because I remember when it came out. I'm going over to Netflix right now and adding it to my queue! Thanks for the lovely review (and for your kind comments on my blog the other day...).
ReplyDeleteCuban, I must admit that I haven't seen the movie, but your review is super. I have to find the movie. Thank you Cuban!!
ReplyDeleteoh yes, i remember this movie and loved its sensuous slowness and aesthetic elegance..
ReplyDeletethank you for the reminder !
Many thanks for your kind comments. Ocean Girl, I'm still laughing my head off! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
I have always wanted to see this film. I will have to look for it the next tiem I am at the video store.
ReplyDeleteThe Big Blue is one of my favorite movies too, due to the stunning cinematography. I loved it despite the irritating Rosanna Arquette. I saw it in England and then rented in the US. Oddly enough they CHANGED the ending of the US version or maybe just for the VCR. I liked the more ambiguous and darker European version.
ReplyDeleteBased on your review, I’m adding Green Papaya to our Netflix queue. BTW your YouTube clip doesn’t fit your blog template. It does look gorgeous. I missed a lot of films in the mid 90’s – must have been the babies. Thanks for the recommendation.
I came here by way of Sarah Laurence's blog. We have not seen The Scent of Green Papaya. The composition of many of the scenes in this clip, makes me want to hit pause for a still life. So beautiful. I'm looking forward to finding this to rent.
ReplyDeletei'm intrigued by the title alone.
ReplyDeletethis makes me giggle: "The three main characters pirouette - literally in one scene - around..."
searching for it now. thanks for the review.
Cuban, I need to see this movie.I'm a "quality" movie lover , thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove your depth of your thoughts, amazes me!
:)
Thanks for this rescue! You know, sometimes you miss some film, but you can recall e x a c t l y its name. A most see, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteWhen a movie creates a perfect storm of beautiful images, a compelling story, and great acting, then it's a must-see. Your review tells me that this is one. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your kind words.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
I think that perhaps Miu represents depth and honesty while the financee symbolizes the superficial.I am also adding this to my Netflix list although thanks to your enthralling review, I might be in for a wait!
ReplyDeleteI'm adding this one to my queue right now, along with The Big Blue. Thanks for the recommend, Mr. Cuban. Excellent review.
ReplyDeleteWhat a tantalizing review. I am anxious to see such a visually interesting movie, since I somehow missed it years ago. If you haven't seen "The Year of Living Dangerously" (1982 Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver, a Peter Weir film) you might want to add it to your "to watch" list. It too had amazing cinematography and was so visually appealing that seeing it just once, was for me anyway, impossible. Happy New Year from Oregon~~
ReplyDeleteKaren
So, of course I stop mid-review and pull up my Netflix queue only to find it isn't yet available...and then I see how many others are probably ahead of me in the queue! Great review, I can't wait to take it all in.
ReplyDeleteHi CIL, I'll have to see if I can get my
ReplyDeletehot little hands on The Scent of Green
Papaya, sounds delish.
Of course, many men will celebrate a submissive
personality.