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Song of the South (2023)

Song of the South (2023)

6.5

A striking, but meandering journey of a boy in 1940s Vietnam

Movie

Vietnam
Vietnamese
Drama, Family, War
2023

TLDR

So. Much. CGI birds…

What it's about

1940s Vietnam. As the French colonial government and the Vietnamese rebels clash, 12 year old boy An takes a treacherous journey to search for his estranged father.

The take

Not to be confused with the old racist Disney movie, Song of the South is a carefully crafted historical epic based on the classic Vietnamese novel. Set in 1940s Vietnam, French colonial rule hangs over the main story, with the young An searching for his father after a tragic loss. It’s beautifully shot, capturing South Vietnam’s culture in ethereal countryscapes, blatantly nationalistic moments, and excellently choreographed fight sequences. Huynh Hao Khang also depicts An with a charm and charisma that makes his journey the most interesting to watch. However, his journey meanders halfway through, with each change in travel companion unsteadily shifting the tone of the film. Song of the South is an intriguing watch, but the structure, humor, and the CGI distracts from the poignancy of the original novel’s story.

What stands out

The format. As an adaptation of a classic Vietnamese novel, it makes sense to adapt it for the big screen with today’s tech, but the episodic nature of An’s adventures would have been better suited to television than film.

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