1999 Movie
Dir. Tony Bui · United States of America, Vietnam · English, Vietnamese
A stunning, multifaceted portrait of post-reunification Vietnam
Given the Vietnam War, America held certain unsavory stereotypes of their former enemy. These stereotypes inspire the ensemble of Three Seasons. This is a surprising approach, especially for the first American full-length film shot in Vietnam, but filmmaking brothers Tony and Timothy Linh Bui take these stock characters to craft them new, hopeful stories. Through a series of interwoven paths, the characters connect and heal what they’ve lost due to the war. Due to the number of stories here, there’s frankly not enough time devoted to flesh most of them. Nevertheless, Three Season painted a different, intricate portrait of Vietnam, now America’s ally.
The residents of Ho Chi Minh City face modernization amid widespread poverty. A retired American Marine arrives on a search for his daughter, whom he abandoned at the end of the Vietnam War. Elsewhere, a cyclo driver falls for a troubled prostitute and schemes to raise money so he can spend time with her. Additionally, a young women begins harvesting lotuses for a writer suffering from leprosy, and a child trinket seller loses his traveling case.
As Saigon transforms into the modern Ho Chi Minh City, a few of its inhabitants seek connection with each other.
The way the camera captures Vietnam is beautiful, especially the wide shots of the lotus flower pond by the old temple.
I wish they made this as a series of movies, but the one we got was pretty lovely.
Berlin
1 nom
Spirit Awards
1 win · 1 nom
Sundance
3 wins · 1 nom
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
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