Magical Realism, Vietnamese Style

I stumbled upon Vertical Ray of the Sun at the library last week, and I can now happily say I've seen my first Tran Anh Hung film. The man is a poetic genius. I haven't seen such a lyrical film since at least Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love. Is there something about the post-colonial, Southeast Asian way of life? Wong is Cantonese; Tran, Vietnamese. Tran's exposure to the world has come largely through Studio Canal+ and the French film system. He's also the director behind "Scent of Green Papaya," an award wining film that's on my shortlist.

But what about this film? Pure magic. From the richly hued colors of a Vietnam summer to the glimmer of genuine happiness and joie de vivre glinting in the actors' eyes to the slow and doleful Lou Reed and Arab Strap-heavy soundtrack, the film was a visual symphony and an aural feast. A Parisian IMDB commenter probably captures it best, when he states: "This movie was one long, slow, blissful dream. I can hardly explain how much I have been moved by this movie. It exists beyond what is projected on screen, appeals to some of one's innermost sensations, feelings almost forgotten, like the simple pleasure of waking up in the morning, opening one's window, and breathing, deeply. Since I live in Paris, I was lucky enough to meet Yen (the interpret of Lien) and Hung (the director) and talk to them personally. And I understood where the movie's deeply heartfelt nature came from : simply, it was the expression of the greatest sincerity and sensitivity of all. Hung and Yen are both just like this movie, just like the Scent of Green Papaya too : fascinated with simplicity, and constantly looking for beauty in its simplest form, in the most obvious gestures of everyday life. Waking up had always been a routine for me. After seeing this movie, it has become a pleasure renewed every morning. Never before had I understood the worth of movements executed slowly, fluently, harmoniously, almost like a ceremony. A la Verticale de l'Eté is not an obvious movie, where everything is suddenly thrown at the spectator who needs do nothing but open his mouth and swallow whatever is shoved down his throat. This demanding film asks a total commitment, asks you to completely forget everything else than the movie. But if you let yourself sink into the movie, if you make that initial effort, this film will reward you with much more than mere images and temporary distraction. I truly believe that this movie will forever stay in the hearts of those who have seen it. I have seen it four times so far, and can't get fed up with it. There is one problem about this movie though : it makes it particularly hard to get back into the "real" world... That is probably why I keep going, again and again, to see this movie. I think I like to believe that life can be a dream sometimes."