The Scent of Green Papaya (1993) User Reviews

A society of grace and harmony

[howard.schumann · 8/10 · 21 February 2005]

In Tran Anh Hung's debut film The Scent of Green Papaya, Mui (Lu Man San) is a ten-year old girl who comes from a small village to the home of a wealthy Saigon merchant to work as a servant in 1951. The first Vietnamese film ever nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film, Scent of Green Papaya captures the natural beauty of pre-war Vietnam, even though it was filmed on a set constructed in a Paris studio. Mui personifies the innocence of a Vietnamese society where grace and harmony has not yet given way to bombs and destruction. Mui accepts her place with patience, serving the meals, preparing the vegetables, scrubbing the floors, and polishing the shoes.

True to the Buddhist ideal of being in the present moment, Mui studiously carries out her tasks, refusing to be affected by the torments of the younger son Tin (Gerard Neth), upset over his father's desertion of the family. She observes her natural surroundings in great detail: ants carrying a small piece of bread, a frog sitting on a leaf, a cricket jumping at night, and the seeds of a green papaya. The mother (Thi Loc Truong) is distraught over the recent death of her young daughter To and looks upon Mui as her replacement, perhaps even her reincarnation. In one scene, the mother stands over Mui while she sleeps and weeps silently for the loss of her daughter and perhaps for a Vietnam that she knows will soon disappear.

Her husband (Ngoc Trun Tran) is a drinker and womanizer who has run off with the family's money. The mother is stoic and we only hear about her problems through the elderly grandmother (Thi Hai Vo) who mourns her dead husband alone in her upstairs room. The second part of the film shifts ten years into the future. Mui (Tran Nu Yen-Khe) has become a young woman. Because of the family's financial condition she has moved to the house of Khuyen, a professional musician and composer (Vuong Hoa Hoi). Her leaving triggers in the mother a profound sense of loss for her "daughter" and a sense that the old way of life in her country is coming to a permanent end.

In her new house, Mui must contend with the musician's Westernized fiancé who personifies the artificiality of modern society. Annoyed with the insensitivity of his fiancé, Khuyen sees Mui with fresh eyes and begins to realize how much she embodies the traditional values he has left behind. Though the film may try the patience of Western audiences, The Scent of Green Papaya, in its simplicity and awareness of the natural world, reminds us of the power of cinema to reach artistic heights.

A Film For the Thinking Viewer

[orinocowomble · 8/10 · 15 July 2013]

If your taste runs to action blockbusters, this film is not for you. The Scent of Green Papaya is the sort of film that repays patient observation, and lends itself to repeated viewings. I'm not an "intellectual"--I will admit I had to take a couple of runs at this film before I understood what I was seeing. The first time, I turned it off 20 min. into it, saying, "Nothing's happening here!" That's true, if you're used to Western films that are driven by action and dialog. Like many Asian films, TSOGP is instead driven by inter-action between characters and observation. The camera functions as an "eye" to show us life from the character's point of view. After seeing the entire film, I became aware that it had become a part of my mental furnishings; I realised I was spending quite a lot of time thinking about it in the following days. I'm told by those who live with me that the highest compliment I can give a film are the words, "I need to see it again." And I do--I need to buy a copy and see it several more times.

Ten year old Miu is sent from her home village to Saigon to work as a servant in a cloth merchant's household. She is fascinated by their beautiful home and its furnishings, the papaya tree in the courtyard, and how very different their lifestyle is to what she has known. The youngest son of the family sees her arrival as a golden opportunity--at last someone is lower on the family totem-pole than himself, and he tries to bully Miu in various ways. However, his attempts fall flat as he never gets much of a reaction; in her innocence, Miu accepts events as they come, never trying to assign blame or "tell" on him. If a jar gets broken, she accepts it is her fault; if a pail of dirty water gets upended or "someone" pees all over a clean floor, she cleans it up without a word. Her employer's wife soon sees her as a surrogate daughter, someone to fill the void of her own daughter's death and her own loveless marriage to a spendthrift husband who abandons the family for weeks at a time and comes home empty handed.

Ten years later, Miu is sent to work for a family friend, a young man she has long admired. His relationship with a spoiled girl of his own class flickers out as he becomes more aware of Miu's quiet presence in his life. All of the "action" of the film is crammed into the last 30 min, as we see the results of his growing awareness and its transforming effect.

The film is stunning to look at, as usual in much of Asian cinema. If I had one complaint, it was the soundtrack; not the traditional Vietnamese music played by father and son at the beginning of the story, but the tortuous "contemporary" Western music in the second half, including a dreadful rendition of Debussy's Claire de Lune--as if an alley cat were trying to play the violin on its own cat-guts. The caterwauling added nothing to the film, and only served as an irritating distraction. This is what caused me to lower my rating of this otherwise fine film.

Beautiful Film

[smythe_23 · 8/10 · 13 December 2005]

The Scent of Green Papaya is one of those films that is easy to enjoy no matter where you're from. A visually striking film that utilizes setting and cinematography over dialogue, it's easy to see why it did so well internationally. I can't think of many films that can totally relax me and clear my mind- something that is only possible when I'm completely engulfed and not bothered by massive amounts of dialogue. Since the visuals tell most of the story, we're left with a very deep film that isn't tedious or overbearing so that we can focus without trying to read lots of subtitles or follow ten different things on screen at once. The simple but elaborate set style adds to the "film as a universal" feeling that I got while watching it.

Focusing on one thing in Papaya is rather hard as it really works well as a sum of its parts. Without the incredible cinematography, the story would probably be lost on most audiences. Without the beautiful sets that the actors mesh with so well, you'd be pulled out of the reality of the film. Without the great acting (especially by the actresses that play Mui), the film falls flat on its face. It's one of those movies that seems to (and this happens at least once or twice a year for me) completely reshape my idea of what a film can and can't be. It's kind of like pot for the eyes. It seems that most movies these days (and this is a broad generalization) are just glorified plays. If you could find someone that would sit through this as a play for 90 minutes, well, they're just stupid. Maybe that's a little bit harsh, but at the least they'd have to be pretty patient people. I have a hard time believing that it could work.

*Very Mild Spoilers In the Third Paragraph* To me, the best films are ones that are deep enough that they require multiple viewings to truly understand, but not so deep that I feel lost and turned off from (see: Goodbye South, Goodbye). The first thing I noticed about Papaya was the wonderful use of background noise. I originally thought it was a bit annoying, but as the film pushed on, the cricket in a cage theme fleshed out as a major part of the story. When Mui opens the door on the little cage right before she leaves the house she spent half her life in, and the cricket sticks to the door I saw the connection to her life. It's wholly depressing that the mother is in fact losing her surrogate daughter and Mui seems very uncertain about what her future holds when she leaves. She is the caged cricket that is scared to leave its home. The transformation she makes in her new surroundings is only possible because she took that step- she leaves the nest. Also, the background noise plays an important part in what is going in the film, but only in that it's never discussed. The jets flying over the house in the second part of the film adds to the setting even more because there is no need to mention it- we are too caught up in Mui's transformation into a woman to care about wars and such. Not resorting to explanatory dialogue when most filmmakers would is something that makes Tran Anh Hung an exciting and original filmmaker. He's the anti Godard in a sense (no way can I actually back up that statement as I've only seen a couple of Godard's older movies- but from what I know, this seems like a logical jump).

The Scent of Green Papaya isn't necessarily one of the best movies I've ever seen, but it sure is one of the most original. I think that pretty much anyone could make at least a decent film with the proper training, but films like Papaya are a testament to true vision and talent. You give this script to anyone else and you'd end up with a vastly different film. If that's not voice, I don't know what is.

Buddhist Love Story

[reedwaller · 19 August 2004]

This stunningly beautiful film has a strong Buddhist theme, so it's unsurprising that many American viewers were perplexed by it even while captivated by its beauty. It is the story of Mui, a poor servant girl ... except she is no ordinary servant girl, she is an Enlightened One. She lives totally in the here and now, and sees and appreciates everything (and so do we, thanks to the breathtaking color cinematography). She quietly goes through her ordinary life, giving every tiny moment all her attention and invisibly enriching the lives of all those around her, until near the end of the picture she is given off to a family friend whom, coincidentally, she has fancied since she was little. He is engaged to another woman, but one day he picks up a bust of Buddha, and stares at it with recognition, realizing suddenly that the face and the smile of the Buddha are something he has been seeing every day, on Mui. He sees her for what she is, and both their lives are transformed. Even more astounding than the richness and beauty of this film, is the feat of finding two wonderful actresses 10 years apart, to play the same very unusual girl, both identically beautiful and graceful and having the Buddha smile. Intoxicating and unforgettable.

Familiar, slow-moving story beautifully presented

[DennisLittrell · 7/10 · 24 January 2002]

This is a kind of Cinderella tale set in Saigon during the 1950s in which the yin and yang principles of the masculine element and the feminine are acted out. We find ourselves in the airy, beautifully-appointed house of a well-to-do merchant family that has just hired a new servant. She is ten-year-old Mùi, played with grace and a kind of magical innocence by Man San Lu, who bestows her beatific little smile on all the little wonders of the world she sees around her. She learns her job quickly and works hard, always with a positive attitude. She loves all living things including insects and frogs. She tolerates the boorish behavior of the youngest son of the household who directs some indelicate gestures in her direction. Like a Taoist monk she just observes, judges not and says nothing.

Well, we know somebody is going to take notice of this splendid jeune fille, some wise young man, and when she comes of age, marry her and elevate her station in life. Meanwhile the head of household squanders the family's funds and ten years pass. Now the family is almost broke and Mùi is sent to be the housekeeper and cook for Khuyen, played attractively by Hoa Hoi Vuong. She is now played by Tran Nu Yên-Khê who falls in love with the young man who is a classical pianist. Unfortunately he has a girl friend, a stylish woman of the city from a well-to-family. Finally we have a bit of tension!

This, then, is an 'art house' movie in which director Anh Hung Tran tells the story primarily with images and symbolism, and that he does very well. But the disjunction of the two very slight plots is never overcome, and the startling lack of any tension until near the end is disappointing. The central image of the film, the green papaya with the immature seeds inside representing the potential of the little girl is however not to be forgotten.

What carries this slow-moving extended vignette of ante-bellum Saigon, and saves us from abject boredom are the beautiful sets nestled in greenery with the Buddhist artwork, the wooden Venetian-slotted doors, the partitions, the lattice work, the vases, the statues, the charming music, both eastern and western, the intensively focused cinematography, and the charm of ten-year-old Man San Lu. Many viewers, however charmed, will not stay for the finale, which will be too bad because it is in the later stages of the film that the fairy-tale quality of the film is fully realized. Mùi of course has come of age, and the developing love affair is revealed purely through camera work without any dialogue.

Incidentally, I was somewhat surprised to learn that this beautifully rendered film was shot not on locale in Saigon, Vietnam where the action takes place, but in a Paris studio! This makes me imagine that the trees, especially the papaya tree in the central courtyard, and the little animals, the frogs and geckos were shipped in. It also makes me realize that the ants that the one boy drips hot candle wax on, the ants that Mùi admires and her cricket in a cage are most likely Parisians.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

Beautiful photo, wonderful music, calm slow pace yet gripping intrigue

[yumeibito · 10/10 · 12 June 2004]

As far away from Terminator as you can get. This gentle-paced story has followed me for years. Long after I forgot most of the story-line, the mood has lingered on in my heart and my mind. This is film as Art and not mere entertainment in the same was as Tolstoy or Tjechov is Art as opposed to the dime-a-dozen love-novels found in cheep kiosks. The acting is excellent and convincing, the spars dialog is natural, the photo is almost breathtaking and the original score by modernist contemporary vietnamese composer is superb. This is cinematic contemplation.

Beautiful to look at, although slightly too subdued

[bastard_wisher · 6/10 · 24 December 2005]

"Cyclo", the film Tran Ahn Hung made following this, his debut, is one of my all-time favorite films. This film isn't bad at all, but nowhere close to that masterpiece. No question Tran Ahn Hung is a very good filmmaker, but this wasn't quite compelling enough. Pretty to look at, but not a whole lot else. Ultimately I think the film is just slightly too subdued for it's own good, and threatens to disappear into it's own poetic reverie. Also, at times the film was distractingly stagey, not surprising considering that it was shot entirely on a set. Particularly problematic were the outdoor scenes, although there weren't very many of them.

pure expression of personal peace and the nature of film

[squarest4 · 10/10 · 20 April 2003]

One of the purest films ever made, this movie captures a sense of utter peace and spirituality, drawn from the main character's constant sense of wonder, awareness of her surroundings, and the pleasure she is able to take in simple daily tasks. It is also an expression of the true nature of the medium, since there is no forced tension or plot points, and the camera explores its world in perfect freedom, and with perfect curiosity (to suit the main character, who is filled with curiosity for the world around her, often taking time to simply stare at the objects around her, as an ideal camera should). Some say that the "problem" with this film is that it lacks tension, which to me seems to be an odd attitude--why should a movie "require" forced dilemmas in order to be considered good? (particularly when film is such a good medium for expressing both every-day reality AND for expressing states of mind--in this case, the filmaker wanted to express a sense of quietude, which is perfectly legitimate, very real, and is well suited to the medium). In fact, if this film has a tiny fault, it is in the few moments where there does exists some tension, which take away from the pure sense of personal peace and wholeness that the film so perfectly expresses. And it goes without saying that this is a perfectly constructed "poem" paying tribute a particular feeling and state of being (a state of being which is tied to the true nature of the camera medium), and that its plot is not the focus (nor should it be, in a film attempting to simply portray reality and express ideas/emotions in a way that is suited to the medium). Also needless to say, every shot is beautiful, carefully framed, and the flow of the movie (in editing, acting, and music) is natural, expressive, musical, and in a word, "perfect".

We should all seek to be more like this main character, and this camera, in our awareness of the world around us and our ability to find peace with the reality of everyday life. One of the greatest things film can do for us is to make us reconsider the basic nature of the reality that surrounds us, and allow us to consider different ways of viewing it, allow us appreciate its inherent texture. This film does this.

It is a shame that there are so few films made with this purity--that most films attempt to force meaningless tension and artificial dilemmas on us for no greater purpose than to distract our minds, and in the process they clash against the medium's natural tendencies and potentials. (note: I'm not claiming that tension is inherently bad, or that great films can't be made that way, but in most films the tension and dilemmas are forced, and in most films they goes against the camera's natural "state of being", and in many films this tension has no artistic purpose, even in films that are actually trying to say or express something).

Regarding this filmaker's other film, "The vertical ray of the sun": visually it is even more beautiful than this film, and in parts it expresses an even purer sense of peace... however, it does contain some overly strong moments of tension and dilemma that seem totally out of place within its calm style; also, although I have downplayed story and character in the above discussion, Green Papaya does have a well drawn and beautiful story that even has some mythic resonance (or more importantly, the main character has these things). "vertical ray" on the other hand, does not have such resonant characters or plot points, though admitedly it is more beautiful in some ways. However, i have seen each film only once, so I may change my mind about "vertical ray"--and regardless of any slight misgivings I have currently, I do recommend it as an important film experience.

Alireza.Akhlaghi.Official

[alireza-akhlaghi84 · 7/10 · 2 November 2018]

It's not easy to make movies that represent part of the past in your area. the scent of green papaya movie mention of about fifty years ago in the Taiwan region of the film's history. The movie shows the life style and middle and lower class behaviors in the midst of a relatively quite reach family that is struggling with its own problems. Paying to the subject of the story takes time well, so time spend less during watching the movie. Seeing this movie, you're in the midst of movie, and as a member of this family, you're having troubles. The key point is the communication gap, and even gender, is respect for Taiwanese lifestyle in the past. The form and shape and even the look from top to bottom, in the order of the family, indicate the distance between its members. We are faced with a situation in which the husband of the family goes away and noone not aware of him, and The The grandmother define the bride mistakes, and the contemplative consideration is to accept the responsibilities of the bride of the family. The key points during this sequence are the inner roar of the second son of the family against this attitude that leads to abnormal behaviors. All of this is seen as a rural girl looking at a house as a maid. He is a very disciplined and loving one, he takes the steps of progress in his growth and becomes a successful woman even more than his own limit. It can also be viewed from the perspective of luck, but what matters is the success of Mui to the achievement of its wishes that are contemplative and loving and in keeping with the audience's desire. Ultimately, the overall outline of the movie is a good start, an interesting continuation, but lastly, an unconventional one, it can be imagined that a good score could ultimately be made for this film.

Savour it

[Sachin_Chavan · 8/10 · 7 April 2017]

Another beautiful film. Slow metamorphosis of a house servant girl in prewar Vietnam. Wonderful cinematography and effective characterisation. The detailing of the set takes the cake. A delightful experience for those who like to savour a movie like classic tea or wine. Rich on the senses and soothing on the mind. Mindfulness!

Cultural Aspects

[gentendo · 6/10 · 31 January 2008]

The community in this film, for the most part, is civil and respectful. It is a calm and quiet environment where the servants are treated with just as much esteem as are the landowners and their children. It is not a place of dread (as might be expected concerning the lives of servants), but is a place of learning and growth. Despite the occasional feuds between Mui and the master's younger son, the director establishes a tranquil atmosphere through the use of jungle ambiance, soothing riffs from citars and flutes, mis-en-scene, and transcendence from the ordinary things of life.

The predominant community established and focused on is of servant-hood. The tutorials between the young apprentice, Mui, and her elderly instructor, To, give the viewer insights to their daily chores and lifestyle. The life of a servant consists of cooking, preparation, cleaning, passion, and appreciation for the ordinary. In particular, a great emphasis is honed in on the importance of cleanliness and preparation. Multiple scenes reveal the delicate care the servants take in preparing the food they create for their masters. Cleanliness always precedes these acts of creation. Beautiful close-ups and slow motioned effects show Mui washing her hands and face in a rather spiritually ritualistic way. The director establishes their works more like an art than like a service. However, the life of a servant, by definition, is still one of entrapment.

The camera itself acts like a trapped servant for the majority of the film. It always seems to be peering upon the characters through obstructed walls, screens, doors, and windows, yet never reveals them entirely. It's as if the camera is trying to break free from the clutter that fills the screen by constantly moving proportionately to the way the characters move. The screen is always filled in various layers—the foreground will usually be filled with a variety of set décor; the middle ground is the characters space; and the background is for extras and the mood of the atmosphere. The community presented is also one that has a deep appreciation for the ordinary things in life.

Immaculate close-ups of bugs, frogs, lizards and plants all help illustrate the love the people, and more particularly, the director, have for the beauties in nature. An interesting use of mis-en-scene is paralleled between Mui and the insects she feeds inside the cage. Mui, an entrapped servant inside her own cage called "home", feeds a cluster of crickets entrapped inside their cage in order to sustain their lives. It is a reflection of her own nourishing she receives from the masters inside the cage she lives in. It is her way of giving back to nature what nature has given to her. A tender scene is shown between the friendship of Mui and her crickets when she is told she will be leaving to serve in another home. As she opens the door to the cage to let the crickets go free, they cling to its surface—unwilling to move. That the crickets are scared to break free and venture outside beyond the confines of their cage is a reflection of Mui's life to venture beyond the home (cage) she was essentially raised in. The community, then, is shown as being one that represents the effects of being institutionalized over a given period of time. The characters in the story, whether human or insect, are ones that adapt to their environment quickly and make the best of their given situation. Uncomfortable feelings are the natural result of those who are told to divorce themselves from the norm. In short, the community presented is the metaphysical expression of the human development from being to change to becoming.

Take the movie as it comes and when you feel like it.

[soniaandree · 10/10 · 3 August 2006]

After reading everyone's comments, the movie can be summarised as being long and lacking in action. Now, what makes the difference is the quality of the picture and colours, unforgettable. This movie is not just about Mui's work experience as a maid in a wealthy house, nor about her feelings for her new Master ten years later (a ten-year gap in the story), neither about Vietnam itself. The movie looks like it's taken slices of Mui's personal story, so that people would have a private "look" at a few events that marked her life, a form of autobiography, as the ending demonstrated, by Mui talking directly to the viewer. Does the movie need action? I think not. Does it need to demonstrate something? I don't think so. Finally, I highly recommend watching this movie, but mainly when you're in the mood for some quiet time to yourself. It's not your usual Friday night screening.

Stunningly Beautiful

[Falcon-51 · 7/10 · 26 December 1999]

Beautiful cinematography and great story line. Mui is the servant girl of a prominent family, but when times get tough she is sent to work elsewhere. Now that she is working for a handsome new master she has to deal with her emotions toward him. It is an enthralling story and even though it is subtitled in English you will not spend all your time reading since most of the story is visual. The pace moves along nicely.

This is the 1st Vietnamese film ever released in the USA.

Magnificently Filmed With Appealing Female

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 24 December 2006]

Even on VHS this looks fantastic, but on the new Blu-Ray, it's just stunning. This is one of the most gorgeous- looking films you'll ever see, extremely aesthetic, with beautiful muted browns and greens.

The closeups of the young girl's cute face, and then later as young woman; the closeups of the insects, the house, food, shrubbery, etc, are all very pretty view. The background noises are unique, too. Much of the time you hear birds or insects; it's quite different.

The drawback to this movie, one that will turn many people off, is the story is extremely slow, one of the slowest-moving films I have ever witnessed....but "Mui," the lead character is so appealing both as a young girl and then young adult that she makes it an involving story.

If you have patience and a love of great visuals, this is a film to treasure.

Subtle light of silence

[Vincentiu · 11 January 2007]

The tip of film who seduced without a sure cause.

A sweet powerful flavor of memories, time's ash, images of other secret age, spell of a subtle shadow.

Poem of silence, slice of amazing dream, form of cult for ambiguous god.

Wall of a delicate world of small gesture and impressive light.

Signs like stairs, warm remember and love like reality's skin.

Trip of soul on personal space before the Fall.

Is it a masterpiece? No! Is it a beautiful movie? No! It is only prefiguration of self desire, escape in Golden Age.

I'd really like a little more plot

[steiner-sam · 6/10 · 23 March 2022]

It's a coming-of-age story set in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1951 and 1961. It examines the life of a servant girl at age 10 and again at age 20.

Mui (Man San Lu/Tran Nu Yên-Khê) works for an aristocratic family that has fallen on difficult times financially. A daughter, Mui's age, has died; there are three sons in the family. The father (Ngoc Trung Tran) is often gone or sadly plays music when at home. The mother (Thi Loc Truong) is kind, and Mui is trained in cooking and service by an older woman (Anh Hoa Nguyen). Mui is quiet but very observant of life around her, including lush vegetation and what seem to be pet amphibians.

Ten years later, the family can no longer afford to keep Mui as a servant. She becomes the servant for the much wealthier Khuyen (Hoa Hoi Vuong), a pianist who had been the friend of one of the sons. Khuyen spends his time playing the piano. His fiancée is Thu (Vantha Talisman), who seems to be a party girl who doesn't appreciate his music.

Gradually, Khuyen has begun to notice his beautiful servant as he's made sketches of her on his musical score paper. He finally turns to her quiet nature and teaches her to read and write. It ends with Mui reading to Khuyen.

This film contains a limited number of words; the story is carried by flowing images and cinematography. It does seem to firmly endorse very traditional male-female relationships, with the more energetic fiancée shunted off to the side. The film is beautifully done, and the soundtrack can put you to sleep. I'd really like a little more plot.

Calm, cool fresh breeze!!

[badar1981 · 8/10 · 14 February 2007]

To say movie is beautiful will be understatement. Movie moves with extreme calmness yet refreshingly different and visually appealing. What impresses most about the movie is, it tells the story of a family girl and how she identifies her in the surroundings, with the family he is living and more importantly with his emotions. Slow pace of the movie helps the calm effect and suddenly takes the viewer by surprise the way story unfolds. The way little girl learns the art of cooking, they way she learns about the secrets of the family is impressive. More importantly hidden desires of the girl shown in the movie is the master stroke of director. Music needs special praise so as acting.

Stunningly beautiful!! 8/10

Stunning, moody, coming-of-age tale in pre-war Vietnam

[Sasha_Lauren · 7/10 · 16 November 2019]

The Scent of Green Papaya is a strange, moody movie. Visually it is stunning. Every frame mesmerizes with it's beauty. There are long periods of silence, minimalist dialogue, or extended periods at a time with stirring music or sounds of nature.

This is a coming-of-age tale about a young girl named Mui who goes to work for a wealthy family as a servant in pre-war 1951 Saigon Vietnam. What made the movie compelling is seeing the world through the quiet perspective of Mui: her connection to nature, details she took in about people, and her ability to be gently present in her life as she watches the disfunctional family go through change and loss, while serving them steadfastly. I was surprised and delighted by the last few minutes of the film.

The movie was like a slow and prolonged meditative visual poem, georgeous and also unsettling.

well-deserved victory at Cannes

[dindrane · 9/10 · 30 October 1999]

Wonderful characterization makes this film more than a romance or any other one category. This movie says more with silences than it does with words. Every detail is carefully planned from set design to wardrobing, but without seeming pretentious or affected. If you are new to Asian films, this isn't a bad one to start with.

Vietnamese showcase

[lyrxsf · 7/10 · 28 June 2009]

The storyline of this movie is pretty basic – its follows the coming of age of a girl, who serves as a househelp. What makes the movie really attractive is the whats in the background- the audio and the visuals. Its feels like walking through a Vietnamese museum. I loved the slow languid mellow tones. The roundness of the ceramic pottery, blackness of long strands of hair, chirping of crickets, warmth of wood, ornate carvings, slowness of movement – it all melds in really well. It creates the effect of being in some scented magical tropical garden where there is an occasional cool breeze. It's a very sensuous movie – without having to resort to sexuality for displaying sensuousness.

Beautifully rendered film

[lisa-easterling1-54-793876 · 9/10 · 15 May 2011]

If you like a simple story with a happy ending and beautiful filming, The Scent of Green Papaya is for you. There is an unparalleled aesthetic and soothing quality to the film that traces the life of Mui, a peasant girl sent to Saigon to work for a well-to-do merchant family, and her new "family." Mui is a calm, peaceful soul, filled with happiness and joy. She teaches us to find the beautiful in the everyday and is an interesting contrast to the sons in the family, one who destroys the life around him and another who seeks to torment Mui relentlessly.

The story line is simple and the scenery does not change much. Yet, each frame captures the unique details of the objects and people within the frame. This serves as a reminder to look around one's everyday environment and enjoy the aesthetics and life found there. Although obviously filmed on set and not within the natural environment, watching this film was like walking through a hidden botanical garden in a bustling city...full of treasures that delight the eyes and calm the soul.

What are we supposed to care about?

[iam-1 · 7/10 · 15 February 2000]

Once hailed as being an amazing piece of art cinema, this film left us dissapointed. The story is told sparingly, which is fine, but hasn't enough of an arc for the characters to become ones we care about. The trials of the family that employs our young heroine do not fill us with dread, or trepidation. the action is almost non-existent. The camera work reveals what is obviously an artificial set - one that is well-made, but artificial none the less. The Direction is very light handed, and we are not allowed enough detail to select what is important. We only see one story/ set of details/ whatever you want to call it, and it is not explained in any way what is important or what the story is about. While I am not wanting to have a tale handed to me on a platter, I would like something to care about. This film is not it.

Broken Vase

[nikhil7179 · 10/10 · 1 June 2022]

Mui is a young village girl who travels to the city to work in the household of a middle-class family.

Their trials and tribulations are observed through the eyes of their inquisitive little maid, as she comes of age in Saigon in the 1950's.

We watch as Mui performs household chores and various members of the family go through their daily routines.

The story unfolds at a languid pace and there is very little dialogue, but it never feels boring or dull.

On the contrary, the effect is totally hypnotic.

The virtuosic camerawork, the impeccable production design, and the beguiling atonal score are all integral in immersing the audience in the world of the characters.

A stunning debut from writer-director Tranh Anh Hung.

great sound design

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 8 July 2016]

It's 1951 Saigon. Ten year old girl Mui arrives to work in an upper class troubled family. There are three son, the youngest being a brat. The grandmother is secluded upstairs. The father is often absent haunted by the death of his young daughter. The mother is concern when he leaves once again taking all of the money. Ten years later, the family has fallen on hard times. Mui becomes a servant of the oldest son's pianist friend.

The story is intriguing at first but it's a little slow. It's all very gentle and the tension is low. The most compelling is the unique lush artificiality to the style. It's obvious that this is made on a soundstage. The sound design adds a layer of the tropical world to this movie. It's a strange unreal reality.

Great cinematography

[FilmActuary · 5/10 · 7 December 1999]

Very few films have cinematography so creative and intriguing. I could watch this film over and over again just to see the wonderful shots in it.

I'm not too impressed with the story, but it is strong enough to support the film, and make it worth watching.