The Scent of Green Papaya

This movie is a masterpiece. The video portion spoke for itself and very little dialog was needed to convey a very beautiful story. Marvelous cinematography. Just loved it and could see it again and again.

This is a film I really enjoyed almost a decade ago, and I was so pleased that the film finally come out on DVD.Story of a young girl, Mui, coming a long way to serve a wealthy family, and how she serves and interacts with those around her. The mother/mistress is a kind woman, dutifully running a cloth shop, upper class but hiding the fact that she is on the brink of ruin, who mourns for the daughter she lost years ago; the daughter would have been the same age as Mui. Her husband is a rascal, who steals the family savings and cavorts, and his mother blames her daughter-in-law for not being able to keep him at home. Oddly, she has an admirer, who does not see him because she is in love with her first husband, who died young. The mother/mistress does not protest and accepts all criticism. Her first son is handsome, aloof, charismatic, while the second son weeps witnessing his mother being abused by her mother-in-law. The last son is a sadist, who torments Mui - hiding lizards in expensive vases; soiling newly washed clothes; urinating in a scrubbed pot; he loves his father and covets his father's attention. I especially loved the wisdom of the older servant woman, who advised to salt the food so the family eats more rice etc.Man San Lu as the young Mui is captivating; she positively enchants the camera (and the audience) and her appreciation for the small things is absolutely mesmerizing. She imbues all she touches with empathy, and I thoroughly enjoyed the first hour. You can understand how her mistress/boss develops maternal feelings for her.Afterwards, and this is when the spell breaks - the older Mui was awful, seemingly mentally ill, or deranged, as if mimicking the performance of the younger girl. The worst was the interaction between her and her former mistress, who adopted her as a surrogate daughter; the intimacy between them was like a human and a mute pet animal, rearing its head in its longing to be petted, and it seemed the older Mui was mentally ill, or a simpleton just full of smiles. I thought Mui would grow up to be strong, opinionated young woman, not this mute over-eager pile of mush. The best parts are when she performs the menial, because she is not interacting with any human.The older Mui is sent to the oldest son's friend's house, because the family can no longer afford her, and this is a musician, whom she had a crush on.This man is rich, plays the piano, and has a fiancée. Her rival, though less beautiful, had more fire; and it is a shame her fiancé rejected her. It is clear she was passionate about her lover; she was smart, sophisticated and beautiful, and though I disliked her treatment of Mui; I also understand it was very human of her. That is a woman who could move mountains. Her departure makes it seem like the young man took the easy route, choosing an idiot girl who would breed and clean for him, who remained a ten-year old girl (fault of the actress or the director?), and who could never escape. The lines uttered at the end are horridly written and maudlin, but I fault the screenwriter.Still, the first hour is gorgeous. There is such a delicacy to Man Sun Lu's (Mui as ten) performance. I especially love the food parts. I wish she had been in other films. It is a rich, vibrant story, though hampered by the latter third. Still gorgeous, and I do not regret my purchase; I'm so glad this film came to DVD.

This lovely and subtle film washes over you like a gentle tropical rain. The dialog is sparse and the beauty dense in director Anh Hung Tran's portrait of a young servant girl in 1951 Saigon and those she serves. There is an intimacy to this film seldom if ever seen on screen. The simple beauty of nature and its effect on living can actually be felt by the viewer. We can hear the birds chirping and the sound of crickets all through this film just as though we are there.Man San Lu portrays young Mui as she first comes to serve this family. She learns to cook and do her other tasks from an older servant who has been with this family for many years. You can almost smell the dishes as Mui learns the craft, the film itself a delicious study in our senses.Young and pretty Mui finds beauty in the world around her and Tran's camera captures both her delight and the joy of nature itself. Mui watches milky nectar drip onto leaves of small trees and we see through her eyes what we sometimes take for granted.This beautiful photography is used to capture more than just nature though. Mui's Mistress (Thi Loc Troung) has lost a daughter in the past who would now be Mui's age. When her husband runs away from his family and takes the money she has saved from her small business in Saigon selling fabric, more of the past is revealed. This is not the first time he has run off with the money and a woman. It is heartbreaking when we overhear her mother blaming her for what he has done.Mui has come to care for the Mistress and she in turn has begun to look upon Mui as the daughter she lost, hoping her oldest son will grow up and take her for his wife. But it is not to be as times become even harder and the Mistress has to release Mui in a scene filled with kindness and sadness. The film has affected us in such a way that this moment takes on a true intimacy because we know the sweetness of Mui and the dignity of her Mistress who can no longer hide her heart.Tran moves forward in time 10 years and beautiful Tran Nu Yen-Khe is Mui, now serving a young and upper class French conservatory student. He is more modern and successful and contrasts the old and new of a changing Saigon. His rich girlfriend is perfect for his life but as we have watched the joy and sweetness of Mui we understand completely why he drops her and breaks tradition by taking Mui instead. It will lead to happiness and one more thought about nature, both floral and human.This gentle film has a beauty you can almost touch and you will find yourself thinking about it for some time afterward. This truly great director has taken a simple story with little dialog and created an emotionally rich film like no other. It is not your typical linear story, but film as art, and one that anyone who loves the cinematic aspects of film will relish in. A true masterpiece.

If it's true that the meek inherit the earth, this beautiful and lyrical film explores a way in which it might happen. Miu is quiet, soft-spoken, obedient. She is gentle, pure and innocent. She's a 10-year-old servant girl who has come from her local village to work in the household of Master and Mistress Trung. Miu accepts her duties thankfully and respects her superiors. In the new household she will wash, clean and learn to cook from an adult female servant.The year is 1951, the place Saigon. The house is open, airy, breezy, its windows left wide open in the tropical heat. Fans whirr. The Master plays his dan tam (shamisen) and sleeps at mid-day. The Mistress sews and sells cloth, the only income the family now has. The lassitude of the master is unexplained. He could be ill, spoiled or lazy. But later we learn he is selfish and reckless. He takes money from the family earnings and spends it on outside pursuits, which is to say other women. The Mistress, his wife, endures these lapses silently, uncomplainingly, her misery and suffering made worse by her husband's mother who accuses her of not having loved her son enough. The cruel words she hears from the old woman are these:“I knew from the start my son would be unhappy with you. You have a husband and you don't know how to make him happy. It's your fault. If you'd known how to love him, he wouldn't have left for other women.”The Master is indolent, feckless and self-centered, but the Mistress is blamed as the cause of it. Or so the accusation goes. In this world, or microcosm of it, the women work, the men play.Complicating matters in the family is grief and guilt. A young daughter, aged 3, died seven years ago. The Master was away at that time too but somehow the Mistress is held accountable for the death. All day the mother-in-law prays for the souls of the departed (that of her husband and granddaughter).The Mistress could be bitter but she is not. She is kind and thoughtful to her children, husband, the servants, and even to her mother-in-law, quietly maintaining her dignity. Miu sees and feels this. She feels protected and grateful. Though she has a home back in her local village, the Mistress has become a mother figure to her.The two boys are shiftless and spoiled. The elder one Lam, aged 12 or 13, is cruel to insects. He drips hot candle wax on them, particularly on ants, just to watch them struggle, suffer and die. He does so without emotion, with blank, unfeeling eyes. The younger boy is Tin, perhaps 6. He's mischievous and a budding bully. He picks on Miu because he can, knowing she dare not complain. He farts when he's around her and pees in front of her. In one case he put lizards in the vases she was asked to dust and clean. She dropped one. It fell to the floor and shattered. The lizard that jumped out frightened her. But the Mistress did not raise her voice in anger. She said it didn't matter, though it did (the vase was a valuable antique).A young musician named Mr. Khuyen, perhaps aged 22, is sometimes a guest at the house. He is a friend of the Master's and they sometimes play music together. He is quiet, serious, intelligent and sincere. He too is dignified. Mui likes him because he looks at her cheerfully and smiles. She may be a servant, but he sees the girl, the person, not the position. She feels this. Her heart swells when he visits.One evening Mr. Khuyen is present at the dinner table. Miu asks to make the meal herself that night. She does her best, pouring all her learning into the dishes. She also puts on her best serving dress and wears a necklace. She proudly brings the food on a tray to the table, beaming as she does. Mr. Khuyen notices, bows his head slightly, says not a word but looks at her and smiles. We see her leave the table, her face radiant with joy. She has served and pleased him, and in her world this is everything.The papaya grow on trees in the garden. That same garden is a home for songbirds, toads, lizards and salamanders. Also for insects: crickets, moths and ants. Miu delights in the movements of these creatures. She watches them calmly, quietly, intently. Her eyes are bright and smiling. White sap drips from a papaya that has just been cut. The sap falls onto the green leaf of a tropical plant. Miu watches it meticulousy. Even this — this white sap — makes her smile.We often think in dualities, assigning subjects and objects to the world. But the look on Miu's face says her mind works differently. The world she sees with her eyes matches that of her inner world. There is no separation.The Master is stricken with an illness. It is serious. The doctor comes. Acupuncture and moxibustion are administered. Musicians play to cheer him. But nothing works. He weakens and dies. His mother is unforgiving of the Mistress, holding her accountable for the lost life. The Mistress grieves, suffers, ages rapidly.Time passes. Ten years, in fact. Miu is now 20, a grown young woman. The Mistress is gray and walks with the aid of a cane. The grandmother isn't around anymore and presumably has died. The elder son Lam has now married and he and his wife live in the house. They talk one night among themselves and decide they can no longer afford to keep Miu on as servant. They remember Mr. Khuyen and how pleased he seemed to be with her. They enquire. Mr. Khuyen consents, agrees.The time for Miu's departure comes. The Mistress cries and Miu does too. The Mistress says to her:“Without knowing it you've always been a great comfort. Thanks to you I feel I've had a daughter.”Miu shares the emotion, parting from the Mistress as though she were her mother. This tender scene is hard to witness.The household of Mr. Khuyen is very different from what Miu has known. He lives alone as a bachelor. He's a serious musician, a composer. He plays the piano for hours at a time. The music is gentle, melodic. Miu does her work there wordlessly, silently. She cooks and cleans for him. But someone else is present there as well: Mr. Khuyen's fianceé. She is frivolous, possessive, demanding. She dresses elegantly and is evidently rich (or her wealth comes from that of her parents). On the surface all seems well. But then, ever so gradually, cracks begin to appear. Mr. Khuyen says nothing to Miu, or if he does we never hear his comments and commands. He's highly absorbed in his music, though this doesn't mean he's oblivious. In fact we learn indirectly that he has been observing Miu, and she learns this too. In a drawer she discovers drawings he has made of her face. He has a fianceé, but it is not the face of the fianceé he thinks of and draws. It is Miu's.She responds silently, although we see what she thinks. She puts on her best dress and golden necklace (both departing gifts to her from Mistress Trung). She puts ruby-red lipstick on her lips (the very lipstick left behind one night by the fianceé). Mr. Khuyen comes home early one evening and sees her in front of the mirror — sees the dress and necklace and lipstick. Miu is mortified, sick with embarrassment. She runs to her end of the house, to the servant's quarters. He follows her. He wants to find her. He does. But he's embarrassed too when he does. Nothing is said, but all is remembered. Thereafter he will come to her in the night. He will hesitate, deliberate, but in the end he will open the door to her room. We see her there in her nightgown beyond the mosquito net. But that is all we see, as we are not invited in. He is. Or he has invited himself.The fianceé is unaccepting. She becomes emotional, violent, vindictive. She strikes Miu. She throws and breaks things. But it doesn't matter. Mr. Khuyen's feelings have changed. He loves someone else. Perhaps he always loved her — loved her even when she was just a little girl. She needed time to grow up and now she has. She stays in his house, but no longer as his servant. He teaches her to read and write. They sit together with books, reading appreciatively to one another. And when he plays the piano she just listens silently, her silence a kind of loving, enveloping protection for him.If her goodness is meekness, it might also be called her strength. Mr. Khuyen was drawn to it, loved it, and loved her for it.

For those of us who have fallen in love with Vietnam as travellers and tourists this is a wonderful evocation of life well before the war the Vietnamese call the American war. Details of everyday life: shopping for food, cooking, cleaning, family meals, are quietly and undramatically portrayed by the camera as onlooker.Equally, the errant husband and the naughty little boy are shown without criticism; we simply watch the outcomes. The story of the central character is charming and developed with a light touch. Wonderful visually, the restraint with which this story is told will be familiar to visitors who encounter Vietnam even today.

When I first ordered this 'The scent of the green papaya' I was very excited. I am very happy to say that the product did not disappoint. The dvd arrived swiftly, in great condition and excellent quality. As soon as I slid the dvd into my dvd player and pressed play I was captivated by the beautiful visual imagery and the simplicity of the film. As the film progressed I was further engrossed and did not hesitate to show others this gem of a film. The best way to describe this film is a visual poetry and no matter how many times I watch this film I notice new things that make me love this film even more. I definitely recommend this film to those who do not mind watching a more slow paced film once in a while as it is a film I have never seen the likes of before.

Absolutely stunning film, a film that does more than touch your heart, but awakens your senses to the simple yet profoundly beautiful things in life. This film remains one of my favourites of all time.

Saigon, Vietnam 1951.Ten year old Mui(Lu Man San) arrives from the country to take up her position as servant girl to a sporadically wealthy family.For ten years she performs her duties until she is sent away to work for a family friend with whom she shares feelings of affection.Beautifully capturing Mui's everyday existance from the carrying out of chores to dealing with the mischevious youngest son,these aspects dovetail seamlessly with Mui's growing understanding of the family and the secrets that bind them.The scene where the mother watches Mui wash her hands is very touching.Delicately sensuous with many beautiful and haunting images, this is cinema at it's most observational and truthful.Slight but hypnotic.