:: The Vertical Ray Of The Sun

The sheer beauty of this film will interest people. Although the story follows three sisters and their various misadventures, director Tran Anh Hung serves up a visual feast that epitomises Vietnam. There may have been various unflattering perceptions about the country in the past. See this film and your mind will be set straight. There is a hypnotic feel of the imagery and poetry of vision.

Three sisters, Lien (Tran Nu Yen-Khe), Khan (Le Khan), and Suong (Nguyen Nhu Quynh) live in contemporary Hanoi and they suffer the tragedy of their mother and father dying only a month apart. Khan and Suong, the two eldest, are both having marital troubles and are haunted by their mother’s unexplained relationship with a man named Toan. They attempt to unravel the mystery while coping with their own crises. Lien, meanwhile, has an unusually close relationship with her brother Hai (Quang Hai Ngo). Director Tran gives us a relatively simple story with complex undercurrents. We learn of secrets and how the three women handle love and family.

It’s a beautiful film, filled with sensuality and colour. And it is very Vietnamese in cultural flavour, yet holding universal values. The mood, the music, and the performances hold sway wonderfully. The sound design also brings out the elements of nature around downtown Hanoi.

The weaving of plots within the family circumstances is perhaps the key to fulfilment in this film. It keeps turning with revelations and conflicts, rather like watching a TV drama or soap opera. But there is hardly anything to detract from the quality of Tran’s film. It confirms that he is a great talent, having previously directed “The Scent Of Green Papaya” and “Cyclo”. Get right into this film and be rewarded with a heartfelt vision. It is highly recommended.

Screening at Cinema Nova and Cinema Como