After South Vietnam fell to the Communists in 1975, many of those who were seen as having "collaborated" with the Americans during the war were sent to "re-education camps," where they were brutalized and tortured until such time as they were deemed fit to return to society fully on-board with the repressive regime's mantra of collectivist solidarity. Others, more "fortunate" perhaps, were able to escape the coming onslaught, becoming known internationally as "boat people" - though many of these refugees never made it to their destinations. "Journey From the Fall" movingly recounts the story of one family that gets caught up in both of these predicaments.
Despite a flashback-filled structure that becomes a bit confusing and even disorienting at times, "Journey From the Fall" is a wrenching and compelling tribute to the ability of the human spirit to survive under even the most hellish of circumstances. The movie chronicles not only Long Nguyen and his fellow prisoners' experiences in the camp but the attempt by his wife, mother and young son to flee the country by boat (in fact, the last forty-five minutes or so of the movie detail their struggle to adjust to their new life in Southern California). The movie is sometimes hard to watch - for writer/director Ham Tran never flinches from showing us the harsh reality of the subject he is portraying - but there's always the possibility of better things in the future to mitigate the suffering.
At a running-time of well over two hours, the movie could have used some trimming to accelerate the pace, but the quality of the acting and the universality of the theme keep us absorbed throughout.
Despite a flashback-filled structure that becomes a bit confusing and even disorienting at times, "Journey From the Fall" is a wrenching and compelling tribute to the ability of the human spirit to survive under even the most hellish of circumstances. The movie chronicles not only Long Nguyen and his fellow prisoners' experiences in the camp but the attempt by his wife, mother and young son to flee the country by boat (in fact, the last forty-five minutes or so of the movie detail their struggle to adjust to their new life in Southern California). The movie is sometimes hard to watch - for writer/director Ham Tran never flinches from showing us the harsh reality of the subject he is portraying - but there's always the possibility of better things in the future to mitigate the suffering.
At a running-time of well over two hours, the movie could have used some trimming to accelerate the pace, but the quality of the acting and the universality of the theme keep us absorbed throughout.