IMDb > Saigon: Year of the Cat (1983) (TV)

Saigon: Year of the Cat (1983) (TV) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   61 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 17% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Stephen Frears
Writer:
David Hare (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Saigon: Year of the Cat on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
November 1983 (UK) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
Two Westerners - Barbara, bank employee, and Bob, CIA analyst within the U.S. Embassy - meet a short time before the fall of Saigon. | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
5 nominations more
User Comments:
Solid Telemovie about an uncomfortable subject more (2 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Judi Dench ... Barbara Dean

Frederic Forrest ... Bob Chesneau
Chic Murray ... Mr. Haliwell
Yim Hoontrakul ... Trinh

E.G. Marshall ... The Ambassador
Pichit Bulkul ... Quoc
Josef Sommer ... Jack Ockham

Wallace Shawn ... Frank Judd

Roger Rees ... Donald Henderson
Rong Wongsawan ... Foreign Minister
Manning Redwood ... Colonel Fielder
Somsak Seangwilai ... Phu
Vitoon Winwitoon ... Phu's Friend (as Vitoon Win Vitoon)
Thomasine Heiner ... Joan Mackintosh
Gerry Bammem ... Ted Malouf
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
UK:105 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Company:
Thames Television more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
Solid Telemovie about an uncomfortable subject, 3 May 2005
6/10
Author: roland-sinn from Sydney, Australia

Judy Dench plays a secretive English lady who observes the chaos of the final days of democratic government in Saigon. The subject matter is uncomfortable to watch; perhaps more so today than when the film was released, as parallels can be drawn between Vietnam and Iraq. The films begs the question: Has the US and it's allies learned anything in 30 years about international relations.

As a film Saigon is solid more so due to the subject matter being strong than the direction and script, which are pretty bland. The story moves at a decent pace and the climax is both powerful and pathetic as bewildered and semi drunk characters are suddenly forced from apathetic complacency to action.

One of the central problems with the film is that it doesn't feel like it has a strong emotional soul. Judy's character feels too detached to her surroundings, and life in general. She's a woman of mysterious yes, but there isn't any real attempt to dig beneath her cool exterior. I also felt like I didn't get a true inside account of what actually happened in the lead up to that fateful day in 1975. I needed more information about what was happening at the time politically and socially to both the Vietnamese and the Americans in and around Saigon.

It's a story that should be re-made with better production values, but it held my interest throughout. 6/10

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