Xich lo (1995)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Anh Hung Tran

Writer:

Anh Hung Tran (writer)

Release Date:

2 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

From the director of the Academy Award Nominated film "The Scent of Green Papaya" comes a shocking new vision of beauty, passion and power.

Plot:

A young man who struggles through life by earning some money with his bicycle-taxi in Saigon (Ho-Chi-Min-City) gets contact to a group of criminals...

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Amputee | Gangster | Foot Fetish | Dead Boy

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Le Van Loc	...	Cyclo
Tony Leung Chiu Wai	...	Poet
Tran Nu Yên-Khê	...	Sister
Nhu Quynh Nguyen	...	Madam
Hoang Phuc Nguyen	...	Tooth
Ngo Vu Quang Hal	...	Knife
Tuyet Ngan Nguyen	...	Happy Woman
Doan Viet Ha	...	Sad Woman
Bjuhoang Huy	...	Crazy Son
Vo Vinh Phuc	...	Cyclo's Friend
Le Kinh Huy	...	Grandfather
Pham Ngoc Lieu	...	Little Sister
Le Tuan Anh	...	Handcuff Man
Le Cong Tuan Anh	...	Drunken Dancer
Van Day Nguyen	...	Lullaby Man

Also Known As:

Cyclo (France)

Runtime:

USA:123 min

Country:

Vietnam | France | Hong Kong

Language:

Vietnamese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Malaysia:U | Australia:R | France:-12 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Vietnam:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Ho Chi Min (Saigon), Vietnam

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

"Visa d'exploitation" in France: #83320

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Creep

Brilliant realism

The camera-work in this film is unbelievable. I haven't seen many films from Vietnam but this one is undoubtedly the best. Cinematography is top notch. Some of the photography is mind-boggling. Xich lo is about a young bicycle taxi driver from a poor family who becomes involved in gang activities after his taxi is stolen and his options are limited. The 123 minutes of the film give time for good character development. The gang's lieutenant, Poet, is a ruthless criminal who rarely speaks and is troubled his bad childhood and a recurring nosebleed problem. Madame is the wise leader with a retarded son, Fishmouth. Every character in the story is human, each with their own problems. I am not familiar with the filmmakers' other works so I don't know if there are any political or social messages contained in this film, but one shot of a wealthy, clean development late in the film is shown in sharp contrast to the dirty and violent world that we see in the rest of the film.

My only criticism of this is the pace.. it dragged slightly at a few points, and these seemed to be included in the final cut for the poetry and songs contained in them. I give this film a 10 in the end. Highly recommended.