IMDb > Xich lo (1995)
Xich lo
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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   2,028 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Anh Hung Tran (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Xich lo on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2 August 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
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... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
4 wins more
User Comments:
Disturbing, chilling, sad. more (26 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Cyclo (France)
more
Runtime:
USA:123 min
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
"Visa d'exploitation" in France: #83320 more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Film Geek (2005) more
Soundtrack:
Creep more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
Disturbing, chilling, sad., 13 May 1999
9/10
Author: Hans Lukiman from Jakarta

Xich lo is a highly disturbing movie which manages to combine aspects of many cinematic traditions to make something new. It seems that the director held European cinematic and directorial traditions very high, and that is plainly visible in this movies. But the use of colours that somehow seem to move the soul can only be asian.

The humdrum of the city does not let up. The movie depicts a vicious cycle of abuse, extortion and violence. Le cyclo's attempt to get justice after his cyclo has been stolen is futile at first. Angry, he seeks help from le poete. This leads him into a spiral of violence, drugs and insanity. The fact that the actors do not have names, simply lables, such as "le cyclo," "le poete", and "le grand-pere," seem to reinforce the futileness of life in such conditions.

There is a strong undercurrent of frustration in this movie. Le poete, pimping out his girlfriend to fetishists whose pleasure does not come from the sexual act. He wants to keep her virtue for himself, but of course, this is folly. And even sadder is the le grand-pere, who is old, and sick, and yet, has to perform back breaking work to get by in life. Given a chance to earn some money, he rejects it, sticking by his principles. But ultimately, this does not get him anywhere.

So what is one to do? Being honest doesn't help you get anywhere. Neither does being a gangster. Or a madame. In the end, this is the question that remains unanswered...or to which there is no answer.

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