Journey from the Fall (2006) User Reviews

Great work

[lynasm · 8/10 · 17 May 2007]

Great work for your first (public) movie, producers. And of course, it has to be a great teamwork for such a successful film. Although the movie is a bit abstract, it serves to bring back the painful memory of Vietnamese boat-people and remind our people of the cost we, our family members, our loved ones, had paid for where we are today. Freedom has its costs. The movie really shows how passionate you are about making movies and the missing part of Vietnamese history and writing about it in cinema pictures. The casting job was very well done. Long Nguyen and Diem Lien are very true to their roles. Kieu Chinh is irreplaceable. The lighting can be improved.

Good movie, but has the aura of a documentary

[jayonxxx · 8/10 · 25 May 2007]

The movie was good and worth watching even with subtitles. It is very depressing, but that due to the subject, that's expected. Even though the it is a story, it had the feeling of being authentic as though watching a documentary. I would recommend to those that want to get the feeling of hardship that those of the time had to go through and quite possible still go through in other parts of the world. It's a universal story of hardships endured through times of war and misplacement during conflict. The movie is a dark movie where there is a constant suffering of the characters until almost the end of the movie. Some parts could have probably gone into more detail about the ideologies of the people, but I would still recommend it.

Tragedy and hope in the real world

[shido-san · 8/10 · 23 January 2010]

The title says more than we initially imagine. I have heard that Mel Gibson wants to make a movie about vikings, their brutality. There may be no need to look that far into the past when evil ripped apart a nation only 35 years ago.

There was a time when popular pressures were forcing an end to American participation in the Vietnam War. Flower children believed they were right. It was a massive political issue in the USA. The problem in Vietnam spawned many very successful motion pictures, mostly about American involvement and the difficulties of fighting conventional war against gorilla warfare tactics. This is a story about what happened to Vietnamese people after the American "support" left.

My hat is off to the film makers of this motion picture. This is a picture that defines the boundaries of what it is to be human. I am fortunate to have watched it. Hope floats.

A breakthrough in so many ways

[hipcheck · 10/10 · 24 March 2006]

Filmmakers are always trying to find ways to innovate, trying to find a new story or way of telling their story that hasn't been done. The great majority fail in this quest, but there are a select few that do manage to change things, or to open a new door.

Journey From The Fall is one such film, a film that tells a story that other filmmakers have not. It is also a gorgeous, meticulous and incredibly moving piece of art. These two things coupled means that this film will hopefully stake a place in the medium, and have a chance to reach a wide audience -- because this is a story that must be heard.

I, myself, am Caucasian, and do not have ancestors that had to bear an inhuman journey in some stagnant, oppressive hold of a boat, crammed in with other families in the faint hopes of escaping the aftermath of the Viet-Nam war. And yet, I was so, so moved by this film. Its ability to connect with the viewer transcends race and history. Knowing that you're watching a true story, knowing that these people and so very many others have gone through what these characters have, I promise, it will rip your heart out.

I think the biggest question we have about prospective movies is, 'why do I want to see this?' to which I'd answer that this is such a huge piece of history that we simply haven't heard a thing about. All those stories about American troops going off to the war, coming home, living with the ghosts of the VC, agent orange, the Khmer Rouge, rejection at home, etc etc... with all of that, we have no idea what happened in that country after we left. It's time to start finding out -- and this film is the first step.

This is truly an achievement of artistic and technical brilliance, and stands out in every category a film can. Bring your tissue, you won't soon forget this.

Tear dropping, emotion grabbing, powerful film!

[tacoz4sale · 10/10 · 20 December 2005]

I viewed this masterpiece on its premiere. To my surprise, EVERYBODY in the theater broke down because the movie is unmistakably powerful. Even for those who are of other ethnic backgrounds could feel the movie.

Its a beautiful movie about struggle, pain, love, and the conflicts of the war. When viewing this film, its impossible NOT to cry because the actors are GREAT.After the premiere, I have had a fortunate chance to meet LONG, (the main character) and this is his second film! It's unbelievable what the Vietnamese went through. I, being Vietnamese my self didn't have to read the subtitles (obviously) so warning to those who have not seen the movie, be ready for the subtitles.

For those who like war movies, this would be a little different due to that it shows the ugly side of war, and what one must do to cope with loss, separation, etc.

This is based on TRUE events, and is finally being told for the first time. I am truly glad this movie was made because it can be viewed by my family and friends for years to come. It'll be in my DVD collection when it comes out!

Poignant Film of Our Time

[nan82 · 10/10 · 16 October 2006]

This amazingly poignant film is very much overdue. For over thirty years the film industry has put out the same films of the Vietnam War. Each one focusing on the American point of view. Each one forgetting to mention the Vietnamese people who were also affected.

I encourage everyone, of all backgrounds, to watch this movie. It's not only moving but cinematically beautiful. Through this movie, I was able to see my parents' journey to America brought to life. Their words were illustrated and their feelings conveyed through motion picture. While watching the movie, I couldn't help but feel fortunate to be alive in a country where I am free and fortunate that my parents made it through their journey. My parents and many like them, made an ultimate sacrifice, to leave behind their home, their loves, their family -in search of freedom and opportunity in America. Through the movie, I was reminded of a mother's ultimate undying love for her child, a father's unconditional love for his daughter, and the unbreakable bond of family, culture and tradition.

One of the character's mentioned that we can never forget our past…those words never struck truer. No matter what country I reside in, what culture I am raised in, what nation I chose to adopt as my own –I will never forget the sacrifices of my parents', the oppression and degradation of my grandparents and the loss of freedom of my ancestors. I am and forever will be a Vietnamese-American…and proud.

I hope with the release of this film, others will understand the struggle of the Vietnamese people after the war. American troops were not the only ones affected. Although their struggle and pain is undeniable, there were millions of people who were also affected -citizens of Viet Nam were killed, and their rights stripped of them and to this day, they still struggle.

I hope viewers understand the rage and angst Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans have buried deep within each of us. I also hope this film allows the older Vietnamese generation to have faith that the younger generation is proud and appreciative of our roots. We will not forget…we will continue the struggle towards freedom for our forefathers…for ourselves and we will always keep the memories alive.

Thanks to director Ham Tran for such a wonderful film. He is so young, yet incredibly talented. The risks and sacrifice he took for this movie somewhat resembles that of a hero in our community…which is quite a rare trait.

Please see this movie and learn from the lessons...you don't need to be Vietnamese to see it, you just need to be human.

Excellently shot! A story that needed to be told!

[bobthenerve · 10/10 · 22 April 2006]

If you really want to see a movie about the aftermath of the Vietnam War, this is truly the only one that exists. No one has seen what happened to the Vietnamese who remained after the fall of Saigon. This movie shows it. Excellently acted and shot, it is a masterpiece that needs to be seen by everyone because you truly don't know what war is about until you see how it affects everyone involved during and after the war.

Kieu Chinh once again gives a fantastic performance. This veteran actor has only improved with age and I am happy to see that her talents are still in high demand. Long Nguyen gives an amazing performance as the prisoner of war who is placed in a re-education camp. First-time actor Diem Lien is excellent in the role of Mai. I hope to see her in more films in the future.

There is no objectionable language or nudity. Images of war and violence do occur (obviously) in the film.

Potential wasted on a B-rate cast

[oneloveall · 4/10 · 29 October 2007]

This is an admirable attempt from first time filmmaker Ham Tran, offering little-glanced perspective dealing with Vietnam war victims struggling for liberation, but plays out as a glorified history special. With clunky, self-consciously informative dialog and sub-par acting, even a relatively impressive budget with attention to detail will not spring to life this sagging, albeit historically worthy, melodrama. Paying no mind to the often distracting disconnect with the actors to the reality of situations on screen, and you should be left with an informative, if somewhat impersonal educational lesson in Vietnamese post-war history.

it was the visual version of the stories my parents told me...

[maireehoang · 10/10 · 5 May 2006]

i could not stop crying through the film, and i am not a crybaby. this case was different because it is the story of the refugees and the people that were left behind. i know it hit me deep down because i finally got to see a beautiful film about the struggles of my parents and grandparents. i hope that everyone else will still feel the impact of this story that is based on true events because it was a very difficult time for all the vietnamese families who lived through the war. my parents have yet to go back to viet nam and this film makes we want to take the journey for them to see their home land which they still love and had to leave behind, although we know it has changed a lot in thirty years. even to this day my parents are reconnecting with people they new in viet nam and they are all over the place, here in southern California, also in northern California, Texas and in new york.

A moving piece, a story of the will of love and family

[VietDo · 10/10 · 25 March 2007]

First I must add that I am an Vietnamese (American Born) growing up without the strong Vietnamese community ties and a little of the isolation and cruelty depicted in the movie. This movie gave me a visual of some of the stories that my father could not talk too much about and others that I could have never have known about if it weren't for talking to people that I met over the years, who spoke of refugee camps and such. I could identity with at most half of the movie personally... So there is still some objectivity in terms of how I view the quality of the movie. The cinematography was dramatic and you could see the camera work reflected the different times and places vividly. I can only say that you should watch it... as much as you are moved to watch Schindler's list and movies similar (as this movie is commonly compared to for the Vietnamese Diaspora)... this movie takes a single POV of a family and the interactions between people that intertwine. It is a dynamic movie and every actor, how big or small a role, even those of the officer in the camp, are so strong. A conversation between two minor older actors was so touching and helped established the heart of the story. The time line jumps are disorienting, you are caught off guard why some events happen much like a season of Lost, but by now... you know the broad story of the Boat People and the Vietnam War. The movie depicts the time in between that the news doesn't carry and the time jumps help carry the POV of each actors view.

If you go... bring tissues and be prepared to be changed when you leave the theater.

Powerful and important drama

[kcmsterpce · 9/10 · 7 May 2007]

Having been a Vietnamese linguist for several years now, and going to the country several times and putting forth effort to know about the history and the culture, this movie might have affected me more than most white folks in America who weren't alive in 1975 to know about the last 30 years of Vietnam since the "conflict". I feel there are many reasons that a movie like this deserves as much attention as possible. History of the Vietnamese after the fall of Saigon from the perspective of the Vietnamese is rarely touched upon. America seems to have done a decent job at smothering our failure to "liberate" Vietnam and the repercussions to the Vietnamese people over the years as a small footnote in history. There are plenty of movies about American soldiers DURING the conflict, but not about Vietnamese people, and the hardships of the years after our withdrawal. The information is there if you look into it, but I'd say the majority of people from my generation and younger don't know much of what happened unless they made a proactive effort into learning more. Journey from the Fall is a momentous step in making known the hardships of many emigrants that reached America - and others left behind. Journey follows a few of the families who had husbands taken away to re-education camps. They were concentration camps led by the Communist soldiers, for Vietnamese who fought against the North during the war. Amongst hard labor and endless torture, the "students" were given lectures on the failures of America and the fruitless efforts of faith in anything that isn't Communist. Their lives were filled with propaganda and an endless struggle to resist the breaking of their will to conform. In this section of the story, Journey follows Long, one of many who was a former South Vietnamese officer who juggles the appeasement of the cadre and his desire for freedom. He, and a handful of others do their best while being moved from one camp to the next to provide their family news of their survival, and also try to escape by way of the river, or across a mine infested jungle to safety. Between Long's journey to freedom from the camps, his own family is trying desperately to smuggle themselves into a small fishing boat. Long's mother, his wife Mai and young son struggle for their lives and sanity in a boat that has a malfunctioning engine, and while drifting hopelessly along the ocean they are bombarded by pirate attacks. Some go insane and lose their will to live after being repeatedly raped and terrorized. Journey from the Fall could have ended with the arrival of the survivors to America, but instead has one final chapter about the efforts to conform to American life. Reaching America is only part of the struggle.

With three major story arcs (the camps, the fishing boat journey, and arrival in America), Journey has a lot to juggle in establishing the main characters, and providing enough drama and information of each major event in one movie. It could easily have been made into a trilogy. Make the first movie about the camps, the second would be the journey to America, and the third could be life once they reached America. Nonetheless, they did an admirable job at providing enough drama and familiarity with each of the three sections without sacrificing greatly in emotional impact. Journey should have been more harsh on the struggles of escaping the country. From what I've been told about and heard from survivors, this movie is more tame than it could have been. If it gave a little bit harder of an edge into the torture and struggles of the re-education camp victims, it might help bond our emotional attachment. I'm not saying to increase the violence, but that it should have at least implicated a little more than was provided. Also, the struggles of drifting to sea to an unknown fate could have been more frightening than what ended up on screen. For a 135 minute movie and so much happening within that time frame, it's like taking a 1000 page novel and shortening it to 400 pages. You KNOW there's a lot that is missing when all is said and done, and while the gist of the pain and struggle is presented, it also seems like with more time given, the pain of their struggles would be more apparent.

As I mentioned before, Journey from the Fall does an excellent job putting information that would work for an amazing movie trilogy into one film. It's not perfect, mostly because I feel that there was too much to juggle into one movie. At the same time, Journey is an important film, because it sheds light on a time in recent history that hasn't been given much attention. There are horrible historical events around the world that we don't hear about, but many movies exploit those events, or movies aren't made about them at all. This is one of those few movies that has its heart in the right place. It's not just education, but also a solid drama that rings true from almost every direction.

Execllent film

[tanvmai · 10/10 · 23 November 2006]

I want to thank Mr. Ham Tran and his team for making this true and tearful film.

It brought back many memories when life was full of hardships, sufferings and miseries.

It's now the past for so called "the boat peoples", however, the Communist is still controlling Vietnam.

Life is getting better after the fall of communism in the East Europe, but freedom is still the dream of the Vietnamese...

Wish them have all the courage and lucks ... till one day the sun will rise, the kites will fly ... in that wonderful country !

Not an easy film to watch, but an easy film to appreciate

[Seamus2829 · 10/10 · 10 June 2007]

Make no mistake about it,the Vietnam war was a nightmare for all who were present. It was a war that we could have lost (and did!). Until now, any story of the Vietnam conflict was told mainly from the American perspective. Journey From The Fall is the first film (at least for us Americans) to tell the story from the Vietnamese experience. The plot seems to be a trilogy of stories during the fall of Saigon. A family is torn apart when the father is imprisoned by the Viet Cong and is sent to a re-education camp (read that as concentration camp)to be whipped into a proper Vietnamese citizen. The rest of the story concerns the rest of the family who manages to make it to America & be a part of the fabric that is the American experience. This is a film that is at times brutal to watch, but is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit. About 98 to 99% of the film is spoken in Vietnamese with subtitles, but don't let that keep you from seeing this heartbreaking, but uplifting & powerful film.

Vietnam Veteran

[JackKroozn · 10/10 · 3 December 2007]

Americans and allied soldiers were not the only victims of the War in Vietnam.

I am particularly sensitive to this issue because many Vietnamese people who guarded my life in 1967/1968 were victims of reeducation camps. Those who escaped with their lives as boat people faced a difficult transition to living in the United States. As a nation we did far too little to assist those who risked their lives in saving ours.They mistakenly chose the losing side.

This is well-crafted film with the nuances of the Vietnamese language heard on film for the first time in my experience.

While human suffering is universal, the circumstances of the misery suffered by the Vietnamese people could have been prevented. The shameful scene of Vietnamese people holding desperately to the skids of helicopters in attempting to leave Saigon on April 30, 1975 should serve as a reminder that once a conflict is entered the results for all participants must be carefully considered.

This history was too long overlooked.It is a story that needed to be told.

Powerful

[gbill-74877 · 8/10 · 17 December 2020]

The events in a family's life following the fall of Saigon, as told (refreshingly) by a Vietnamese filmmaker, Ham Tran. Using the myth of Kim Quy (Golden Turtle God) and Le Loi (a historical hero) as a backdrop to the tale was intelligent and inspiring, as it put the horrifying struggles of these people into a longer view of perseverance as well as underscored their sacrifice to provide a better life for their children. The scenes in the reeducation camp and in the hold of a boat trying to escape are gripping, and I liked how they were occasionally interspersed with happier memories from the past, artfully presented. The film gets a little melodramatic at times and goes on for a little longer than I thought it should have, but I perceived great truth in these experiences. The film connects in both showing us man's inhumanity to man, as well as the kindness and family bonds that somehow allow us to endure.

Journey From The Fall

[ninh96 · 9/10 · 1 May 2007]

Great! Great! Great!.......... I must say It was a great movie and "Well done!". Thank you very much to Mr. Ham Tran and all his staff for this truly remarkable movie. For the first time in thirty years that i have never seen any movies so really reflecting of my life and so touch my heart deeply as this movie. I hope this movie can share to viewers, not only Vietnamese in Vietnam, US and around the world but also all people around the world to view more about "Re-Education Camp" and "Boat People".

I recommend to anyone "a Must" see this movie.

Somedays, I hope that there are more movies about True Story of "Re-Education Camp" and "Boat People". There are a lot of unspoken stories of Re-Education Camp and Boat People that the people around the world have the right to know and view it!

... do we need another movie about the Vietnam war?

[phaenomenalbert · 9/10 · 10 November 2010]

one of my closest friends is from Vietnam. at age 13, he was put on a boat by his parents and, after an odyssey of 3 months, ended up in Germany where he still lives today. compared to what real life has in store in terms of human tragedy and drama, there is simply no way a movie can portray how the Vietnam war affected peoples lives.

but it might help in trying to understand what they are dealing with after having experienced such traumatic events. and it certainly points out what the war in Vietnam has in common with all wars: everybody loses, on both sides and the damage being done lasts for decades and affects generations. this film does an excellent job drawing some attention to a story told from the perspective of the Vietnamese people.

so, to answer my own question: no we actually don't but without this movie we would be missing something of value. story, cinematography, cast and music are pretty good stuff. and thank god there are no well known actors involved, because sometimes we end up paying more attention to their performance rather than staying focused on the story. and that would really be a shame in this case.

A moving portrait, in two acts, of a family torn apart by war.

[Locut0s · 8/10 · 30 August 2010]

A moving portrait, in two acts, of a family torn apart by war. Journey from the Fall tells the story of a family forced apart by the circumstances of the Vietnam War. The father a former south Vietnamese soldier refuses to leave with the rest of his family at the fall of Saigon. His wife, mother and son escape to America through a harrowing journey as one of the Vietnamese boat people and after some time set up a new life there. Meanwhile the father is captured by the North Vietnamese and placed into a forced labour "reeducation" camp. In many ways there is little here that is really new, the suffering and inhuman treatment in the forced labour camps and the contrast to a new life in America has been told before in other films, though not necessarily about the same war or era, but Journey from the Fall manages to pull it off in a particularly poignant way. This is not an easy film to watch, you will likely find yourself genuinely moved to tears. It does however unfortunately overstep the bounds from moving drama into overt sentimentality a little too often. A few too many blurry childhood videos, coincidental meetings, and "sad music" all in the name of pathos. Thankfully the acting, directing and cinematography are all top notch so much of this, though not all, can be overlooked.

I mentioned that this is a story told in two acts and here is another place where Journey from the Fall falters a bit. Though interleaved somewhat we basically have act one telling the story of the father suffering in the camps back in Vietnam and act two telling the story of his family trying to make it in America. Though both stories are extremely effective we have a bit of an issue with the pacing of the two. Perhaps it would have been better if the two had been interleaved even more so that the two were told in parallel throughout from beginning to end. As it stands the first act is relatively fast paced and harrowing and stands in stark contrast to the second acts slow and steady pace. Both have their place and it works natively and emotionally, the wounds that are inflicted in the first act both figuratively and emotionally take their time to heal during the second act. However the contrast does make one feel like one is watching two separate films at times.

These issues aside this is still a very effective, moving, film and one well worth the watch if nothing else just to see the story of the war told from a different far too neglected point of view.

Heartwarming Film! Excellent Cast!

[kenmyersproject · 10/10 · 16 May 2008]

I ran across this film while previewing soundtracks for my online radio program. I knew almost immediately that this would be a winner, if not just by Christopher Wong's score, then by the outline of the film I read on this website. It is one of those rare films that would earn a ten star rating out of me, it was so profound.

While some may find the film a little too long (at a little over two hours), others may wish it never ends, the characters being so thoroughly likable as just plain folk. The actress who played Mai was outstanding, as well as the other cast members all the way down the line. It is hard to believe that this film did not win more awards than it did.

This is not just a story about the plight of Vietnamese 'boat people', and what went on in Vietnam 're-education prisons' after the north Vietnamese reclaimed the country, but also a tale of family bonding. What can be said of the Vietnamese tradition (as well as other cultures), is their strong family ties despite the hardships and tragedies. it's a wonder they all weren't stark raving mad after all they went through. The actors did a superb job (better than any Hollywood actor I've seen of late)of portraying the angst, yet the will to survive in such conditions. I will never forget their performances, nor the plight of the actual 'boat people'.

I hope to see these actors in more films some day. Kieu Chinh, who played the grandmother has a long list of credits, and she is a fine actress.I highly recommend this film to everyone.

powerful drama of survival and hope

[Buddy-51 · 8/10 · 13 December 2008]

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.