7.1/10
9,346
59 user 29 critic

Indochine (1992)

Eliane adopts Camille, whose Vietnamese parents were friends. In 1930, a French navy officer is interested in Eliane (owns 60km2 plantation) and later in Camille. There's an uprising in Vietnam against French colonial power.

Director:

Régis Wargnier

Writers:

Erik Orsenna (original scenario & adaptation and dialogue), Louis Gardel (original scenario & adaptation and dialogue) | 2 more credits »
Reviews
Won 1 Oscar. Another 11 wins & 13 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve ... Éliane
Vincent Perez ... Jean-Baptiste
Linh Dan Pham ... Camille
Jean Yanne ... Guy
Dominique Blanc ... Yvette
Henri Marteau Henri Marteau ... Émile
Carlo Brandt ... Castellani
Gérard Lartigau Gérard Lartigau ... L'Admiral
Hubert Saint-Macary Hubert Saint-Macary ... Raymond (as Hubert Saint Macary)
Andrzej Seweryn ... Hebrard
Mai Chau Mai Chau ... Shen
Alain Fromager Alain Fromager ... Dominique
Chu Hung Chu Hung ... Mari de Sao
Jean-Baptiste Huynh Jean-Baptiste Huynh ... Étienne, adulte
Thibault de Montalembert Thibault de Montalembert ... Charles-Henri (as Thibault De Montalembert)
Edit

Storyline

This story is set in 1930, at the time when French colonial rule in Indochina is ending. A widowed French woman who works in the rubber fields, raises a Vietnamese princess as if she was her own daughter. She, and her daughter both fall in love with a young French navy officer, which will change both their lives significantly.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

France's official submission to the 1993's Oscars in the best foreign language film category. See more »

Goofs

During the scene where the plantation house is burning, as Eliane walks past a group of colonial soldiers, we see that they are carrying British No.4 rifles. Firstly, French colonial soldiers would have not been equipped with British rifles. Secondly, the No.4 rifle, a simplified version of the No.1, wasn't produced until 1939. Since the film takes place in the early 1930s, it would have been impossible for anybody to have had these weapons, as they didn't exist yet. See more »

Quotes

Jean-Baptiste: At age ten one doesn't know the world needs to be changed.
See more »

Connections

References Coeur de lilas (1932) See more »

Soundtracks

La Baya
Lyrics by Marcel Heurtebise (as M. Heurtebise)
Music by Henri Christiné
Performed by Dominique Blanc
Editions SALABERT
See more »

User Reviews

 
Old-fashioned and soapy melodrama with fine cast and set in the remote Vietnam
23 June 2019 | by ma-cortesSee all my reviews

Epic and spectacular movie plenty of romance , emotion , intense drama and historical events . In Vietnam before the American there lived the French . It deals with a plantation owner , Eliane : Catherine Deneuve , who creates a particular civilization transported to her hothouse and along the way she contends with the changes to her country . Deneuve starts a loving story with a young naval officer, Vincent Perez . But later on , he has a passionate affaire with Deneuve's adopted daughter, Linh Dan Pham , who grows up and becomes independent . Things go wrong when the French officer , Vincent Perez , is sent to a far outpost on the Gulf of Tonkín , shortly after, there appears the young Vietnamese girl . Midway throughout , having involved us so deeply in colonial Enterprise , he abruptly cut our cultural ties and plunged into the sweeping as well as bloody revolutionary myth . After that , the lovers get together and go on the run , being hidden by the communist guerrilla posing as theatre players . When the girl is incarcerated she discovers her people .

This is a lush romanticism movie , the alegorical intimitations can not be entirely believable , however the film is attractive and interesting , though overlong . It is almost as exotic as the breathtaking Vietnam landscape . It is rather enervatingly composed with long and boring scenes , but photography and gorgeous outdoors make up for it , though pacing could be certainly tighter . Deneuve gives a nice and controlled acting in her usual fashion as a powerful woman reared in Indochina from 1930 , following her life until the communist revolution 25 years later . She displays an unchanging and cold beauty that is eminently watchable . She is well accompanied by the young Vincent Perez and Linh Dan Pham . Along with notorius French secondaries as Jean Yanne and Dominique Blanc.

Shot on location in Vietnam with impressive and exquisite cinematography by Francois Catonne . It was filmed on location in Vietnam, Malaysia, and France. Some scenes were shot at Hue Palace and slave market frames were filmed in Halong Bay in Northeastern Vietnam, and several images from Paris . It contains a sensitive and evocative musical score by Patrick Doyle . The motion picture was professionally directed by Regis Wargnier . Regis is a good filmaker who has directed some nice and interesting films , such as : ¨The gate¨ , ¨Have mercy on us all¨, ¨The ligne droite¨ , ¨Une femme Francaise¨, ¨I am the king of the castle¨, ¨The woman of my life¨ and his greatest hit, ¨Indochina¨. It won several prizes and nominations . Being France's official submission to the 1993's Oscars in the best foreign language film category and it achieved Hollywood Academy Award to the Best Foreign film and various Golden Globes . And a lot of Cesar awards , such as : Actress, Art direction, cinematography, sound, and support actress Dominique Blanc. Rating : 6.5/10. Well worth seeing. Better than average.


8 of 8 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 59 user reviews »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more »
Edit

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French | Vietnamese

Release Date:

15 April 1992 (France) See more »

Also Known As:

Indochine See more »

Filming Locations:

Halong Bay, Vietnam See more »

Edit

Box Office

Gross USA:

$5,603,158

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,603,158
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (cut) | (cut) | (Blu-ray)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

Contribute to This Page



Recently Viewed