The Scent of Green Papaya (1993)

A Vietnamese servant girl, Mui, observes lives within two different Saigon families: the first, a woman textile seller with three boys and a frequently absent husband; the second, a handsome young pianist with his fiancée.

Director:

Anh Hung Tran (as Tran Anh Hung)

Writer:

Anh Hung Tran (as Tran Anh Hung)

Stars:

Nu Yên-Khê Tran, Man San Lu, Thi Loc Truong

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nu Yên-Khê Tran	...	Mui Age 20 (as Trân Nu Yên-Khê)
Man San Lu	...	Mui Age 10 #orphan # a little girl
Thi Loc Truong	...	La mère (as Truong Thi Lôc)
Anh Hoa Nguyen	...	La vieille Ti (as Nguyên 'Anh Hoa)
Hoa Hoi Vuong	...	Khuyen (as Vuong Hòa Hôi)
Ngoc Trung Tran	...	Le père
Vantha Talisman	...	Thu
Keo Souvannavong	...	Trung
Van Oanh Nguyen	...	Mr. Thuan
Gerard Neth	...	Tin
Nhat Do	...	Lam
Thi Hai Vo	...	La grand-mère
Thi Thanh Tra Nguyen	...	Mai
Lam Huy Bui	...	Le médecin
Xuan Thu Nguyen	...	L'antiquaire

Storyline

A little girl, Mui, went to a house as a new servant. The mother still mourns the death of her daughter, who would have been Mui's age. In her mind she treated Mui as her daughter. 10 years later Mui (now a young woman) was sent to another family, a young pianist and his fiancee. The musician fell in love with the peasant, he taught her literacy and they eventually married. A movie about a girl's life.

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Plot Keywords:

animal abuse | insect cage | polishing a shoe | sadness | talking in one's sleep | 

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France Vietnam

Language:

Vietnamese

Release Date:

28 January 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Scent of Green Papaya

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,700,992

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,700,992

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Productions Lazennec, SFP Cinema, La, La Sept Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The director Anh Hung Tran is married to Nu Yên-Khê Tran, the actress who plays Mui Age 20.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Venice Film Festival 2010 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Clair de lune, Suite Bergamasque
Music by Claude Debussy
Performed by Geneviève Ibanez

User Reviews

Beautiful photo, wonderful music, calm slow pace yet gripping intrigue

As far away from Terminator as you can get. This gentle-paced story has followed me for years. Long after I forgot most of the story-line, the mood has lingered on in my heart and my mind. This is film as Art and not mere entertainment in the same was as Tolstoy or Tjechov is Art as opposed to the dime-a-dozen love-novels found in cheep kiosks. The acting is excellent and convincing, the spars dialog is natural, the photo is almost breathtaking and the original score by modernist contemporary vietnamese composer is superb. This is cinematic contemplation.