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Title:Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes
Created:Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1249
Total number of notes:16012

34.0. "Indochine" by 6179::VALENZA (Thus quoth the noteven.) Mon Feb 15 1993 00:56

    "Indochine", mostly set in French Indochina during the 1930s, traces
    the evolving relationship between a French mother (played by Catherine
    Deneuve) and her adopted Vietnamese daughter.   The mother ran a large
    colonial rubber plantation near Saigon, and although at one point she
    insisted that she was Asian rather than French in temperament, this was
    really an illusion--she was very much a part of the French colonial
    system.  Very early in the film she mentions that she had once believed
    that France and Indochina would always be together, it becomes
    increasingly clear as the film progresses that the illusion of harmony
    could not be imposed by a brutal and corrupt colonial system.  How this
    affects the relationship between the mother and the daughter is the
    essence of this film, although the story is advanced by their mutual
    relationship with Jean-Baptiste, a French military officer.

    The film is a little long (close to 2.5 hours), but beautifully told and
    beautifully filmed.  I did find the movie more interesting during the
    latter half, after certain important developments occurred and the point
    of view shifted more to the daughter's story.  The backdrop of
    historical events and the bittersweet story made for an appealing film.

    3 stars out of 4.
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34.17405::MAXFIELDPolitically ConsiderateWed Feb 17 1993 16:018
    Sounds good, Mike.  You'll be glad to know the film has been
    nominated for Oscars for best foreign language film, and Catherine
    Deneuve for best actress (her first I believe). I've always
    thought that because of her beauty, she was underrated as an
    actress (like Greta Garbo, another beauty who could act), 
    so I'm glad she's getting some long overdue recognition.
    
    Richard
34.2Yes, it's her first nomination.ALPHA::reevesJon Reeves, ULTRIX compiler groupWed Feb 17 1993 21:300
34.3C.Deneuve won the CESAR 199352264::DUFAUFri Mar 12 1993 12:385
    Catherine Deneuve won the French award for Best Actress of the year
    1992, for her performance in Indochine. 
    It's her second CESAR after "Le dernier Metro" from F.Truffaut in 1981.
    
    	- Herve -
34.417617::MAYNARDThe Front Row KidThu Aug 04 1994 16:516
    			FWIW
      This movie is in French with subtitles. After watching this on
    Cinemax (so I assume it's out on videotape) I must agree that this is a
    powerful epic, on the scale of Dr. Zhivago or Reds. Very large in scope
    and execution.
    			Jimbert
34.5TROOA::TRP109::Chrisdedicated sybariteFri Jul 14 1995 15:446
I rented "Queen Margot" a few weeks ago and then went hunting
for other movies to rent that Victor Perez is in - this is one of
them and it is very good. (He's also in Cyrano de B) A small
complaint is that I found the storyline involving the daughter
more interesting than the mother's, and I wish the movie
would have shown more of what she went through.