Written By: Nathan Liu
So often in fiction, the narrative of the Vietnam War is centered on the experiences of American soldiers, whether it be their loss of innocence in “Platoon” (1986), or their inability to return to civilian life in “First Blood” (1982). Very rarely do we get to see what it was like for the locals during the conflict, or what it’s like for refugees to return to the country they left behind. With “Monsoon” however, British director Hong Khaou gives us some idea as to how the Vietnamese population responded to the conflict, and how the country as a whole has changed since the war.
The story of Kit (Henry Golding) a British-Vietnamese man returning to Saigon to find a place to scatter his parents’ ashes, “Monsoon” is less than 90 minutes long, heavy on visual storytelling and light on actual narrative. Which, depending on who you ask, is either one of its greatest strengths, or its greatest weaknesses. It’s certainly an acquired taste, with much more time spent on languid shots of Golding wandering through market places, riding mopeds, and having sex with random men than telling any kind of complete story. In fact, the movie never shows him finding a place to scatter his parents ashes, the thing he’s ostensibly there to do. And when combined with the lack of dialogue, score, and the frequent shots of him just wandering around and taking in the sights, the film feels less like a narrative feature than a travel log.
Conflict is a key component of storytelling. But no one is standing in Kit’s way or providing him with any kind of obstacles to overcome. In fact, it’s the other characters, such as his childhood friend, Lee, his love interest, Lewis, and a tour guide, Linh, who seem to be facing obstacles. Lee is struggling to set up a phone store. Linh wants to travel, but feels like she can’t because of a sense of obligation to her parents. And Lewis has a health problem that prevents him from returning to the States. But even these conflicts are minor, only getting introduced within the last 20 minutes of the film and remaining unresolved by the end.
But, in a strange way, the fact that the film is a travel log is part of its charm. You really get a sense for how Vietnam has changed in the years since the war. There are so many shots of skyscrapers, bridges, trains and vehicles, almost as if to say, ‘Vietnam is a modern country now.’ This theme is touched upon explicitly when Kit unintentionally offends Lee’s family by giving them a water purifier, which, of course, they don’t need. And this film also deserves praise for not just showing gay romance in a casual manner, but for showing an Asian man as overtly sexual and highly desirable. And while the film doesn’t explore the trauma of the Vietnam War as explicitly, there are subtle moments here and there. Linh mentions how all her parents ever do is talk about the conflict. Lee tells Kit that, when he was little, all he ever thought about was getting away from Vietnam with him and his family applying for refugee status multiple times. And, of course, Lewis’s father was a veteran, actually committing suicide as a result of his PTSD. These moments let the audience know that the war may be over, but it hasn’t been forgotten.
So, should you watch “Monsoon?” That honestly depends on what you’re looking for in a film-viewing experience. If you want a three-act story with clear arcs and a definitive end, you won’t find that here. But if you want something slower, and a bit more up to interpretation, this might be for you. Throughout the movie, there are tons of shots showing faces reflected in glass, whether it be mirrors, windows or screens. I think this is a good way of viewing the film. Like a mirror, you see yourself when you watch this movie. You see the kind of entertainment you like, the kind of stories you enjoy. And, like the protagonist, you’re ultimately responsible for deciding if you like what you see.
“Monsoon” is screening at the 43rd Asian American International Film Festival. Ticket and screening information can be found here.