In “Me Thao,” or “Once Upon a Time,” in English, a handsome and rich lord named Nguyen is struck by disaster when his long-awaited love dies in a car crash.
Nguyen bans the use of the industrial technology from his land, Me Thao, after blaming it for his love’s death. Devastated and crazed, he continues his rash dictatorship until his faithful
servant and friend, Tam, deals him the ultimate wake-up call: his death.
In the film, Tam is played by former De Anza student Don Duong, a controversial actor who was forced to leave Vietnam because of his role in “We Were Soldiers,” according to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle.
The plot of “Me Thao,” is interspersed with love stories and a curse. One story involves Tam and a traditional singer who is already married, named To.
The other story is about a mute servant girl named Cam who is desperately in love with Nguyen. The curse is of an old dan day, a Vietnamese three-stringed instrument.
Wow, this film has so much potential with an out-of-the-ordinary plot, realistic actors and the simple beauty of 1920s Vietnamese landscape and architecture. But boy, does it ever fall flat.
The film never quite reaches its climax, with slow scenes welcome but quick bursts of humor and passion in between.
The shots in “Once Upon a Time” are especially abrupt when focusing on the pensive and sorrowful eyes of Nguyen as he thinks about his future without his new bride — and then it goes back to the fire pit he’s gazing at — and back to his face and back to the fire. Huh? What’s going on? Is there something in the fire that I’m not catching? I give up.
It isn’t an awful film, but it’s mediocre. The final package just needs better wrapping with sparkly ribbons. The setting is beautiful and the characters all have the grace of the glamorous 1920s.
The film’s portrayal of colonial Vietnam is indeed breathless, but the film never lets us forget the oppression of the people during that time.
I know how “Once Upon a Time” is trying to make me feel, about all the pain and desolation of humanity and love and the poignancy of it all.
I’m not heartless, just confused and bored.
Maybe I’m not artistic enough to understand, but when Nguyen is making love to a wooden statue, sweating and glistening all over, am I supposed to cheer him on his path of delusion and crazed grunting?
Still, “Once Upon a Time” is commendable because of its long journey to the people of the world including the United States, Italy, Japan and France. Although it was banned in Vietnam when released in 2002 due to the controversy surrounding Duong’s involvement in “We Were Soldiers,” “Once Upon a Time” won the top award, the Golden Rose Award, at the 2003 Bergamo Film Festival in Italy.
“Once Upon a Time” is a great effort and collaboration of many fine Vietnamese actors and veteran female Vietnamese-French director Viet Linh.
They are making their mark in the growing Vietnamese film industry, but “Once Upon a Time” is only one small step on a path of many winding miles. I give “Once Upon a Time” two out of four gold stars for effort, wonderful acting and scenery.
