PalCinema Review: Viet and Nam

March 31, 2025

FILM: VIET AND NAM

DIRECTED BY: MINH QUY TRUONG

STARRING: THANH HAI PHAM, DUY BAO DINH DAO, THI NGA NGUYEN

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

By Dan Pal

During the opening of Vietnamese writer/director Minh Quy Troung’s latest film Viet and Nam, the screen remains black for an extended time but we begin to hear the sounds of water and breathing. Gradually two figures are revealed. They are the two characters of the film’s title and they are embracing each other. It appears that the young men are involved in a relationship which is fairly clandestine. The setting is 2001 and the men are working in a coal mine. We learn that one of them had a father who disappeared some twenty-five years earlier during the great period of war between North and South Vietnam. One of the arcs of the film follows the couple as they travel with his mother and uncle to find his father’s remains.

The narrative that guides the film is generally rather opaque surrounding this. At one point, they reach a museum on the site of former battlegrounds. Statues of soldiers are spread throughout the field and a psychic in heavy white make-up suggests to the touring visitors that she “feels” the presence of the dead. One tourist laughs at her “act” but is told he is being blasphemous. The others appear to be getting something out of it. The psychic, whether one believes in her or not, seems to be instilling hope for those still suffering the long-ago losses. Some even have a bright picnic on the grounds. Is this a celebration of life or a sign that everyday human needs must also be taken into account while grieving?

Putting together the pieces of these plot details is a bit of a puzzle for sure. What is the significance of the relationship between the two men and the former soldiers separated from their families? Will they also be distanced from each other? In addition, the theme of entrapment is evident. The characters are bound by the borders and laws of their country. It isn’t just a coincidence that they work so far underground. They are essentially buried and surrounded by dirt just like the deceased bodies are.

The experience watching Viet and Nam is a particularly quiet and meditative one. There’s often a lack of dialogue and the sound design captures the ambient noises that float through the air, such as water running, winds, rain, and thunder. Even the love making between the two men has its own sensual sound. Most of the shots are singles taken from a distance from the characters. The notable exception is a relatively intimate birthday dinner at an empty restaurant between the men.

The pacing of the film is very languid, perhaps established to get viewers to feel each scene to its fullest rather than cutting rapidly to charge up the story. This will likely make it a difficult sit for some people who may not be as forgiving of the director’s attempts at something more artful. I certainly found myself being lulled into a state of deeper relaxation watching the film while being perplexed at some of the narrative choices. However, it is a visually interesting film shot to look more like a movie from earlier eras than one that is rich in high definition.

Ultimately, Viet and Nam is deeply layered and highly metaphorical. It requires patience and a bit of thought to unravel its web of thematic connections, characters, and secrets.

Viet and Nam opens in limited theatrical release this week, including the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago.

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