"The Scent of the Green Papaya- had a very different mood than the previous films I have watched about Vietnam. The setting was in Saigon, Vietnam in 1951. It was very adequate in portraying the everyday life in Vietnam's culture. The way food is prepared, relationships, the environment of the household and the clothing is examples of what I learned about the culture.
When the film first started it was obvious that Mui (the little servant girl) was a very curious individual. She was examining her surroundings as she walked to her destination almost as if she was being cautious. I kept waiting for something to jump out at her. Mui is a curious, dedicated and obedient servant. She never complains, even when the little boy causes her extra work. She likes to examine things and she loves the knowledge she acquires from these observations. The sensuality of the film is acquired through her slow movement, her fascinations with things and the way she handles every thing so delicately. An example of this is when she is touching the seeds of the papaya. .
The setting in the home reminded me of the lazy, hazy days of summer. The mood was very somber and slow. There was a lot of anger and bitterness. This anger you could see through the middle child as he tortured the ants. Even though he had issues toward his father, as he grew he followed in his footsteps. He was unmotivated and just seemed to be content in just playing his instrument The youngest son seemed bored and was always aggravating Mui with his mischievous behavior.
The father and mother you could tell had a distant relationship. When they first spoke to each other in the movie the father acted as if he wasn't even listening. The mother seemed hollow and as if she was just going through the motions of living. You could tell she hurt a lot from her daughter's death and it didn't seem that she had anyone to share these emotions with.