IndoChine
Directed by Regis Wargnier
Photography by Francoise Catonne
Music by Patrick Doyle
Produced by Eric Huemann
An atmospheric period French film, shot in Vietnam. It is worth watching for the wonderful Vietnamese scenery alone. But of course there is much more.
Elaine ( Catherine Deneuve ) presides over a rubber estate in 1930s French Indochine. She has a teenage adopted daughter, Camille ( Linh Dan Pham ).
Elaine falls for a French naval officer Jean Baptiste ( Vincent Perez ). The attitudes of the day are clearly depicted. One example is when her Indian driver, is required to remove himself from the drivers seat of her car, to stand some distance away in the pouring rain, while she makes love to Jean Baptiste in the back seat.
Anti colonialist forces are making life difficult for the likes of Elaine and other Europeans. To add to complications, Camille falls madly in love with Jean Baptiste. However he is posted elsewhere.
With a tortured young heart Camille leaves home and during her journeys, the injustices she sees cause her to become an anti colonialist herself. Circumstances bring her to Jean Baptiste's new domain and he effectively commits treason by defending her. They escape by boat into a labyrinth of islands.
However they do not live happily ever after. Jean Baptiste if found dead with a gun shot wound to his head. It appears to be suicide, but is it?
There is much more to tell, but I don't want to spoil the enjoyment for those who have not yet seen Indochine.
The film also stars Jean Yanne.
| Code 1 | IndoChine on DVD |
Code 2 |
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Indochine is sometimes available from Amazon. Click the image on the left for code 1 (US) pricing and availability and the image on the right for code 2 (Europe). |
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