Capitalism in Cyclo - Movie Review Example

Other (s) Capitalism in Cyclo There are a number of ways through which the film “Cyclo” by Tran Anh Hung has effectively dealt with capitalism, violence and representations of gender. According to Nakunas(12), the 1995 film cyclo(also known as Xich Lo) particularly traces the movements of a teenage pedicab(cyclo) driver in the Streets of Ho Chi Minh City (Narkunas 147). Struggling to support his family, the young cyclo driver is however forced into crime after his rickshaw was stolen. Generally, the setting of the film is the period of economic transition in Vietnam following the 1986 economic and market reforms that were popularly known as the doi moi(renovation era). Capitalism is one of the major themes highlighted throughout the film Cyclo. Based on a lively picture of the tales of hardships and struggling in labor force of Vietnam in the early 1990s, the film particularly weaves an intricate connection of themes using various filmic techniques and styles including lush cinematography and rhyme among others ( Narkunas 147). This paper critically discusses some of the major ways through which the film “Cyclo” by Tran Anh Hung has effectively dealt with capitalism, violence and representations of gender. One of the remarkable scenes in the film that adequately depicts the theme of capitalism in film is the first scene at the beginning of the movie whereby the young cyclo’s pidicap is stolen by a local gang. The event particularly forces the cyclo driver into joining a criminal organization in order to pay for the robbed cyclo which he had rented to help him support his family. For example, as the sole bread winner of his family, the young cyclo driver is however forced into crime after his rickshaw was stolen. It later emerges that the pedicab was stolen by the cyclo’s own boss in an attempt to oblige the young boy into crime and illegal activities. Tran Anh Hung has generally used this scene to depict the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh as a demoralizing place in which capitalism has resulted in crass materialism and extreme poverty, thereby contributing to other social evils such as violence and prostitution. For example, as it later turns out, the cyclo’s rented pedicab was stolen by his own boss also known as the poet as part of a strategy to force the young boy into criminal activities. It can also be argued that the above scene also highlights the problem of violence in the post war Vietnam is the unrest in Ho Chi Minhi City where different gangs are constantly fighting each other. Additionally, the above highlighted scene also underscores the potential effects of capitalism represented by the poverty of the cyclo’s family, the various discourses in economic development, issues of money and capital among other social issues in the Streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Although the poor boy had endured hardships, their peaceful life is significantly jeopardized after the boy’s only source of livelihood and economic production, the cyclo is stolen by a local gang. Generally, the setting of the film is the period of economic transition in Vietnam following the 1986 economic and market reforms that were popularly known as the doi moi(renovation era). In this regard, violence is widely seen as an after effect the extreme materialism that has been caused by the introduction of capitalism in the country. This is because the society of Ho Chi Minh City believes that it is only through illegal activities that one can make real money. A number of cinematography and filmic techniques such as camera movements, use of classic music, sound, color and contrast have been used in the above highlighted scene in order to enhance the expression of the themes of capitalism and the resultant social issues of violence and gender representation. For example, Tran Anh Hung particularly employs a number of filmic techniques in highlighting the theme of capitalism. Some of the common filmic techniques used include the use of time as an image of warrant, absence of a linear storyline, image contrasts, abstracts and wordless communications. On the other hand, the film’s camerawork during this scene not only emphasizes on the travels of the cyclo through the various spaces in economic transition as but also the flow of money between the spaces during the transition following the onset of market reforms in Vietnam. In an attempt to highlight the urban decay of the Vietnamese city, Tran has chosen to use minimal dialogue. Instead the film employs images of the streets of the city of Ho Chi Minhi City rife with gang life, blatant poverty, crime and black market dealings. In this regard, the perceptions of the audience regarding the effects of capitalism in the country are largely shaped by the camera’s visions. Generally, the film camera work laid emphasis on spaces of exchange, pointing out not only on diagrams but also mobile cyclo’s travel through space of economic evolution. Cyclo has thus laid emphases on Money and capital and have been highlighted in the film, this has been confirmed especially where some form of exchange has been shown, thus just emphasized on how the two can exercise agency and power than human beings. The film further talks about capital as possessing more freedom to move in Ho Chi Minh city even more than people, this has critiques on economic development question the technique in the film of viewing time as an image of exchange. Another notable abstract scene in the film dealing with capitalism and its demoralizing effects on the Vietnamese society is the scene in which a U.S military helicopter is seen crashed in the middle of a heavy traffic in one of the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. The scene possibly signifies the despair of the Vietnamese society regarding the influence of foreign intervention and its effects such as capitalism. In addition, the above scene also depicts capitalism as foreign and its contribution in the decadence of the Vietnamese society is equated with the cash of the US army helicopter in the packed streets of Saigon. For example, Capitalism has contributed to despair through in crass materialism and extreme poverty, thereby contributing to other social evils such as violence and prostitution. On the other hand, violence as a social issue in Vietnam is also depicted in numerous instances throughout the film. For example, different gangs are constantly fighting each other. The cyclo’s pedicab was stolen by his own boss also known as the poet as part of a strategy to force the young boy into criminal activities. Once the cylco has resorted to crime, the poet slowly introduces him to the violence of the criminal gangs by first assigning him the job of murdering another man. The cyclo’s accomplices are told to provide him with a gun and teach him how to kill the intended target. It can be argued that the prevalence of violence and cruelity is partly attributed to the legacy of the brutal Vietnam War and partly caused by the general view that it is only through underworld and criminal gang activities that one can make real money in the impoverished society following the introduction of capitalism in 1986. This is depicted as a mutual fault for the foreign interventionists like the United States and the capitalist exploiters where the majority of those who suffer most are the ordinary citizens. Finally, the representations of gender in the film can largely be seen in when poet’s sister resort to prostitution as a means of survival. In this regard, women are seen as adopting to the modern capitalism in Vietnam and prostitution is largely presented as an economic opportunity whereby women are able to acquire material gains by granting sexual favors to others (Norindr 80). Generally, the chaotic scene of the US army helicopter coming down may have also been used to mirror the economic failure of Vietnam and the legacy of the cruel war. This is depicted as a mutual fault for the foreign interventionists like the United States and the capitalist exploiters where the majority of those who suffer most are the ordinary citizens. With regard to the use of cinematography, Tran Anh Hung has effectively used different filmic techniques in the scene in which a U.S military helicopter is seen crashed in the middle of a heavy traffic in one of the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. For example, the plat circumstances in the scene have primarily been detailed using visual inference as opposed to conversation. In addition, as part of the film’s cinematography, well spaced rhythm and pauses have also been used to help reflect on the life in the Vietnamese city. The picture of desperate city streets filled with street peddlers, pedestrians and cabs near the place of the helicopter crash all manifest the failure of capitalism. In addition, the disruption of the chronological narration whereby the events are presented as a linear unfolding of the past, present and future in order to highlight various stages of economic production is another important filmic technique used in the film. For example, the sudden pop up of a burned out helicopter in the middle of a roundabout provides a beautiful visual blush that highlights the linearity of the unfoldings. Consequently, it is arguable that Tran Anh Hung attempts to highlight the economic challenges as well as the experiences of the people of Vietnam caused by the introduction of Capitalism. In conclusion, Tran Anh Hung has effectively used a number of filmic techniques such as the absence of a linear storyline, image contrasts, abstracts and wordless communications to highlight capitalism, violence and representations of gender as well as other significant issues the modern-day post war society of Vietnam. Works Cited Class Notes. “Shocking capitalism in Tran Anh Hung’s Cyclo.” Power Point Presentation. 2015. Print. Narkunas J. Paul. Street-walking in the Cinema of the City: Capital Flows Through Saigon. in Cinemaand the City: Film and Urban Societies in a Global Context. London: Blackwell Publishers, 2001. Print. Norindr, Panivong. Aestheticizing urban space: Modernity in postcolonial Saigon and Hanoi.  LEsprit Créateur 41.3 (2001): 73-87. Print. Read More