MovieChat Forums > Heaven & Earth (1994) Discussion > A couple of questions/points

A couple of questions/points

posted 18 years ago by AndrewWalker747
9 replies | jump to latest

1. When South Vietnam collapses and Le Ly flees South to Saigon, what is going on in that scene with the bus that is stopped by the ARVN troops? I wasnt sure if they were intending to loot the bus or just rape the girls (why Le Ly pretends to puke). Either way, it was a pretty depressing scee showing the ARVN troops looting and harassing civilians at a moment when the country was collapsing and they should have been fighting.

2. What is the deal with the tiger being captured? When Le Ly arrives in Saigon during the collapse, we see this really random scene of ARVN troops capturing a tiger. What is the point of that?

[–] I_Am_Phoenix 18 years ago

About the first scene, I'm not sure about the whole bus situation, but with the tiger, in most artistic representations of the Vietnam War (i.e. Miss Saigon), the United States is symbolized as a tiger. In the movie, when the tiger is captured, it symbolizes the impending fall of Saigon and the defeat of the United States in the Vietnam War.

[–] AndrewWalker747 18 years ago

Cool, I never knew that. Pretty interesting stuff.

[–] Shelookedlegal21 18 years ago

As to the first scene, yes they were looking for girls to rape. That's why she pretends to puke, so they won't see her face and will be grossed out that she may barf on them. There's also a shot of her face when she sees the two younger girls getting back on the bus where she looks sympathetic and sad that they, too, had to experience that.

[–] AndrewWalker747 18 years ago

Yeah, but if you notice after yo hear the gunshot and they first get on the bus, the ARVN soldier grabs an old man's face (shudders) and his compatriot starts playing with a birdcage. Looked like old fashioned looters to me.

[–] Emmybees 18 years ago

No, What they were doing is kicking the healthy people off the bus and letting the sick, hurt ones on. They were not looking for girls to rape though they also might of been looking for valuables.

[–] blackcat-26 18 years ago

Yes, they were looking for pretty girls to rape and valuables to loot. Depressing is right, not that harrassing civilians only happened when the country was collapsing, and not that this kind of behavior was only done by ARVN soldiers.

Did not give the tiger scene too much thought. Just considered it to be part of the random chaos at that time.

[–] Arimas01 15 years ago

I assumed she puked so they would think she was sick and not rape her in fear of catching what she had but emmybee's comment makes alot of sense

[–] LaraCroftLegacy 14 years ago

The scene were Le Ly see the girls who beaten and rape walking to their seat she remember what she want through and know how two girls feel

D.H.F.F
Now end of day and Iam the Reaper:Silent hill

[–] Rabbit_with_a_Gun12 11 years ago

Yea I notice them all dirty and their cloths torn. Looked like the soldiers had there way with them.

Your nobody until somebody kills you.