Poorly Produced and Disappointment
Charlie Nguyen's The Rebel is such a disappointment in all aspects.
From its poorly acting to its historical settings, The Rebel proves nothing but a tool for the Vietnamese Communist Party Resolution #36 .
The Vietnamese Communist Party Resolution #36 was created in order to spread its propaganda in communism as well as its attempt to validate its war against the US supported South Vietnamese government.
To understand the movie, historical knowledge is required.
The movie starts in 1922 colonial Vietnam, especially in the southern provinces. Little did the author know at that time, south Vietnam, called Cochinchina, was under the French authority and rule. The rest of Vietnam was divided into the North Vietnam, Tonkin, was under the protectorate of the French and the Central Vietnam remained in the court of the Nguyen Dynasty.
In 1922, the south Vietnam flourished economically, educationally, socially and politically.
Economically, the south ranked third in the world, only behind Manyar and Thailand, in exporting rice. Most, if not all, citizens, from peasants to high society socialites alike, in the south had a comfortable life. Costs of livings were low as well as crimes. With an emerging economy in Southeast Asia as well as in the world, the value of piatres, monetary unit used in Indochina, was almost equal to the US dollar.
Educationally, it is a fact, then and now, the French brought their education system to the Vietnamese. Many schools, from elementary to universities, were built. It was an education for the mass without any fees. Additionally, the government of South Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam, offerred many scholarlips and awards to excel students. The South Vietnamese continued this educational system until the Vietnamese communists overran the South in April, 1975.
Socially, the French built many buildings that still exist to this very day to house its political machines as well as to serve its joy of pleasure. The grand opera house , in this example, which later became the house of representatives in the Republic of Vietnam. The Vietnamese, at that time, began to cut off their long locks, a tradition carried from Chinese, in their attempt to better themselves for the country's future. Also, the Vietnamese were strong contenders in sports such as cycling, Tour de Indochines, and soccer.
Politically, many political parties were formed from different political idealogies. The Colonical French tolerated them because they were formed accordingly to the French's rule. Furthermore, the French started many schools that still exist today. Many of students who attended went on later to hold important officials in the former Republic of Vietnam.
In the film, it said there was a mine producing iron ore in which the colonial Frech sent its criminals there for hard labor. It was such a joke when everyone knows the Mekong delta is such a vast land of rice fields.
For the conversation and diaglogue, the actors and actresses, despite their Vietnamese heritage, they mangled the words while speaking. Let alone their attempt in speaking French! The actress lead, Ngo Thanh Van, was most miserable of all. Perhaps it was her upbrining in the communist state, in most of her scences, she shouted to others instead of speaking normally.
The converstational tone and style in the film did not reflect the way people talk back in the day as well. Infact, the tone of the dialogue in the film reflected the current style of conversation in the modern communist controlled Vietnam. Most funny of it was, at the beginning of the film, the grammar and style in the pamplet, was exactly the same as of the communist style of writing.
If this is an attempt to advertise either culture, tradition, history or martial arts for the country of Vietnam, it failed and it failed miserably.
Without a doubt, the Rebel is such a disappointment but it proves the actual author of the film had a very limited knowledge about Vietnam and the cast was poorly made-up as well as their rudimentary acting skills.
6 Bua