The Scent of Green Papaya

Released Jan 28, 1994

1h 44m

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

82%

Audience Score

5,000+ Ratings

In this Vietnamese drama, a young peasant girl named Mui (Lu Man San) is hired to work for a well-to-do family in Saigon. Although the household's fortunes change for the worse, Mui stays with them as a servant and grows infatuated with one of their friends, the handsome Khuyen (Vuong Hoa Hoi). Years later, Mui (Tran Nu Yen-Khe) is employed by Khuyen, who has become a renowned pianist. Although Khuyen has a girlfriend, he gradually begins to realize his own strong connection with Mui.

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 4.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Here is a film so placid and filled with sweetness that watching it is like listening to soothing music.

Rated: 4/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Bob Shelton

Birmingham Post

This is domestic drama, beautiful to watch, if ever so slowly paced... Quite unlike anything I've seen.

Feb 29, 2024

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

A solid feature debut by Tran Anh Hung, which reaches its notable point of sobriety by examining, with careful aesthetics, family traditions and the condition of women in Vietnamese society. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 7/10

Mar 5, 2023

Full Review

Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

The romance does not develop until late in this deliberate but surprisingly beautiful film by Vietnam's Tran Anh Hung.

Jun 4, 2018

Full Review

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Margo M

Like being carried through a series of paintings. A worthwhile watch even if solely for the visual artistry

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/13/23

Full Review

Kiomars M

فیلم احساسات لطیف را در من برانگیخته کرد و عمق به زیبایی و سادگی زندگی در عین سخت بودنش فرو برد تمام احساسات در این فیلم به طرز عجیبی به لطافت خاصی رسیده بود

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/02/23

Full Review

JJJJJJ J

This film is carried by its beauty. Both visually and auditorily amazing. The plot of this film however leaves something to be desired. I am not someone with a great sense of Vietnamese culture or film so maybe this lends its hand to my enjoyment, but I like just seeing and viewing everything going on. For me the plot was not that important. I would not recommend this film unless you are a big fan of Southeast Asian culture and want to experience more.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/29/23

Full Review

Alvise F

"The Scent of Green Papaya" is a delicate and suggestive painting on the beauty of nature and its mysterious and indecipherable evocative power. The charm and amazement of Mui for the surrounding environment, the illuminated calmness with which she perceives flavors and smells, the ancestral approach with which she transcends touch, they reveal the metaphysical character of nature. Tran's efforts materialize in a meticulously naturalist construction of the scene, an austere and elegant mise-en-scène that manifests itself in a genuinely visceral poetry. The camera moves at a slow pace, accompanying us placidly in an enigmatic and exotic tale of nothingness, teaching us the pleasure of observing, perceiving, getting lost in the labyrinthine realm of the senses. "The Scent of Green Papaya" is a quiet meditation at the interiorization of Nature.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/22/22

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a lovely film. On initial viewing, there may seem to be little to Green Papaya's story overall for much of the movie's length, but look closer. First of all, as is often the case, this is another in a line of visually gorgeous Southeast Asian films. The colors and naturalism of the look of the movie stands out from start to finish. As Fellini did in movies like Amarcord, as Wes Anderson does in many of his films, the striking vibrancy and physical appearance keep the viewer more easily locked into the quiet goings on in this family's life. Lu Mu San is precious in the best sense of the word, giving Mui dignity and earnestness while retaining the wonder of a child. Nguyen Anh Hoa is also quite good as Ti, the 'vieille' servant woman who teaches Mui what she needs to do for the family she comes to work for and love. I will say I found some of the acting rather wooden and forced, and the pacing was a bit too slow on occasion. But the screenwriting and direction of Tran Anh Hung is solid, to go along with the visual allure. And to think, the whole movie was made on a soundstage in France. Bonkers. 3.7 stars

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Beautiful, exceptional.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

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Tran Anh Hung

Director

Tran Nu Yên-Khê

Mui Age 20

Lu Man San

Mui Age 10

Truong Thi Loc

La mère

Nguyen Anh Hoa

La vieille Ti

Vuong Hoa Hoi

Khuyen

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Synopsis

In this Vietnamese drama, a young peasant girl named Mui (Lu Man San) is hired to work for a well-to-do family in Saigon. Although the household's fortunes change for the worse, Mui stays with them as a servant and grows infatuated with one of their friends, the handsome Khuyen (Vuong Hoa Hoi). Years later, Mui (Tran Nu Yen-Khe) is employed by Khuyen, who has become a renowned pianist. Although Khuyen has a girlfriend, he gradually begins to realize his own strong connection with Mui.

Director: Tran Anh Hung
Screenwriter: Tran Anh Hung
Distributor: First Look, Cine Company S.A.
Production Co: Les Productions Lazennec, La SFP Cinema, Le Studio Canal +, La Sept Cinema, Centre National de la Cinematographie
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Vietnamese
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 28, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 26, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.1M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Stereo

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