Customer Reviews

Green Dragon

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As the first story ever told on big screen of the antecedent Vietnamese refugees to arrive in the U.S right before the official fall of Saigon, director and script writer, Timothy Linh Bui, depicts the utmost astonishing insights from these refugees' perspective of the aftermath of the Vietnam war: innumerable lives lost, both American and Vietnamese, and families' grievances; the refugees' uncertainty and fear of separation from each other in foreign land, of what the dim future could hold; the struggle with humility as even former doctors and lawyers need to adjust and start all over with lowly manual labor jobs; with hope and determination and family as the only remaining possessions they had to rebuild everything in this new, foreign land.....A movie with different insights that almost any generation or age group can relate to.

This 2001 film is set in 1975, at Camp Pendleton in California. This is where Vietnamese refugees were processed after fleeing the aftermath of the American pullout in Vietnam. The place is crowded, emotions are high, and there are multiple individual stories. Written and directed by the Bui brothers, who came to America as babies in the 1970s and there's an authenticity to the film that goes deeper than the surface tales. 1975 seems a long time gone now, but this film brings it all to life as the refuges live in this shadow world between Vietnam and America for several weeks or months. As background, we hear frequent news broadcasts about the situation in Vietnam and the fall of Saigon. It gave me the shivers.

The basic storyline casts Don Duong as an uncle who has escaped with his small niece and nephew. The children believe that their mother will join them soon but it is likely she has not escaped. Trung Hieu Nguyan is cast as the small boy with big wide eyes who discovers Mighty Mouse comic books. He is befriended by Forest Whitaker, cast as a volunteer cook at the camp and who teaches the youngster some valuable lessons in life. Patrick Swayze is the camp commander whose job seems impossible at times. To some, he represents the ugly Americans who caused all the trouble in the first place.

Most of the stories play like a soap opera and the entire film moved much too slowly for my taste. However, it really didn't matter that this film will never win any academy awards. I applaud it for bringing a long-gone time and a place to life. And for raising my own consciousness about the Vietnamese people who made the long journey to America. This is a sad movie and I found myself depressed afterwards. But I know I'll never forget it.

I passed up this movie several times at the video store. Something about the generic title and Patrick Swayze's big mug gracing the cover. I had no idea what I was missing. "Green Dragon" brings to light a piece of lost history--the internment camps of Vietnamese refugees following the Vietnam war. Through the film we meet a variety of characters and their developing relationships with one another. 3 things really make this picture work: the wonderful perfomances, the stunning photography, and the direction from the Bui brothers. Tony and Timothy Bui previously made another wonderful picture called "Three Seasons." "Green Dragon" is as good, if not better. They love these characters, and that's what makes the movie so fulfilling. Extra features on the DVD include an audio commentary, Documentary, 3 trailers (Crouching Tiger, Beijing Bicycle, and Vertical Ray of the Sun), and an essay on the cinematography. If not to own, "Green Dragon" is an absolute must-see for great drama.

Green Dragon, the first movie from Forest Whitaker's new production company, is one of the best wartime movies of the last couple of years. Perhaps a lot of that is due to the fact it stays far away from the war it takes places during (Vietnam). Instead, it takes you to the Camp Pendleton refugee camp set up after the United States pulled out of the war. It deals with the difficulty on both the side of the refugees and the Sergeant responsible for them (played by Patrick Swayze). The refugees want to get on with their lives, but they aren't quite sure how to do that. They know returning to their country would be a pointless deathtrap, but they are afraid of what life in America will be like for them. Introduces Trung Hieu Nguyen as the little boy Minh who develops a friendship with Forest Whitaker's doomed cook/artist Addie. If you are interested in the more emotional side of the effects of war and not just the explosions, put it on your "to rent" list. Final Grade: A-

This is one of the most meaningful films I've seen in a while, probably because my partner is Vietnamese and this is a slice of his life. What's most interesting, though, is that I liked it a lot more than he did. What he found cloying and sappy, I found touching and sincere. He admits that this is a pretty accurate reflection of "how it was," though.

This is the same director that filmed "Three Seasons," and the difference between the two is in the star of the show. In "Three Seasons" the star is the breath-taking Vietnamese landscape - so beautiful! In "Green Dragon" the star(s) are the actors.

Patrick Swayze is sort of blah, clearly trying to branch into something un-hollywood. You won't recognize him. Much more interesting was Forest Whitaker, whom I've never liked, (never read as sincere). His part was believable and endearing. Breathtaking was Trung Hieu Nguyen as Minh. He steals the show. Every thought he has appears on his face. You should see this film for him alone.

Take Kleenex.

This is a wonderful and often overlooked film that deserves more attention than it received. It explores an entirely different side of the Vietnam war and uses a moving story and terrific characters to do so. The film follows several Vietnamese refugees in Camp Pendleton in California who have fled from Saigon in the closing days of the war and their struggles in adapting to a new life in a foreign land. Performances are great all around and you will barely recognize Patrick Swayze as the overseer of the refugee camp. The story following a young boy in the camp and his friendship with Forest Whitaker's characters was especially moving. If you like good stories and are tired of mindless action and explosions, this is a great film to check out.

This Movie held my interest for the duration. It made me laugh, it made me cringe and jerked some tears. My wife is Vietnamese and I saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. A testimonial to the emotional intensity of this movie. I have seen many Movies of Vietnam, Scent of Green Papaya, Heaven and Earth and countless others, but I think that this one made a permanent home in my heart...

I was 4years old when this happend. My mother and father and sisters were living in Savannah,Ga. We were from New England and it was like being a fish out of water. We made frends with a husband and wife who escaped from Vietnam. I think my parents were there only frends. They had a good store(Genrel goods store). Werever they are Thank You very much hope you are well.I saw this on tv WOW! very good!3/29/2006.

Powerful, provoking film full of raw emotions. The story plods along very slowly and what it lacks in plot it more then makes up for in splendid acting and story telling. You will be a better person for having watched it.

This is a new kind of role for Patrick Swayze, who is still a terrible actor, in my opinion... thus 4 stars and not 5. But, he's not dancing with a doctor's daughter, he's not blowing anything up, instead he's a kind-hearted but stern marine sergeant who's been put in charge of a Vietnam refugee camp and finds himself more involved with the lives of the camp members then he ever expected.

We become familiar with a small handful of the refugees and the pain and loneliness they are feeling. Families have been torn apart, loved ones lost, children left orphans, husbands and wives lost forever. But at the same time, we also see the heeling also starting. New relationships begin, new love is found, old wounds heel, and most importantly, the newly arrived refugees begin to understand the potential of life in America and look forward to finding a "sponsor" so they can leave the camp and begin life in a new world.

This is no action packed thriller, or even an academy award winning drama, but it is most certainly a movie that will tell a story you most likely knew nothing about before, and will leave you more open minded, educated, and compassionate. I would recommend watching as a double header, to be followed up with a light-hearted romantic comedy.

I'm vietnamese,so I would like to watch my people at first escape from VietNam.this film describe the way the refugees liing in refuge camp in California.
The film is very interesting!You should a Vietnamese like me to feel the hapiness to come to a free country ,USA.
Thank Amazon Co. sent me the excellent film that I wish to watch long time before.Thanks to seller too who kept this DVD like new(100%).
Sincerely yours,
Quy Vu