Customer Reviews

Rice People

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To me at least, this is the most touching of Rithy Panh's dramatic works. As always the photography is wonderful, and the acting is never perceived as acting, but incredibly real. A very wide range of characters in this one, which will have a special appeal to women of all nationalities.

Those interested in village life will learn of the many natural enemies of the rice farmer, something I've never seen portrayed in any other film. This story is so absorbing that from the opening scene we forget it's a film and get drawn into the story so deeply that at times it's more sympathetic pain than pleasure we experience, the same emotion most of us are left with after every single visit to Cambodia, a country which has broken countless hearts many times over. One feverish dream flashback sequence is absolutely stunning in its impact. The hopelessness expressed by the male lead matches that felt by the average Cambodian today.

A perfect study aid for intermediate level students of Khmer. The dialogue is crystal clear. The folksy style and intimate forms of address between rural husband and wife are something you'll never get from any text book, but if you are from rural America you will recognize the similarities.

This film is poignantly devoted to Panh's family and whilst does not directly address the Pol Pot regime and consequences, there are allusions to it at times in the film. The film portrays the harshness of village life in Kandal province, Cambodia; the father dies after blood poisoning from a thorn injury, mother turns to drink and madness and the daughters are left with the task of harvesting their rice. The film tracks the seasonal development of the rice crop with the characters' stories interwoven. This is a great film, like all of Panh's work.

I wanted a trip to Cambodia, to see what was left after despot Pol Pot dumped 2 million bodies of his people in the rice fields of their native land. This movie captures it. First, it's beautifully filmed with a haunting original score. The featured husband Yong and wife Yim have miraculously retained a personal sense of worth, spirituality and hope through the massacres. Then her husband dies in a farming accident and Yim rails at the gods. Her tragic decline into madness mirrors the regime's 4-year slaughter of the country's innocence, vitality and spirit. Her grief IS her country's darkest hour. She speaks for those souls who want to recapture the past and demand an answer for their suffering. At the end of the story a glimmer of hope: instead of being relegated to cage like a sick animal her four loving daughters decides to care for her until her death. Yes, Cambodia will survive Pol Pot, but the tragedy will be forever stamped into the daily lives of the survivors' families for generations.

I only gave this four stars because I couldn't stand all the waste of time about the crazy wife (and I couldn't figure out why this was made such a big part of the movie).

I never knew there could be so many hazards in rice farming.

The movie was interesting because I saw many hidden pro-Communist (collectivist, etc.) themes. The neighbors were always out for themselves--constant competition, cold-heartedness, etc. Religion is mocked with the "elder" coming over and doing some silly mumbo-jumbo to try to cure the husband -- but all the husband needed was some medical treatment (but that would have delayed the chores). (Also notice the several appearances of the useless "elders" who dress in "Western" clothes.) Everything would have been good if there would have been free medical treatment in the movie. Instead, there is constant need to neglect medical treatment because ANY delay would put this farm behind the other farmers. About competition, remember the part where the husband explains why they can't delay anything?--if their harvest comes after the neighbors', then the birds will eat all of the later farm harvest?

I don't have time to study the movie more, but I think it has a lot of hidden meanings/symbolism.

This film captures the true essence of what it means to be "Rice People" the poor people that live in the country sides of Cambodia. The Khmer metaphors used, language, sounds and colors give watchers a sense of actually being in the coutry sides to experience the joy and hardships of country folks in Cambodia.
Any Cambodian people out there who want to see the other side of Cambodia rather than the city life should check out this film.