In my opinion the film was beautiful yet simple. I really appreciated this movie particularly because of Binh. I think it would have been easy for the writers to make Binh aggressive, revengeful, and have more of a common talkative attitude. So I love that the writers made Binh have the characteristics of someone who grew up as a “Bui Doi”. When Ling asked Binh “why you look at me like that? Why won’t you look at me?” Binh said because he was never allowed to play with children growing up and so he doesn’t look at anyone. He has “the face of enemy”. To me that scene was arguably the most impactful compared to the rest because it was at that moment the audience learned the truth about the consequences of the Vietnam War. The ending of the film was very impactful as well; more so for Binh’s character than the audience. A few important details that happened to Binh included:
- Ling confessed she didn’t love Binh in return. And it is implied to choose to marry a much older richer American man.
- While gambling Binh learns any Vietnamese child of an American soldier and Vietnamese mother can fly for free. This makes him feel even guiltier for his brother’s death. Because that means he never had to die.
- Escapes debt for his passage to America because he is U.S. citizen.
- Finds his father and learns the truth about why he left/abandoned his mother. While married to Binh’s mother, he was blinded at work one day. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in a Maryland hospital bed with no vision. He couldn’t go back to Vietnam once the war had ended and he didn’t want to go back anyways because as a blind man he thought Binh’s mother was better off without him.
Binh’s father implies that he knows Binh is his son and that he’s glad Binh is with him now. The final scene ends with the two laughing and joking as Binh cuts his father’s hair. It seems that by the end at least some of Binh’s anguish and pain is beginning to heal.