I feel so proud when I watched this movie: new Vietnamese cinema triumphs. Since the 1st movie we made, Vietnamese film industry has been heavily restricted in sexual scenes. This movie broke that rule, brought to the audience a new perspective, a new life, a new approach. It seems so fresh and so sensational. Sadly, not many of my Vietnamese friends like this Phan Dang Di's film. They criticise it because it seems to them like porn. But I really know that they haven't used their imagination while they watch this master piece. This is a story about Bi's household. He has a broken family. His father never spends time with his family. His mother depressingly tries to gain affection and love from the husband through her care, but she fails. His aunt loves one of her student but has sex with another man. And his grandfather has become seriously sick after his endless journeys and is waiting for the dearth to take him. The connection between these people is just like cold ice in the ice factory. No love, no warm, no care ness. And Phan Dang Di has done a very good job describing it in his very own style. He has sent a message: "take a look around you, people. Are you making an ice wall separating you from your family, close friend, or even your love?" As I said above, a little bit of imagination is what you need. Many metaphors have been used, and they are all very beautiful. The most obvious one is the ice cube. Bi put a leaf and an apple into some ice cubes, they are red, and they represent the dreams, love, attention
But they are covered by ice; the ice plays the role of the ignorance, selfishness, anxiety, burdens
It's like a person get stuck in a glass house, he can see everything outside but no one care, no one comes to rescue him from the trap of life.
Another good metaphor is the search for some leafs. Bi wants to exchange a red leaf with his grandfather, so he keeps on looking for a new leaf as the return. The search of Bi also is the search for happiness of everyone else, just in different way. His dad looks for a new a way out by seeking sex with some poor girls. His mother wants love from her husband by doing house work, cooking, and cleaning for her father in law. His aunt falls for her student but accepts another man to satisfy her sexual desire. Bi never finds the leaf because his granddad died after a while. And the family remains broken as other characters never reach their cheerfulness. The search of everyone in the family shakes it to the core. And in the end they all know that they never can be the same again.
I love this film's colour, I love the lively sound, I love the over-lapping culture in Hanoi as it is moving from tradition to modern society. Everything seems as real as a wind which comes and sweep over you.
Sexual scenes were beautifully filmed. The almost back-and-white theme after the couple making love was impressively stunning. Somehow the cameraman and editor has put in that scenes the abusiveness of the husband, the unreal happiness from the wife, and the wall between them. They make love but don't love each other. Kieu Trinh has a gorgeous body, and she expresses her loneliness very well.
Other characters finished their role fully too.
The approach of "Bi, don't be afraid" is very westernised. There is no main actor or actress, but they all connect in a painful way. Very impressive, indeed.
I highly recommend this film to everyone interest in foreign films.
