Boat People (1982)

Tragic on so many levels

If you are not ready for indiscriminate mass murder, torture, and suggested prostitution, then this really might make you uncomfortable. To be honest I watched this with family, which made the journey a little bit more bearable. This director is a master at crafting realistic stories and showing every facet of human beings.

Set in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Chinese have controlled Ho Chi Mihn era Vietnam, and the poor non-Communist families suffer many brutalities. Unable to eat and unable to speak with foreigners, the tragedies of Vietnam post-war are illustrated here through the lens of a Japanese reporter.

The Plot: centers the reporter and his interactions with an impoverished family specifically a young girl and her brothers. He witnesses their everyday life and the brutalities the Chinese Army visited upon innocent men, women, and children in Vietnam. The movie is not gorey nor does it show sexual promicuousness (no sex scenes) but these are heavily implied.
The Pacing: It is a relatively slow movie, but it is not boring in any way. The brutality and tragedies we see on the screen are gripping, and the relationships we see are heart-wrenching.
The Acting: Easily some of the best child-actors in the world.

This movie cannot be missed if you enjoy Hong Kong films. It's dark, gritty, sad, and not for the faint of heart.

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