Vu Ngoc Dang's Nhung Co Gai Chan Dai (Long-legged girls) was a huge hit in Vietnam when it was released in 2004. The storyline revolves around a beautiful young woman with - you guessed it - long legs, who leaves the village to seek fame and fortune as a fashion model in Saigon. The bright lights of a rapidly transforming big city where everything and anything can be bought and sold prove disorienting to her traditional Vietnamese moral compass, and we're treated to lots of music-video like sequences of her and her long-legged friends as they're drawn ever deeper into the darker side of the Saigon's modelling business. Not to worry, though: at the end she realizes the error of her ways and finds redemption in the arms of the well-meaning and Vespa-riding photographer who loved her from the beginning.
While the production values and cheesy acting may be disappointing for a Western audience, the film is a great reflection of the simultaneous fascination and unease with which Vietnamese are facing a period of rapid economic, social, cultural, and moral change. We should also realize that the film's open engagement with issues like homosexuality, sex, and prostitution was quietly revolutionary for the time. Add to this the fact that the entire cast is made up of some of Saigon's most famous fashion models and photographers and you've got a film that's both fun to watch and a useful window on contemporary Vietnamese society.
14 comments:
I think it is important to preface any comment by saying the lead male may be the worst actor ever. The film shows the changing conditions of Vietnam. The girl represents the change of Vietnam. Her older sister seems to be a representation of a traditional Vietnam. At the onset the young girl wants to become a teacher, but her beauty thrusts her into the modeling world of Vietnam. This new world is fresh and exciting and she gets caught up in the lifestyle. This may be a representation of how the people of Vietnam feel about the new economic conditions of Vietnam. It is all fresh and exciting as the economy becomes open and free. People have more opportunities.
It is easy to see why the film was a hit. Although it is highly cheesy, it fits the youth demographic very well. It is their generation that is experiencing this growth in Vietnam. They will reap the benefits of this improving Vietnam
This highly cheese film provides a different look into the current lifestyles of Vietnam. This view, from an indigenous perspective, shows how the mindset of the Vietnamese percieve themselves as advancing into a modern world with the rest of the industrialized and "modern" nations. This view proves to be quite different from that of a "Viet Kieu" or Vietnamese American who has left Vietnam and returned to view what most often seems like incredible poverty.
This contrast is very important to understanding both the current situation in Vietnam and how the people percieve the situation. In recent years strategies such as "China + 1" have created booming industries in many areas of Vietnam, but most often in the big cities such as Hanoi and Saigon. This creation of industry has led to Vietnam's large scale participation in the global economy as well as a large increase in the job market. However, this view can be reconciled with the foreign perspective because this new leap in economy is still lacking in many areas. For instance these new industries do little to help those living in rural areas, especially areas like the central highands. These improvements also create a larger disparity between rich and poor in Vietnam, creating a new class of ultra rich while retaining those on the lowest economic rungs of society. All in all this film provides an optimistic view of Vietnam and its new path into the future where many Vietnamese feel they are on an equal playing field with powers that have long been their superior.
I have to agree with the first two comments made; the movie was very cheesy. I think the cheesiness of this movie can be attributed to the Vietnamese attempt to portray is supposed growth.
I do like how the movie still portrays the struggle between staying traditional and true to the roots of its culture will trying to progress. The struggle is made visible through the characters of the older and younger sister.
Let's begin by acknowledging that to a jaded Western audience exposed to a regular sequence of films addressing sexuality and the moral corruption of urban life, "Long Legged Girls" can seem like the sort of film that should be released directly to DVD and promptly, thankfully, forgotten. That said, this film hails from an entirely different pedigree, and the contextual difference should cause us to reconsider the way we look at this work.
At heart, the film is a Cinderella story about a Vietnamese girl recently arrived in the big city who is "discovered" by a local photographer and plunged into the seamy world of fashion. The cheese factor which figures so prominently in other comments on this film is undeniable, but should be seen more as part of a smoke screen of innocence to partially obscure the serious nature of the particularly sexual themes which generally do not enjoy a prominent place in acceptable Asian society. A film dealing with bisexuality and the need to sleep with the right people to get ahead might be very difficult to release in Vietnam if it wasn't sugar coated in a heavy gloss of pop music and overly-clean pastel color schemes.
Further, try to imagine the influence a film cast full of recognizable Vietnamese models, set in Vietnam, and filmed by Vietnamese producers could potentially have. LLG was not the most popular film ever released in Vietnam during its time because its audience had never seen anything like it- it was successful because they had never seen anything like it that did not star Julia Roberts.
So, this film probably is not going to be the most entertaining offering for a Western audience awash in more sophisticated (and better funded) versions of this story. However, from the Vietnamese perspective it marks an interesting foray into the lives of newly-wealthy young people thronging Vietnamese cities for the first time in a generation, and deserves to be viewed with more sympathetic eyes then may at first be apparent.
I thought that this movie was awesome. It was really strange to see a movie from a different country. I thought it was interesting because it was a lot like many of the teen movies that we watch in America, despite the bad acting and cheap production.
This was a good film to show because it gave us a first hand view of how fast things changes in Vietnam. The main girls sister was completley against her being in a commercial let alone modeling. Her sister was much more old school and she was interested in being part of this new world. The modeling scenes were a lot like things I have seen in America which was odd because I forget that Vietnam has become very westernized in the last decade or so.
This generation in Vietnam is growing up completley different than the previous generations. There seems to be such a big gap between people that are not that different in age. I cannot imagine how wierd this would be to grow up during this time in Vietnam.
I was so shocked by the fact that they threw bisexuality into this movie. Even in America this is a taboo issue. It just started to be shown on television here so I was just really surprised that this was in this movie and that this movie was such a huge success. It would be interesting for me to hear what some of the older generations have to say about this movie.
This movie was definitely different from the other movies we have watched. I found this film to be more interesting because the people were able to express themselves more and they went for what they wanted to do. I thought it was interesting how the lead girl’s sister viewed the way girls should present themselves and what kind of careers they should choose. She believed the beauty was on the inside and not on the outside. For instance she wanted her sister to go to school and become a teacher. But the lead girl started to do modeling as a favor for the lead male. After doing modeling a few times she started to enjoy that lifestyle. In the classroom of her sister’s she asked one of the students what was more important beauty of a model or of a PhD and the student says PhD. Then the student whispers to her friend about doing modeling. It seems that modeling and acting isn’t the greatest jobs for a decent girl to have, but some girls still wanted to pursue the life of beauty and modeling. This movie, to me, seems like women in Vietnam are slowly gaining more independence of themselves and doing what they want to do. Even though modeling didn’t turn out to be the best road to go down for the lead girl, it was still interesting and exciting to see the younger generation expressing themselves and chasing after what they really want to do.
To follow the sentiments of my piers, this was one of the worst movies I have ever seen, and there are some really atrocious movies. This is not a reflection on the Vietnamese people; it was just a horrific movie. Yes, this is a step forward for the country in letting this type of racy film to be seen. It is a prelude to more social freedoms in Vietnam, but not entirely the freedom that they seek. The idea of a bisexual being the main character in a movie was boarder line revolutionary for Vietnam and the Communist party. There still however can be some underlining ideas that still carry on. For example, yes the main character is bisexual, but he has a boyfriend and is pursuing a girl. The movie makes one want to root for the girl and the boy to get together. It is as if the film is saying that homosexuality can be changed or is wrong. Maybe that was not the intentions of the film, but it was the only thing productive that one could commit about the film without completely tearing it apart for its gigantic Swiss cheesiness.
My opinions: the movie was so terrible it was awesome. I think I laughed almost the entire time. I don't know how anyone, even Vietnamese, could accept the lead male's laugh as serious. It kind of reminded me of a Disney movie, only with topics a little more serious than those delt with by pre-teenagers. That being said, the issues it presents are what give the movie the credit it deserves...in Vietnam anyhow.
Bisexuality is always a choice issue to include. Its likely there will always be criticism of it, even in the changing world. I gotta say I agree with nw its wierd the main character is chasing this girl, and it seems we're supposed to hope for it to work out. Also valuable to the film is the rigid division in living styles by two sisters signifying the rapid change of culture in Vietnam. The thing I find great, but yet to be mentioned, is the way this new econimic growth comes about. In "Long Legged Girls" the younger characters have jobs that are considered modern and fast-paced still in the Western world, showing the freedom being allowed in Vietnam to do things which would previoulsy been denied by the government. This is what makes the film worth watching, the fact that all of these are also things you previously could not show, signifying Vietnam is not under strict censorship as they once were.
The good and the bad of this film put together makes me wonder what future history of film classes in Vietnam will say about "Long Legged Girls".
I really did not mind Long-Legged Girls at all. It was cheesetastic, but at the same time engrossing. I think the director got across what he was going for by all of the music, colors and lights that depicted just how intoxicating the fashion industry can be for a young and sheltered girl, such as the main character.
I agree with pw's comment that we should give the movie some slack because of the culture gap and it is impressive that it is a completely Vietnamese production and is going in a new and innovative direction. The movie covers the subject of westernization in Vietnam. It seems that its what we are accustomed to but through the people of Vietnam's eyes. The models in the movie are all supposed to be tall and have long legs, a sign that I believe reflects Western culture in Vietnam. The beauty that these abnormally long legs are supposed to have is emphasized by not only the title but also the slightly creepy, but very successful, photographer that focuses on the new girls legs for about two minutes during the runway show, just out of lust. After the show he seems captivated by her and dismisses advances from other beautiful women. I`m not trying to say that all of Vietnam's fashion industry is because of western beliefs, the movie also shows how Vietnam is integrating its own culture into fashion. An example is the quaint way the runway shows are set up and the first fashion shoot the main character/up-and-coming model was in. Her outfit is not what we typically see as fashionable in the U.S., but at the same time was very pretty and elegant.
The main male character that lead the country girl into the limelight was not depicted as some sneaky, sleazy man trying to corrupt a young, attractive woman, but as a happy-go-lucky, successful photographer that fell in love and wanted the girl to be a part of his life. I believe this shows that the people who made the movie didn't want the audience to fear for the corruption of the girl. Instead the older sister and school teacher are depicted in a more negative light in the sense that they aren't hip and open to change like the more contemporary youth of Vietnam. The fact that the people who created this movie are a part of the entertainment business also indicates that they wouldn't want it to be viewed as a negative, new and scary thing.
This movie is daring and seems to be encouraging its audience to not be afraid of change. The main girl who is on her way to becoming a famous "beauty queen" in the movie is depicted as happy, despite the criticism of her peers. The movie has a theme of resilience in the face of stubborn people and traditions that fear the unfamiliar and change in general.
Well I don't mean to sound repetitive, but I being a movie buff must say that it was the worst movie I have ever seen. I was truly surprised that this film was the single highest grossing film in Vietnamese history. The main male character provided an ideal platform of how NOT to act. His laugh and overall character kind of ruin the movie, because the girl was actually not all that bad. It was very cheesy but i really didn't expect all that much from the reviews I read about it. However, besides all of that, the movie gave me a sense of what vietnam looks like in the 21st century. Never having been to the country and really having not that much knowledge of its culture other than what I learned in the course, the film provided a great backdrop for what the country looks like today. Also, the modern feel that it had with modern ideals from younger people, vehicles, and working atmospheres that mimicked our country.
It was a struggle for me personally to even sit through an hour of this film, but then again I certainly am not a prepubescent schoolgirl in Hanoi. This seemed to be a Vietnamese spin-off of either: Hanah Montana or that High School Musical show(both Disney). The acting was obviously poor and awkward. I support gordo in saying that Long-legged Girls was laughable, but in a bad way. The fairy tale aspect of the girl going from rags to riches was one of the few positives this movie had to offer.
The film just felt so Americanized for some reason. I think it was the constant Nokia plugging, it felt like watching a sports game with advertisements on the field. The creepy Vietnamese pop music that would chime in out of nowhere was somehow intoxicating though. This was without a doubt my least favorite of the movies we saw this quarter. While this movie won't win any Oscars it made alot of money.
I should not hate. In fact, I am a reasonable guy. I understand what makes certain people happy. People wanna be succesful and stand for something in this life. I just severely dislike the metrosexual culture that is portrayed in this movie. I do not care if people are gay, straight, bi-sexual, black, white, brown, purple, red, or whatever. We are all human beings when it comes down to it; we all die the same, it is just a question of how and when. What I really hate is this metrosexual culture that exists here in the U.S. Things like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, American Idol, bubble gum pop music, high school musicals, the Disney channel, Emo fashions, fashion designers, hair stylists, models, my extravagant sixteenth birthday party television show, things including MTV: the real (fake) world, elimidate, fake hip hop music, etc. Do not get me wrong women like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Lindsey Lohan are beautiful, but they buy into the metrosexual culture. It all makes me sick to my stomach.
Vietnam, or at least the vietnamese who made this movie a hit, have bought into the U.S.'s metrosexual culture and it is sad. I have another name for this movie. now bear with me; I am a "red-neck heavy-metal" guy from Logan, Ohio so read carefully and try and figure out what I am saying here. Here it goes, Bryan "Zeke" Steward's, yes, Zeke is my nick-name, new title to LONG-LEGGED GIRLS.
"FROM CULTURALLY AWARE TO CULTURALLY REDEFINED: A STORY OF ONE GIRL WHO FOUND SUCCESS AND CAME FROM A WORLD FILLED WITH SUBSTANCE"
Response to kat110:
Beauty is so overrated. Beauty is only skin deep. One who tries to be beautiful and submits their life to it, such as models do, are weak in my opinion. Models do not get what life is all about. Life is about discovering yourself through experiences, not walking down a runway looking good. Models do not commit crimes and I give them that much and models are beautiful, but lets get real. What substance is there in modeling? What substance does this movie contain? Women can be women without having to have to pay attention to how they look all the time. Is modeling really what girls in Vietnam want to do? This movie, in my opinion, is destroying women and their values my setting an example of what is deemed cool or trendy. I hate TRENDS. Americans follow trends and it saddens me.
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