Violence, Capitalism and Gender Representations in Cyclo - Essay Example

Violence, Capitalism and Gender Representations in “Cyclo” The film revolves around the life of an orphaned eighteen years old boy (Cyclo) who lives in Ho Chi Minch City in Vietnam or what is referred to as Saigon. Tran Anh Hung effectively captures the themes of the film right from the onset where he portrays the wishes of the deceased father of the eighteen year old. His father earning his living as a Cyclo driver, he desired that his son will live a better live than that of his. However, upon his death, the son takes on the Cyclo job owing to the hardships that the family went through. The job is tiring and risky as the Cyclo is hired and the boy carries customers in the streets of Cyclo where his father meets his accident and eventual death. In the small house where the boy lives, he is with his grandfather and his small sister who both works hard to ensure the family gets the basic needs. The poor peace enjoyed by the family comes under jeopardy when the boy loses the hired Cyclo culminating the change of his life and that of his sister. Through the influence of a poet who works for the Boss Lady, the owner of the Pedi-cab and the same person who stole it, the boy is introduced to crime and his young sister to prostitution. There is violence within the city and the boy is given harder tasks but he is spared from death despite failing to kill his assigned target as a result of a form of developed love that connects him to his deceased mentally retarded son. Capitalism leads to violence and gender oppression in Vietnam because of the failure of government institutions obligated with the role of running the nation. To effectively capture the themes depicted by the author, it is important to focus on a detailed analysis of two scenes presented in the film. The first scene is essential as it gives the audience a basis behind the young boy’s life as one of the main protagonists in the film. It is through his daily chores where the young boy is ferrying passengers in Saigon City where the mind of the young boy reflects on the voice of his deceased father. The voice is heard by the audience from the background advising the boy on the need to live a better life than that of his father. There is a tone of pity from the voice of the deceased father as he recalls how he left his son and daughter with nothing (0: 01- 6). Buoyed by the words of his father, Cyclo is determined to change the state of his life and that of his family. The idea is almost a reality after a short while where Cyclo with another person finds good news on the newspaper about sourcing for loans from the state. The theme of capitalism and failure of the financial systems within the state is depicted when Cyclo visits a state official in search for a loan. It is also through the same episode that the audience learns of the other family members of the young boy and their occupations that is essential in explaining what transpires later in the film. (6: 10). It is through the same episode that the audience comes to understand of the Lady Boss who is the owner of the Cyclo that the young boy hires to ferry passengers across the city. The first contact of the young boy with the Lady Boss is also evidenced and the way the madam handles people and the fear from the young boy while the lady addresses him sends a clear sign that she is a bad character. A form of shady business that the lady is engaged in is evidenced when a luggage is brought into her room that in the later parts of the movie the audience realizes as drugs (10 – 13). The second episode is essential in introducing the audience to what transpires before the young boy and her sister change their jobs. Throughout the first episode, the young boy I portrayed as a hard working individual who peddles a Cyclo in the streets, carrying passengers as her sister visits various scenes among them hotels, shinning people’s shoes to make ends meet. The scene starts in a normal day as Cyclo is on his way back after ferrying a customer where he stops to urinate. Before he is done with urinating, a certain group of gang that was behind him with only a short distance arrives and steels the hired Cyclo. In an effort to recover the Cyclo, Cyclo runs after the gang only for him to receive a beating from the gang. Once the Cyclo is gone, the young boy returns to the boss lady to report the incident and is advised come back the following day. The next day when Cyclo reports as ordered, he notices one of the gang members seated behind the boss lady. It is evident that Cyclo is in the mercies of the boss lady as he is does not possess an amount that can repay the amount worth the Cyclo. The boy however realizes that the boss lady planned the incident. As a means to repay for his mistake of losing the Cyclo, the young boy is imprisoned in an old building where he is introduced to the leader of the criminal gang, a poet turned bloody criminal. During that period, he receives all forms of violation and is eventually introduced to violent crime and drug trafficking under the leadership of the poet turned-criminal (0 - 13 (0:00 – 13:00). In the film it is evident that Hung wants to portray how the concept of capitalism and failure of government institutions significantly affects the people of Vietnam. It is through these main issues that the poor and those individuals motivated towards gaining capital eventually find themselves in crime. As a representation of the poor within the city of Saigon, Cyclo visits a state official confident that he will receive a loan with the official meticulously recording his information as he bothered less to focus on Cyclo. Once the process is through, Cyclo is informed that he will receive contact soon when the status of hi application is made (Narkuras 148). Upon portrayal of the office, it is evident that the application form of Cyclo is just among the many growing application piles. Through such an approach, the author depicts the bankruptcy nature of the Vietnamese nation. The status of failed government systems is depicted through the lack of appearance of any state official representatives throughout the film. The only exception is the traffic police as they are evidenced regulating traffic movement within the city. As opposed to focu9sing on major events that resulted after the events like the cold war, Hung presents the situation of the working poor caught in between the state policies and the rampart economic expansion. Although the Vietnamese state is portrayed as a successful nation in dealing with external invasions, Trans presents the how the state fail to exercise considerable control on daily issues that affect the lives of the majority poor (Narkuras 149). As opposed to only capturing the effects of war on the poor, the film also captures the issues of drug abuse, sex as well as prostitution (Norindir, 45). The concept of gender representation is evidenced with the poor women portrayed as sex objects while men are engaged in all forms of crime. After the poet-turned criminal leader introduces Cyclo’s sister into prostitution, at one incident, he lives her with a man who abuses her. What transpires after the incident is the theme of capitalism where the offender pays a quantifiable amount of dollars for his action. As opposed to providing the right services for its citizens, the Vietnamese government focused mostly on war issues leading to the challenges evidenced in the film. It is evident that the Vietnamese government sold the institutions that would otherwise help in promoting the lives of its citizens to multinationals and transnational institutions. Narkuras (153) argues that transnational companies within Vietnam use the available state institutions to suit their needs. For example, they force the institutions to pay for roads that they use in transporting their goods and consequently threaten to depart whenever their needs are not observed. That serves as a clear representation of capitalism and the impacts it has on the Vietnamese society towards violence. It is for such reasons that the film portrays Cyclo as a young boy who is working all day together with her sister when they are supposed to be in educational institutes. In critiquing the film Narkuras and Norindr portrays that Hung leans mostly on the theme of capitalism as opposed to other touching themes experienced in the Vietnam society. Norindr (45) argues on failure of presentation of powerful themes of sex and prostitution and the issue of HIV/AIDS that are common issues within the society. Although there are episodes that capture prostitution, they are limited and inadequate. Consequently, (Narkuras 158) cites on the necessity of providing a chronological of events that lack in the film with most of the film parts serving as connections from one point to another. Norindr (81) on the other hand acknowledges the Vietnamese government efforts in rooting what it termed as social evils through trying to wipe the foreign influence. Through such a presentation, Norindr want to argue on the failure of Hung to provide reference on any government efforts to eliminate the influence of capitalism that is stripping the Vietnam economy. In conclusion, capitalism serves as the reason behind the deteriorating living conditions of the poor within the cities of Vietnam. As a result of the concept, violence and prostitution remain resultant factors as the last options that occur without the will of the poor individuals. It is evident from the three main protagonists within the movie that they joined their new course of live out of frustrations as opposed to choice. Works Cited Narkunas, Paul. Streetwalking in the Cinema of the City: Capital Flows through Sagion Norindr, Panivong. Vietnam; Chronicles of Old and New https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq2lqfy5GFc&list=PLGYLyZQ7tJ57aUob2HFF0EvwG-4sAEJrm Read More