The Scent Of The Green Papaya 1992 [Movie Review]

The year was 1951 in Saigon, Vietnam. It was hot but the heat was bearable. Mui a servant girl at age ten has lost her father three years ago and has to help her family with their finances. The household has an irresponsible master and a kind mistress. Time and again the master has left off with their savings to spend on women. The mistress welcomes him home wholeheartedly whenever he does so. The last time he steals the jewelry from the safe he has a heart attack. The mistress lovingly tends to him as he died. There was an old servant who showed Mui the way. When money was scarce they eat the green papayas grown at their backyard.

Ten years later Mui was twenty years old. The mistress has passed their clothing and embroidery business to one of her sons who has a wise wife. She says they raise livestock at their compound and let go of Mui. The mistress was distressed cause she reminds her of her daughter who passed away.

Mui was sent to a friend of theirs who is an eligible bachelor. The musician lives alone and was kinda wealthy. She was supple. They were kind of set up but he has a fiancee. You know women can seduce without them noticing so they fell for each other. The fiancee calmly gives back the engagement ring after smashing the place. The musician gives Mui a book that tells of the green and yellow papayas. He taught her to read and write. Then she goes to pick the green papaya and cook for her husband.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The green papaya is the symbol of trying times. The musician knows he can be disowned by his family, friends and business partners by the rejection of his fiancee so he teaches Mui so she can up her status. They believe they can do it. I noticed that they julienne the green papaya but after few scratches from the surface they throw the rest of the papaya away. We eat all the green papaya here you know.