MovieChat Forums > Seven Psychopaths (2012) Discussion > The Vietnamese storyline (Spoilers)

The Vietnamese storyline (Spoilers)

posted 12 years ago by BobStage
37 replies | jump to latest

I really thought that added a great layer to the movie. It starts out all over-the-top with the guy's declaration that the Vietnam War is still on. Then we find out his sad backstory, seeing why he's doing what he's doing. His small cameo at the 'final showdown' was hilariously random and over-the-top, along with the rest of the scene. Then at the very end, Walken provides an uplifting, hopeful ending to the story which, for me, took me completely by surprise, and felt like it could have been its own little movie.

[–] emvan 12 years ago

I spent the whole movie wondering whether I'd end up giving it an 8 (A-) or 9 (A), just a bit of a letdown after In Bruges, a 10, A+, all-time favorite for me.

The Hans narration from beyond the grave just lifted it right up into A+ territory for me. It made the movie what Marty said he wanted it to be -- weirdly life-affirming, somehow. And it puts a huge lie to all the critics who really liked the movie but thought that it was messy and out-of-control, and hence less than the sum of its parts. That was a sense that McDonagh wanted us to have so that he could hit us with the ace up his sleeve. I guarantee that a lot of critics who leveled that criticism will see how well it all hangs together when they see it a second time. It's as if they made their mind up and stopped paying attention to what was actually on the screen.

Prepare your minds for a new scale of physical, scientific values, gentlemen.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Flabulous 12 years ago

Wow. That state of pre-judging surely is one of the most destructive ways to view a movie, is it not? I don't say it's wrong, but you disallow yourself from immersion and openness to what's happening at that moment in the story. Unless of course this was merely a byproduct of boredom or frustration in the viewing experience?

[–] lancer165 12 years ago

I am not horn blowing supporter of all America. For one thing I am British but we as a nation are trying to apologize for things we got wrong. we apologized for our part in slavery but not the Spanish, Portuguese, etc [catholic nations of course], the famine in Ireland has been apologized for by Mr Blair who assisted in making Mr Bush come to a decision regarding Iraq. He may have had an agenda for a few things even Northern Ireland which he sorted out single handed. Of course his playing around with Sinn Fien as a student and his now conversion to the faith that nearly all IRA would claim did not influence his plans. This might even influence any thoughts he may have about the middle east problem in regard to Israel as a state or the Jewish faith in general. Remember I wrote that he is now Catholic like Mr M.Gibson

At times during conflicts Korea, Vietnam, Iraq many voice what is seemed as negative to the red blooded citizens. Unfortunately time shows that all three conflicts mentioned above are tainted with not only the perceived evidence of the day and the maintained lie that kept them going. It is hard to apologize when a nation cries out 'my country right or wrong'.

Writers and others do try to apologize in their own various ways and also try to get others to understand that all we do is for the greater good.

The USA is a very big powerful nation and I do understand that when there are bully's in the playground the only thing that can be done is to make sure that you have strong people who can make the bully afraid.

I felt that using such an iconic moment from the [noble] part of the US conflict
in Vietnam many who knew the background story could appreciate that tale within a tale.

Vietnam that terrible place since the war has done what against the world? Has it become a state like North Korea. The red under the bed has kept certain areas of america sacred and at the same time some have prospered.

Overall I had little problem with any of the suggested PC moments. Those offended should make movies for few to watch. I find that when an incorrect statement action is shown it is usually against the so called negative remark but then few see Sasha Baron Cohen as anti racist etc.

[–] AgentBlue 12 years ago

It was pretty cool I like the idea of a vietnamese priest seeking vengeance, then the little twist that it was all a dream just great.

Lose the Game!!!!!!!

[–] wandrigdeb 12 years ago

I like that storyline as well, being a Vietnamese the twist gave me a nice little surprise. But the part when the hooker told the monk to stop with her "perfect Vietnamese" cracked me up; i couldn't hear what the heck she just said, other than "Dung tay lai" which means "Stop"; and that's the second times.

[–] WavesBeneath 12 years ago

I definitely couldn't understand what she said as well. I'm Vietnamese, also.

[–] Unitedite 11 years ago

Thank you! I don't speak Vietnamese well but lived there for a year and was feeling bad that I didn't understand her...

[–] shany-khan 11 years ago

Ah,vietnamese,love how those peoples watching movies pirated come in here and tal]king with the peoples that have paid to watch (this is an Independent movie so obviously it wasn't released overseas)and from your rating list i can see that you have pirated a lot other movies even tv shows as well) yeah,something to be proud of!

[–] TonyMontana123 12 years ago

"His small cameo at the 'final showdown' was hilariously random and over-the-top"

What small cameo??

[–] WavesBeneath 12 years ago

He's referring to Billy's narration of the shootout scene when all 3 of them are in the desert.

The Vietnamese guy is seen shooting a flamethrower at Costello's gang.

[–] grandscholar 12 years ago

Yeah, but why would a Buddhist monk dream about being a VC? It is sad that the screen writer has no understanding of history. Why bother to study history when it is more fun and profitable to write a about a writer having writer's block? Note well that in reality, the Buddhist monks in South Vietnam did not burn themselves to protest the war -- they were protesting the treatment of Buddhists by the Diem government. (Diem himself was a Catholic.) Nothing to do with the war really. And for argument's sake, let's pretend that they Simply surrender to the northern invasion backed the the Soviets because they were so much more benevolent and enlighted than Uncle Sam?

[–] garthhudson37 11 years ago

In Hans' version of the Vietnamese guy story the dream had nothing to do with the VC, it was about the monk allowing anger in so that he could conquer it before he killed himself. The blonde woman in the red dress and the Army officer just happened to be there so he created a narrative where he brutally killed the woman and a group of American military veterans in the exploration of his anger.

Yes, it was historically inaccurate to say that Thich Quang Duc killed himself in protest of the war, but it's an image and an event that Americans associate with the war so it works on an emotional level with audiences. I think that Martin McDonaugh probably did know the actual history but he figured it was better to tell a good story than a true story.

[–] kemicon 12 years ago

if you notice in the beginning Marty foreshadows the possibility of the ending. It's subtle. Also I'm not sure why the very end of the movie seems to be set in the 1960s.

[–] kelly-wilson 12 years ago

My opinion is that the Vietnamese storyline --- at least in its climax --- was very compelling. Here we have a character of such intense rage (something has happened, we know, which motivates in him the desire to destroy others) but possibility is given him that he need not stay that way; that he might push that hatred back out of his heart. The storyline can be, and is, critiqued by some, but to me it establishes the film’s redemptive quality.

I expressed this though in my earlier brief reaction to Seven Psychopaths:

http://mymusingsonfilm.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/seven-psychopaths-2012 /

KW.

[–] jmhow 11 years ago

I expected him to play Russian roulette.

www.freerice.com

[–] Wowcolton191 11 years ago

Did anyone think that maybe the monk's ending had something to do with Christopher Walkers death? They both decided to let themselves die for the good of something out of control. Chris purposely made it seem like he was pulling out a gun so he'd get shot causing the cops to chase those guys and the monk killing himself to protest the war.

"Man fears the darkness, and so he scrapes away at the edges of it with fire."