Green Dragon

This movie seems to be experiences of various Vietnamese people during the stay in the refugee camp. It has been sentimentalized, casting it as some sort of good old memories. Plus it seems most of the people who made it out are the ones, by whatever circumstances, either having power, connection, money or being in the armed forces. So we get a view biased toward the well to do who favored what we did for them.

The many little stories intertwined together gives an overall concern that most of the Vietnamese had when they first arrived, with a few like the Camp manager/Patrick Swayze character and Kid/Forest Whitaker character thrown in to reflect American's own remorse and problems.

I found that some of the subjects covered to be a bit abrupt, since many of the characters were not introduced, instead were thrown into the action. Like the man with two wives, and the husband and wife with the pictures of their son, who were dragged out of their beds in the middle of the night. Seeing the deleted scenes on the DVD made the characters more rounded and their situations more understanding, allowing us to connect with them better.

Many of the more important subjects seems to be lightly touched upon, and the whole American issue seem to play us out as the savior, as opposed to the aggressor. Even the radio reporting of seem to play to the fear of the well to do Vietnamese since they were the ones being preyed upon during the fall of Saigon, which is not unusual in situations where the oppressed overtakes a imperialist backed government.

Most of the acting were very humanistic, but I found Patrick Swayze a bit too apathetic, never allowing us to believe that he is filled with guilt. A big part is probably his natural facial expression, which does not gear toward the sorrow look.

All in all, still a good movie to see so that we would know what the people experienced when they first came to the US. A little less mush and a little more on the heavy or more controversial topics would have been welcomed.

This film went beyond anything I had ever expected it to be. The acting was incredible, the scenes were moving and the characters memorable and beautiful. I was so happy to see Patrick Swayze back and looking good and of course Forest Whitaker was fabulous. His relationship with the young Mihn was touching. Please, go rent this movie; you won't regret it.

10/10*

This story is about tragedy and the uprooting of whole societies. This specific story is a telling of Vietnam, but it could be transferred to many other moments in history. When a people have their whole lives destroyed by war, then how do you start over? We see the various forms that emotions can go through, and how each individual deals with them. Even when everything is gone, you end up with choices. How you handle the worst of times, can determine how you live out the rest of your life. There is not a right answer in most cases, but you have to find a way to continue.

Patrick and Forest are only extras in this movie. They help create the set up for the refugees, who must find a way to begin again. Some want to go back, which is almost impossible as life can never be the same after war. The continual theme throughout this movie is a longing for peace. Emotions are stretched to the end as people search for loved ones, and search for meaning. There is always hope when looking to the future, but the devastation of loss will never be forgotten.

It is a very good telling of how wars affect the survivors. The headlines are written down in the history books, but life is continued on a personal level. It is hard to imagine what it would be like to actually survive, and yet it has happened so many times in the conflicts between cultures.

I recently viewed The Green Dragon (2001) on Tubi. The storyline revolves around Vietnamese refugees arriving in America towards the end of the Vietnam War. As the war's conclusion nears, the film depicts a significant transition for the immigrants, with a few American soldiers striving to facilitate a smooth adjustment.

Directed by Timothy Linh Bui (Powder Blue), the film features Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing), Forest Whitaker (Rogue One), Duong Don (We Were Soldiers), Hiep Thi Le (Cruel Intentions), and Billinjer C. Tran (We Were Soldiers).

This movie offers a unique and authentic storyline, with well-written subplots that unfold fascinatingly. The acting is solid, with Swayze's character feeling realistic and Whitaker delivering a relatable performance. The portrayal of how the Vietnamese grapple with the tension between their future and past, navigating necessary adjustments, is both believable and compelling. The film concludes with a mix of sadness and enlightenment.

In conclusion, while not reaching outstanding heights, The Green Dragon presents a storyline that merits your time. I would give it a score of 6/10 and recommend watching it once.

Along Southern California's coast, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, sprawls Camp Pendelton, home to about 50,000 U.S. Marines. Less than an hour's drive to the north, not far from Disneyland, is a Vietnamese enclave of about 200,000 without political boundaries which the road signs call "Little Saigon". "Green Dragon" peers into the lives of a handful of Vietnamese who, in 1975 during the fall of Saigon, occupied a refugee camp at Camp Pendelton and went on to be assimilated into American society and establish communities such as "Little Saigon".

Part history lesson and part drama, "Green Dragon" is sensitive look at a people in flux agonizing over their expatriation and fragmentation while coming to grips with an uncertain future. The film is a somewhat uneven and austere hodgepodge with the look of a low budget indie. However, what it lacks in embellishments it makes up for in nobility of purpose and should be appreciated by those with a special interest in the time and the people involved. (C)