HEAVEN AND EARTH
A film review by Scott Renshaw
Copyright 1994 Scott Renshaw
Starring: Hiep Thi Le, Tommy Lee Jones, Joan Chen, Haing S. Ngor. Screenplay/Director: Oliver Stone.
The problem with Oliver Stone, in my humble opinion, has always been that he just doesn't know when to shut up. I have long been a detractor of Stone's, but that opinion hasn't been a result of his visual style; each of his films can boast at least one moment of real flair. Unfortunately, Stone's tendency towards the pedantic often obscures those elements of his films which do work. HEAVEN AND EARTH, Stone's third foray into the Vietnam War, is much the same. Every once in a while, when he lets his camera do the talking, you can see the potential for greatness, but the talky, over-narrated script blunts the film's power.
HEAVEN AND EARTH spans thirty years in the life of Le Ly (Hiep Thi Le), a Vietnamese farm girl from the small village of Ky La. She grows up during the French occupation, then watches as the Viet Cong begins to win the support of the people, including two of her brothers. The fighting is encouraged by Le Ly's fiery Mama (Joan Chen), but meets with the disapproval of introspective Papa (Haing S. Ngor). Conflicts with both the V.C. and the South Vietnamese government soon force Le Ly and her mother into Saigon, where different hardships await. She finally seems to find happiness with an American Marine (Tommy Lee Jones), but as she begins life in America she discovers that for herself and many others, the war is still not over.
Visually, there are several sequences worthy of an Oliver Stone highlight reel. Cinematographer Robert Richardson's opening shots of Ky La are rich and beautiful, including a particularly striking image of an orange-robed Buddhist monk walking through tall green grass. There is an intense sequence involving Le Ly's torture at the hands of the Southern government which had the entire audience gasping and squirming. Perhaps most notable is the whimsical portrayal of Le Ly's first encounters with American consumer culture, including a slow-motion walk to an overstuffed refrigerator and the preparation of a dinner entirely from frozen and canned foods. Stone has a keen directorial eye, and HEAVEN AND EARTH is usually interesting to watch.
Would that Stone's ear were so keen. HEAVEN AND EARTH's primary responsibility is to pull the viewer into Le Ly's suffering, but that never really happened for me. The main reason for this failure is Stone's decision to use--and over-use--narration by Le Ly. There is very little in the narration which could not have been demonstrated visually, and it acts as a distancing mechanism, providing a retrospective voice which doesn't allow the trials of a teenage girl to seem like they're happening to a teenage girl. It's sloppy screenwriting on Stone's part, and all the more disappointing because he's so much better at showing than he is at telling. Where we should be focusing on harrowing images, instead we get speeches.
Newcomer Hiep Thi Le has to carry the two and a half hour film, and essentially she's up to the task. As with most novices, her biggest problems are with scenes requiring big emotions, but those problems are not distracting. Le displays Le Ly's strength and determination admirably, as well as her conviction that karma from a past life is responsible for her current troubles. Joan Chen is extremely effective as Le Ly's mother, and Haing S. Ngor turns in his second strong performance of the year (after MY LIFE) as Papa. Conchata Ferrell is also notable in a scene-stealing turn as Le Ly's gabby American sister-in-law. However, the one disappointing supporting performance is turned in by Tommy Lee Jones. His Sgt. Butler is only sketchily developed, appearing late in the film and never developing fully enough to make his later actions understandable. Still, Stone is a fine director of actors, and his cast is basically strong.
Stone's intention with HEAVEN AND EARTH was clearly to show us that as much as we in America think we suffered as a result of the Vietnam War, Vietnam suffered more. There are glimpses of that suffering, but it should have been a much easier point to bring across. Le Ly experiences more suffering than most lifetimes, but it never seemed quite real. Elements of HEAVEN AND EARTH carry undeniable impact, but when it was money time he should have descended from his soapbox and let his camera do the talking.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 years of war: 6.
-- Scott Renshaw Stanford University Office of the General Counsel .
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