1992 French film directed by Regis Wargnier.
Epic drama/tragedy set in French Indochina from 1930s to Communist takeover in 1955 offers insights into French colonial rule.
Main character, Elaine (Catherine Deneuve), is an empowered, unmarried Frenchwoman in charge of a rubber plantation in Indochina.
Elaine adopts an orphaned upper class Asian baby girl she names Camille.
Dramatic conflict arises when grown up Camille falls in love with her mother's lover Jean-Baptiste, a young French Naval officer, and Elaine has him transferred to a remote outpost of Indochina.
Elaine arranges a marriage of Camille to Tanh, but he soon leaves to join the Communists and Camille runs away.
Camille finds Jean and both learn first-hand about the salve trade that provides French plantation owners like Elaine with their workers.
Camille and Jean witness a horrifying examining and choosing of Indo-Chinese people as slave labor.
Jean and Camille become politicized, and become part of the anti-colonial rebellion.
Camille and Jean flee when he causes the death of his commanding officer.
Camille is imprisoned. Leaving Jean with their young son.
When Jean is also captured, the young child ends up in the care of Elaine, who takes him to France after the Communist takeover.
G. Epilogue depicts Elaine and Camille's grown son waiting to see Camille at the Geneva Accords.
The ending of a decadent society as Vietnamese people rise up against years of repressive French Imperialism. Ruling class blamed for collapse of Indochina.
The idyllic lives of the wealthy are contrasted with the brutal lives of the poor Indochinese people ruled over by the wealthy French landholders.
Camille's search for personal freedom is symbolic of the people of Indochina' search for freedom from French rule.
Reasons for the rise of Nationalism and Communism in Indochina.
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