Buzz
Throughout its duration of over 3 hours, 'Inside the Golden Cocoon' boasts many beautifully shot scenes, intricately crafted yet potentially challenging for mainstream audiences to grasp.
Inside the Golden Cocoon (International Title: Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) garnered attention as the sole representative of Vietnamese cinema at the Cannes 2023 Film Festival. The film surpassed many formidable contenders to clinch the Caméra d'Or (Golden Camera) - an accolade reserved for outstanding debut films.
After 3 months, the film was brought back to Vietnam by its distributor to cater to the domestic audience. This also marks the first arthouse film to hit theaters this year, following a slew of purely commercial projects.
The Quest for Faith
The film revolves around the journey of Thiện (played by Lê Phong Vũ) - a young unmarried man, with no stable job, losing faith in the essence of life and experiencing days of confusion and uncertainty along life's path.
One evening, Thien receives the unexpected news of his sister-in-law's passing in a motorbike accident. Suddenly, he becomes the sole caretaker for his 5-year-old nephew named Dao (Nguyen Thinh) since his father left home long ago.
While the child remains unaware of his mother's demise, Thien must find a way to transport his sister-in-law's body back to their hometown and arrange the funeral. Subsequently, he is determined to search for his brother so that Dao has the chance to meet his father.
The film marks Pham Thien An's directorial debut – a director previously experienced in making some short films. He pens the screenplay, developed from the short film Stay Awake, Be Ready released in 2019.
With a runtime exceeding 3 hours, Pham Thien An intertwines numerous messages about existentialism. Right from the beginning of the film, Thien sits drinking and discussing life's purpose with his friend. Throughout the journey, he also meets and converses with various characters about existence and the meaning of life.
Religious elements are also purposefully embedded. Scenes of churches, nuns, prayers, or dialogues about God are heavily utilized in the film. All these aspects turn Thien's quest to find his relatives into a journey of rediscovering himself, reclaiming lost faith.
The Beauty of Slowness
The most outstanding aspect of Inside the Golden Cocoon lies in its visuals. The director skillfully utilizes the setting to create scenes that are both authentically gritty and dreamily beautiful.
Through Thien's journey, Pham Thien An leads the audience from the bustling scenes of Ho Chi Minh City to the serene highlands of Bao Loc - also the director's hometown.
His style evokes renowned directors of the slow cinema movement such as Béla Tarr, Andrei Tarkovsky, Abbas Kiarostami,...
The filmmaker favors long takes, shooting in a single uninterrupted shot and minimizing editing. Most lenses are fixed, moving slowly if at all to maintain utmost realism.
With this approach, mise en scène becomes crucial in ensuring each scene achieves the director's intended purpose.
There's a 25-minute long scene featuring a conversation between two characters indoors. However, the director breaks conventions by placing the camera outside, showing only the wooden door to the audience instead of the actors' faces. There's also a pitch-black scene where nothing is visible.
Sometimes, viewers might feel like they're watching a documentary when viewing a film. However, in reality, it's the outcome of meticulous calculation and practice before officially rolling the cameras.
An Uncommon Dish That May Not Suit Vietnamese Tastes
The emergence of Inside the Golden Cocoon brings to mind Memento Mori: Earth (directed by Marcus Manh Cuong Vu) released last year. Both belong to the selective art-house genre, posing questions about life and death while intertwining elements of faith and religion.
Coincidentally, both directors blend reality with fantasy, juxtaposing everyday scenes with dreams to highlight the characters' inner psyche. They both prove themselves ardent fans of slow cinema with slow-paced shots and minimalist filmmaking techniques.
However, while Memento Mori: Earth draws inspiration from the works of author Dang Hoang Giang, Inside the Golden Cocoon is built upon the very personal emotions and experiences of director Pham Thien An.
With a runtime of just 85 minutes, Memento Mori: Earth failed to captivate local audiences. According to data from Box Office Vietnam (an independent box office monitoring unit), the film directed by Marcus Manh Cuong Vu only grossed over 260,000,000 Vietnamese dong. Its social media buzz was also underwhelming.
Thanks to its Cannes achievements, Inside the Golden Cocoon has garnered significant support from both the media and the filmmaking community upon its hometown release. However, its 3-hour duration truly proved to be a tough pill to swallow for mainstream audiences.
The slow pace has become the distinguishing factor that sets the film apart from many fast-paced blockbusters. However, it also poses a patience-testing barrier, especially for those not fond of slow cinema.
Pham Thien An's success lies in establishing a unique atmosphere, distinct from any other Vietnamese production. Yet, for the non-religious, his work may seem vague and elusive. Even its visually stunning frames may appear beautiful yet soulless.
