Indochine (film)

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Indochine

Directed by	Régis Wargnier
Written by	Erik Orsenna Louis Gardel
Starring	Catherine Deneuve Vincent Perez
Release date(s)	April 15, 1992
Running time	148 min.
Language	French/Vietnamese
IMDb profile

Indochine is a 1992 French film that tells the story of a young Indochinese woman named Camille. The title refers to the colony of French Indochina, of which modern Vietnam was once a part. The screenplay was written by Erik Orsenna, Louis Gardel, Catherine Cohen and Régis Wargnier. It was directed by Wargnier. It stars Catherine Deneuve, Vincent Perez, Linh Dan Pham, Jean Yanne and Dominique Blanc.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Camille, from an Annamese aristocratic family, is adopted by Eliane Devries after her parents died. Madame Devries owns a rubber plantation. Madame Devries meets and has an affair with a French Marine officer Jean-Baptiste. In an accident, a French policeman almost kills Camille, and she is rescued by Jean-Baptiste and she too falls in love with him. Madame Devries has Jean-Baptiste sent away to protect Camille from being hurt.

Camille goes through with an arranged marriage to Tahn, a young man who was studying in France and supports the Communists. After one day of marriage, Camille leaves to look for Jean-Baptiste up north. Camille travels with a Vietnamese family, and reaches the island where Jean-Baptiste is. The island is being used as a slave market, and Camille ends up shooting a French officer when Jean-Baptiste tries to take her away.

Camille and Jean-Baptiste sail away to a secret cave and are rescued by the Communists. Tahn arranges to smuggle the two lovers into China with a Communist theatre troupe. One day when baptizing their new son Etienne alone, Jean-Baptiste and Etienne are captured by the French. Madame Devries takes Etienne, but Jean-Baptiste is murdered by the French security agents because he knows too much. Camille is captured and sent to prison where she too becomes a Communist. After years, Camille is released and joins the Communist Party.

Madame Devries and Etienne return to France, where Etienne has a chance to meet his mother while she is in France at the Geneva Conference. Etienne does not meet Camille because he says Madame Devries is his mother because she has raised him.