Vietnamese actor 'a traitor'

[SunWuKong]

One of Vietnam's most famous actors, Don Duong, has been labelled a traitor by the country's armed forces.

The Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People's Army) daily newspaper said the actor had betrayed his country by appearing with Mel Gibson in this year's war epic We Were Soldiers, and with Patrick Swayze in the 2001 refugee drama Green Dragon.

Calling Duong's actions "unforgivable", the newspaper said the "conscience-seller and traitor must be strictly disciplined".

"By being a propagandist and a lackey of hostile forces, smearing the image of the People's Army soldiers and smearing the Vietnamese people, Don Duong has sold his conscience at a cheap price and has become a traitor," it said.

Ho Chi Minh City's Cinema Association joined the attack on Duong, with film director Duong Minh Dau saying the actor had insulted Vietnam by "turning his back on his country and his people".

Ho Chi Minh City authorities are considering banning Duong from travelling overseas, and preventing him from appearing in all movies for five years, said Nguyen Phuc Thanh, director of cinematic affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Mr Duong acted in We Were Soldiers, which claimed to depict the November 1965 battle of Ia Drang - the first major engagement between US troops and the North Vietnamese Army.

Banned

Many earlier film hits about the Vietnam War, including Apocalypse Now or Platoon, showed an uneasiness about the US intervention in the region.

But We Were Soldiers was seen as a flag-waving portrayal of American soldiers as heroes.

Vietnam has disputed the film's version of the battle, saying the events of 1965 proved that the country could stand and fight the US military.

Similarly, the Vietnamese government has objected to Green Dragon, based on the story of Vietnamese refugees housed in camps across the southwestern US in the mid-1970s.

Although both films are officially banned in Vietnam, pirate copies are widely available.


the article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/2268739.stm)

[angel nympho]

What the! That's retarded. A role in a film, by definition, is playing a part of somebody you are NOT. I bet the guys who played the KKK dudes in A Time to Kill weren't disgraces to America, and the the guy in Silence of the Lambs wasn't a disgrace to humanity... I can see how they might be upset that he participated in something they did not agree with, but it was his choice, he shouldn't be punished for it. The people in Vietnam can hold all the opinions about him that they want... just because you're famous doesn't mean people have to like you, but punishing him for doing his job...? Lame.

[raacluse]

Re: Green Dragon

from a press release about the upcoming DC APA Film Festival:

The Festival closes on Saturday, October 19th at the Freer with two
Sundance Film Festival selections about cultural differences,
longing, and the personal legacy of war. At 4:00pm, Vicente Franco
and Gail Dolgin's award winning documentary, Daughter from Danang,
chronicles a young woman's journey from Tennessee to Vietnam to
reunite with her mother. At 7:00 pm, Timothy Linh Bui's feature
length film, Green Dragon, is a poignant story of Vietnamese refugees
housed at Camp Pendelton in 1975, focusing on a young brother and
sister in search of their mother. The film's star-studded cast
includes Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Tran, and Forrest Whitaker.

[kasia]

i actually think the label is fair. the situation is unlike whites who play hicks in american movies because whites are portrayed as many other characters in other movies. indeed, in a time to kill, it white defense attorney who was the hero in the end (or wasn't it?) vietnamese, on the contrary, have only been portrayed as cowardly soilders who fight dirty (men) or whores (women).

[angel nympho]

^-- To each his own.

If I was the actor, I probably would have taken on the role, myself. If there really needs to be somebody to get pissed at, get pissed at the writers. The actor is just doing his job.

[kasia]

Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 21 2002, 07:20 PM
^-- To each his own.

If I was the actor, I probably would have taken on the role, myself. If there really needs to be somebody to get pissed at, get pissed at the writers. The actor is just doing his job.
but isn't there a duty one owes to his own community?

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by kasia@Sep 21 2002, 07:03 PM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 21 2002, 07:20 PM
^-- To each his own.

If I was the actor, I probably would have taken on the role, myself.  If there really needs to be somebody to get pissed at, get pissed at the writers.  The actor is just doing his job.
but isn't there a duty one owes to his own community?
i guess it's relative to what extent the government imposes the duty on its citizens, and whether or not those duties are reasonable. i am no professional actor, but if i was an aspiring working actor, i would feel that the opportunity to play interesting roles supercede a sense of duty to my community.

[kasia]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 22 2002, 12:12 AM
Originally posted by kasia@Sep 21 2002, 07:03 PM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 21 2002, 07:20 PM
^-- To each his own.

If I was the actor, I probably would have taken on the role, myself. If there really needs to be somebody to get pissed at, get pissed at the writers. The actor is just doing his job.
but isn't there a duty one owes to his own community?
i guess it's relative to what extent the government imposes the duty on its citizens, and whether or not those duties are reasonable. i am no professional actor, but if i was an aspiring working actor, i would feel that the opportunity to play interesting roles supercede a sense of duty to my community.
even if these "interesting roles" are the only ones that exist for asians and would serve to perpetuate a negative stereotype?

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by kasia@Sep 21 2002, 09:33 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 22 2002, 12:12 AM
Originally posted by kasia@Sep 21 2002, 07:03 PM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 21 2002, 07:20 PM
^-- To each his own.

If I was the actor, I probably would have taken on the role, myself. If there really needs to be somebody to get pissed at, get pissed at the writers. The actor is just doing his job.
but isn't there a duty one owes to his own community?
i guess it's relative to what extent the government imposes the duty on its citizens, and whether or not those duties are reasonable. i am no professional actor, but if i was an aspiring working actor, i would feel that the opportunity to play interesting roles supercede a sense of duty to my community.
even if these "interesting roles" are the only ones that exist for asians and would serve to perpetuate a negative stereotype?
if i was an aspiring working actor, i would jump at the chance to play Long Duk Dong.

[kasia]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 22 2002, 02:45 AM
Originally posted by kasia@Sep 21 2002, 09:33 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 22 2002, 12:12 AM
Originally posted by kasia@Sep 21 2002, 07:03 PM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 21 2002, 07:20 PM
^-- To each his own.

If I was the actor, I probably would have taken on the role, myself. If there really needs to be somebody to get pissed at, get pissed at the writers. The actor is just doing his job.
but isn't there a duty one owes to his own community?
i guess it's relative to what extent the government imposes the duty on its citizens, and whether or not those duties are reasonable. i am no professional actor, but if i was an aspiring working actor, i would feel that the opportunity to play interesting roles supercede a sense of duty to my community.
even if these "interesting roles" are the only ones that exist for asians and would serve to perpetuate a negative stereotype?
if i was an aspiring working actor, i would jump at the chance to play Long Duk Dong.
i'd rather fail in my career. and i know some other asian would probably take the role--but at least i will be able to live with myself.

re: your earlier comment about government imposing the duty--i agree. that's none of the government's business.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by kasia@Sep 21 2002, 09:50 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 22 2002, 02:45 AM
Originally posted by kasia@Sep 21 2002, 09:33 PM
Originally posted by SunWuKung@Sep 22 2002, 12:12 AM
Originally posted by kasia@Sep 21 2002, 07:03 PM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 21 2002, 07:20 PM
^-- To each his own.

If I was the actor, I probably would have taken on the role, myself. If there really needs to be somebody to get pissed at, get pissed at the writers. The actor is just doing his job.
but isn't there a duty one owes to his own community?
i guess it's relative to what extent the government imposes the duty on its citizens, and whether or not those duties are reasonable. i am no professional actor, but if i was an aspiring working actor, i would feel that the opportunity to play interesting roles supercede a sense of duty to my community.
even if these "interesting roles" are the only ones that exist for asians and would serve to perpetuate a negative stereotype?
if i was an aspiring working actor, i would jump at the chance to play Long Duk Dong.
i'd rather fail in my career. and i know some other asian would probably take the role--but at least i will be able to live with myself.

re: your earlier comment about government imposing the duty--i agree. that's none of the government's business.
i guess i approach it this way, i think from an acting point of view, Long Duk Dong is actually an interesting character. well i would think that any exaggerated character would be really fun to play, whereas "normal" characters would be kind of boring.

[angel nympho]

Originally posted by kasia@Sep 22 2002, 12:03 AM
Originally posted by angel nympho@Sep 21 2002, 07:20 PM
^-- To each his own.

If I was the actor, I probably would have taken on the role, myself.  If there really needs to be somebody to get pissed at, get pissed at the writers.  The actor is just doing his job.
but isn't there a duty one owes to his own community?
Well, yes, but isn't it also up to the actor's judgement? What kind of nation PUNISHES an actor for doing his job??? I mean, there are people in America who are not proud of being American and often say things against the government or whatnot, but they don't get banned from their jobs and such...