Saigon as a landscape palimpsest: the hybrid identity of Saigon’s urban area in the opening period through Tran Anh Hung’s Cyclo (1995)

Le Thi Tuan

Landscape Research, 2024, vol. 49, issue 8, 1095-1105

Abstract: The film Cyclo (1995), by diasporic Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung, positions Saigon city as an endless overwriting and creation of cultural, political, and cultural currents – what I call a landscape palimpsest. In the movie, ‘Saigon’ is a site of clashing post-war traumas, modern lifestyles driven by consumerism, traditional identities, and globalisation. The superimposition of landscapes creates the city’s hybrid identity, revealing a complex and multi-faceted urban domain. Aesthetically, Cyclo also overlays the feel of ‘romantic cinema’ and the raw, documentary aesthetic of ‘everyday cinema’. Therefore, the film opens the door for the presence of contemporary, independent, everyday cinematic aesthetics. Cyclo is an intersection that can connect the cinematic and historical events of the city.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1080/01426397.2024.2404444

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