Review of Three Seasons (1999) by Daniel K — 17 Apr 2011

3: Fascinating film, especially for those that have spent time in Vietnam as a tourist. The exploration of the interpersonal and intercultural interactions involved in the tourist industry is something I don't recall having seen before.

For me, it was extremely recognizable and felt very authentic. The characters inner thoughts regarding the imbalances between cultures and the manner in which the local population prostitutes themselves for the almighty dollar, and a glimpse of what is thought to be a better life, merely served to confirm my own personal ruminations and suspicions.

SE Asia seems to cater to the international traveler more than other regions, or at least that's how it seems to me. Tourism is the lifeblood of large segments of the society, which inevitably means that you have a poor population serving a rich population, whether it is a cyclo driver, a street vendor, a flower girl, a prostitute, a hotel manager, etc.

All of these characters and more are depicted here in a very realistic and moving fashion. None of the pitfalls of the relationship between tourist and service provider are glossed over or shied away from.

It is brutally honest and often verging on the uncomfortable. It seems very fitting that I picked up this film from a street vendor in Hanoi a couple months ago.