Saigon - Year of the Cat (1983)

Can love servive the fall of the nation!.

Enjoyable performances, historic events: lives of everyday people..

I'm a Judi Dench fan from way back. This is low-key, not over-the-top with war details and scenes, as the story is more about the regular people, both Vietnamese and American, in their daily lives, leading up to and including the unexpected fast exit from Saigon. I liked the British style of filming, and the possible existences and ways people coped in their unusual circumstances. The reality of people left behind, both by need for quick exit, and by choices made by politicians, brought the story-line into perspective, as to what was not publicized or shown in news reels and reports. People out of their element who had to adjust in whatever ways they could were portrayed well enough to give the feeling of personal acquaintance with their habits, fears, and isolation. I happen to like most of the actors in the film already, which makes any film more enjoyable to me. A sad, but not morose film about a time which was felt to be sad by many.. I liked it. Its content was driven by the war and circumstances which many experienced from one direction or another, so it could not have been expected to be a happy film. I read some of the other reviews, and felt compelled to remind : "Opinions vary, person-to-person", and I rarely put much weight on another person's judgement of a film. If something about it tugs at me in some way, I watch it and discover the film I will see. You will do, or will have done whatever pleases you. I have a copy of this film and watch it periodically. Dench and Forrest can rarely disappoint this viewer, however. October 6, 2007

Great movie

The movie takes place just before the complete fall of Saigon. Judi Dench plays a British bank employee having a sexual affair with a CIA employee from the American Embassy.
When this agent gets information from reliable sourses that the fall of Saigon is very near, The American ambassador does not listen to any advice, until the last moment when the evacutation of the embassy employees, the military personnel, and some Vietnamese become a horrific nightmare yet a reality. The movie shows the exact real panic in the Embassy, the city and its residents who helped the Americans through out the years, yet felt left behind in hostile hands.
The last American Helicopter leaves Saigon while some more Americans are still calling the Embassy personnel with no one on the other line, waiting in remote places in the city for the Helicopters to come to their rescue.
A very moving true story. I recommend this movie to all the history lovers.
The quality of the DVD is not perfect but very acceptable.

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The year of living dangerously January 24, 2006

Accurate portrayal of the last days and the fall of Saigon.

I purchased this movie because I am a Judi Dench fan. She plays a British bank employee named Barbara Dean. Barbara is a strong, independent, smart, sexy, caring woman. She and an American CIA employee at the American embassy fall in love. There is an immediate connection between these two. As their love affair develops, the political situation goes from bad to worse. The American ambassador arrives in Saigon, but refuses to believe that things will not improve. He does not listen to advice from anyone and waits until the last possible moment to make decisions involving the evacutation of both embassy employees, American military personnel, and Vietnamese. Papers must be shreaded and lives must be saved. I just saw this bit of history shown on Peter Jennings' The Century on the History channel.The movie shows almost exactly the same panic of people trying to get on some of the last helicopters to leave Saigon, the crowds at the front of the embassy, the shreaded documents, and the indecision of the American ambassador that I saw on The Century. Kissinger spoke about the ambassador on the Century. E.G.Marshall portrayed him accurately. This movie told it like it really was. I especially enjoyed Judi Dench's subtle, yet passionate relationship with Frederic Forrest. Her character showed great compassion for her Vietnamese co-workers. I would recommend this movie to all those who enjoy Judi Dench and to those who would like to know more about this period in history. If you have seen Mrs. Brown and Shakespeare In Love and would like to see Judi Dench in a modern role, this is it. July 29, 1999

Very poor movie with a weak plot and boring story line.

I was an extra in this movie but hadn't seen it until I received the video as a gift. Big disappointment.

This is a movie about a love affair between the characters of Frederic Forrest and Judi Dench that occurs in the final days of the Vietnam conflict.

There seemed to be so much action in this movie when it was being filmed but that doesn't come through in the final product. The pace of the movie is extremely slow and the atmosphere of most of the scenes tend to induce sleep rather than the excitement of that era. Further, there are good people in the cast--as can be seen in E.G. Marshall and Judi Dent--yet this is one of the slowest, least interesting movies I've ever viewed. Even the two characters that are supposed to be in love show no real chemistry.

I'll keep the movie but only because it's fun to go through the scenes looking for my friends and myself that were in it--not for any artistic reason. July 5, 1999

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