简介：ToanAmericanaudience,"TheAbandonedField:Free-FireZone"isanunusualmovieinmanyways.First,thisVietnamesefilmtellsastoryoftheVietnamWarthroughtheeyesofVietCongguerillas.InsteadofthecamerahoveringabovethegroundintheU.S.helicopters,it'sinthericepaddieslookingupatthoselethalmachines.Second,itdepictstheeffectsofwaronafamily(mother,father,andchild)whosedailylifeismadeunpredictableanduncertainbythewhimsofbattle.Granted,thefatherandmotherareVCguerillaswhovoluntarilyputthemselves–andtheirchild–inharm'sway,butthistouchesuponanotheruncommonelement:Hollywoodaudiencesaren'tusedtoseeingawoman(thewife)asaprotagonistinawardrama.Thesequalitiesalonewouldmake"TheAbandonedField"ofgreatinterest,butthefilmalsodoesmore.Thismovieisquitewellmade.Thestoryisbrisklypaced,butitstilltakestimeforquietobservationsofthecouple'sfrugalfamilylifeastheyhidefromthechoppers.Thefilm'svisualsurfaceappearsequallyfrugal.Thehand-heldblack&whitecinematographygivestheimagesarough-hewnfeelthatcapturesthespiritofthe1960sNewWaveandresemblesearlynewsreelsofthewar.Thisvisualapproachmighthavebeencompletelydeterminedbytheeconomicrealitiesofthetime,butthefilm'slow-techlookseemstostandindefiantoppositiontoHollywood'shigh-glosssurface.It'sasthoughdirectorHongSenNguyenwantedtoutilizea"guerilla"visualstyletomatchthecontentofhisstory.Ofcourse,beingfromVietnam,"TheAbandonedField"wantsustosidewiththeguerillas,butthemoviealsoacknowledgesthehumanityofanAmericansoldierandpresentshimasanequalvictimofthewar.Certainly,themovieismoreeven-handedthanmostAmericanfilmsaboutVietnam,especiallythoseoftheRambo/ChuckNorrisvariety.Themovie'sbiggestdrawbackforU.S.audiencesisthatitsAmericancharactersareplayedbyVietnameseactors(someofwhomlookraciallymixed)speakingintheVietnameselanguage.Ofcourse,thisinstanceofunbelievablecastingarosefromVietnam'slackofaccessatthetimetoprofessionalAmericantalent.TheAmericanviewersimplyhastoacceptitasaconvention.Anotheradmirerof"TheAbandonedField"isdirectorOliverStone,whoalsobemoansthefilm'slackofauthenticityinthingsAmerican.HeonceremarkedataUCLApanelthathewishedhecouldhavebeenthefilm'stechnicaladvisor.Butitsinaccuraciesdidn'tinterferewithhisenjoymentofthemovie.(StonewouldgoontodirecthisownwardramatoldfromtheperspectiveofaVietnamesewoman:1993's"Heaven&Earth.")"TheAbandonedField"offersAmericanaudiencesanunusualandabsorbingstory.Comingtothemoviewithanopenmind,viewer…