"Death exists, not as the opposite but as a part of life."

“I once had a girl. Or should I say, she once had me.” – Norwegian Wood, The Beatles

I managed to catch Norwegian Wood by Tran Anh Hung (2010) in the cinemas yesterday, along with two friends. An adaptation of the novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood is a 1987 novel which brought the author to national recognition, which was ironically, to his dismay.

At the Height of Summer

The Vertical Ray of the Sun by Tran Anh Hung (2000) is a movie that revolves around three sisters, Suong, Khanh and Lieb, Suong being the eldest, Khanh the middle, and Lien the youngest. The film is set in Vietnam’s Hanoi, and with cinematographer Pin Bing Lee (who also did the cinematography for movie In The Mood for Love), viewers of The Vertical Ray of the Sun are presented a luscious, pastel and dreamy Hanoi, with a tinge of amorousness charm to the tropical city. The movie seems timeless, it felt like it had suspended in time and moves at an unhurried pace, as how Lien slowly stretches and dances across the room with tender grace.