Vietnam War Films from the South Vietnamese (ARVN) Perspective

A compilation of narrative film scenes and sequences featuring the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in the Vietnam War from the 60s-70s.
Through the Hollywood romanticization of America's failure in Vietnam, propaganda and modern portrayals of the North Vietnamese perspective of the Vietnam War, almost little to none have ever tried to portray the full Vietnamese perspective in a respectful light. Usually the North Vietnamese are portrayed as effeminate and inhumane, and the South Vietnamese ARVN as careless and weak fighters.
Rarely has the South Vietnamese perspective, other than the Viet Cong, been portrayed in one of the most famous wars about them.
Only books such as Lotus and the Storm and The Sympathizer have tried to capture that, but not really in film.
I have only found two South Vietnamese films made during the war, using their military, to help with the film. One, the Purple Horizon, which was shown throughout Asia and won a nomination in a Taiwanese film festival. There could be more South Vietnamese perspective films, but I could not find any other ones that feature the ARVN fighting.
To try to make a South Vietnamese film today would be impossible due to its unpopularity in both Vietnam and the United States, as well as the funding and faith for the project.
It is interesting to note how although both were funded by the South Vietnamese military, it was not as overblown in some propagandist message as one might usually associate military/government funded projects. It was very expressive, but sometimes confused in its messages, especially Purple Horizon which had an ending that felt incomplete and more about how conflicting love is.
Films:
Người tình không chân dung; The Faceless Lover (1973)
- Takes place in the 1970s
Phim Chân Trời Tím; The Purple Horizon (1971)
- Takes place in the 1960s during the many coups in the South
- Since its first premiere in 1971, a classic Republic of Vietnam (1954-1975) war romance feature based on a fiction novel by military writer, Van-Quang. The film was lost for more than 4 decades when the communist forces took Saigon, Republic of Vietnam's capital, on April 30th, 1975. Digitized and restored from surviving 35mm prints archived by Japan film studio Imagica Lab; now transferred to UCLA Film and TV Archive.
Watch in 1080p on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Chan-Troi-Tim-...
I forgot that there's also the film, Land of Sorrows, Đất khổ, starring a famous Viet song writer on here that is also from the South Vietnamese perspective: • Land of Sorrows, Đất k...
there is a movie made in Hong Kong that's part of a crime series called A Better Tomorrow III - Love and Death in Saigon, which happens to be set during the last days of the Republic of Vietnam, but is all about over the top action.
Also one of the scenes used napalm from a Cessna A-37 Dragonfly from the ARVN airforce (RVNAF) which would be hard to recreate now lmao.
CPL Phi is South Vietnam's Rambo
I wish there was an IMDB firearms page on these two movies on what types of weapons and equipment the ARVN use in these films.
The Viet Cong seem to be using the American weapons in the Purple Horizon.
Right off the bat I know there's the Patton tanks, Huey Helicopters, Dragonfly Jet fighter bombers, Tiger Stripe and ERDL camo uniforms.
Only the Faceless Lover featured Americans and mentioning Thieu

[@Kabutoes]

The Purple Horizon was clearly about the 1960s era, covering the issues in the country ranging from the Viet Cong, to the various coups, to the Buddhist persecution, to the civil war tearing apart their country. There was a lot of things going on down South.

[@Kabutoes]

Actually there is a movie made in Hong Kong that's part of a crime series called A Better Tomorrow III - Love and Death in Saigon, which happens to be set during the last days of the Republic of Vietnam, but is all about over the top action. I also forgot that there's also the film, Land of Sorrows, Đất khổ, starring a famous Viet song writer on here that is also from the South Vietnamese perspective

[@tanatngo1946]

Republic of vietnam forever

[@mlagamer8698]

Agree

[@cooldude7062]

but vnch no exist no more 🥺😆

[@iosifvissarionovichstalin3895]

Like 20 years omegalul

[@tanatngo1946]

@@cooldude7062 vnch is still alive in the hearts of Vietnamese people who love freedom and democracy

[@cooldude7062]

@@tanatngo1946 ok what’s the capital of vietnam then… what’s saigon called now? 😆😆😆

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

Thank you for sharing. It really makes me sad looking at these footage. We were once the Oriental Pearl of South East Asia, and Singapore and South Korea ain't nothing at that time. Thanks to the withdrawal of the Americans and the Paris Peace Accords violation done by the ComNorth, we are no more.

[@Kabutoes]

History is complicated but I have hope for the future which is always ever changing

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

@@Kabutoes Thank you for your positive reply

[@edwardle4493]

You wrong. South Korea was already richer than South Vietnam in the early 70s and Seoul look more glamorous than Saigon in 70s. You can look at Seoul 1970 image from Google to compare. If you search the youtube video "Asian Economies : Nominal GDP 1960 - 2020 (the source is IMF and World Bank)", South Vietnam's economy is not even in the top ten in ASIA. During Ngo Dinh Diem and Nguyen Van Thieu, the nation was plagued with high corruption, incompetent leaders, weak export, and lack of unity between people preventing them from growing to their fullest despite being richer than their Northern neighbor. Notice South Korea's economy did not really start to grow much until Park Chung Hee take control of the country and eliminate corruption as well as implemented several economic plans in which the people trust him and do exactly as he wanted despite being a dictator. South Vietnam Government did not have the support from the majority of the people in the South. They are not willing to donate anything to the government when the country encounter an economic crisis in 1970 to reduce inflation. South Korean people donated gold to their government during Asian financial crisis in 1997 which help them recover and grow. The situation in South Vietnam could get better though only if the leader ruled with a heavy hand to eliminate corruption and unify the people together. The cooperation between people and a capable government is what drives the country to a better future. South Vietnam is unlucky that none of that happen when they were still exist, despite receiving so much economic aid from the US.

[@ajschannel162]

Wow, i am glad you found some rare and obscure films based on ARVN perspective.

[@Long-Hai-252]

"Người tình không chân dung" tài tử Kiều Chinh thủ vai diễn chính.

[@MyChocow]

The good old days when south Vietnam was free

[@kokonut743]

ikr, communist vietnam is horrible. Full of corruptions and abuse of power.

[@MyChocow]

@@kokonut743 all forms of government are corrupted, just somes hides it better than others.

[@mrhdm5408]

it's not like modern vietnam is an economic hellhole, problably in the top 30 highest growing country in the world so it proves that the communist party does care for its people

[@MyChocow]

I think Vietam communist care for their people more than any other communist party....keep in mind in 1979 Vietnam has a mini war with China....communist vs communist.

[@starred1096]

@@mrhdm5408 Except Vietnam got rid of communism after the USSR fell, and that's when their economy started getting better, so...

[@davenguyen1968]

Thank you

[@tedmccarron]

Interesting. I wish I could have seen the whole film.

[@Kabutoes]

They’re both free on KZbin look them up

[@vuongquocanhk16_hl79]

5:09: Ca sĩ Hùng Cường kìa

[@hoangnam6048]

The main actor name is Hung Cuong.

[@Kabutoes]

Sorry the comment you posted before didn’t show up could you post it again?

[@hoangnam6048]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZy7aJp-pJKXpac

[@Kabutoes]

@@hoangnam6048 thanks I’ll take a look. what’s it about again? I remembered you explained it before but I didn’t get to read it

[@hoangnam6048]

@@Kabutoes The film name is Ván bài lật ngửa(The Flipping Card) The story is about a Vietcong spy in the South Vietnamese government,Even it is a communist‘s propaganda film, it still quite accurately describes South Vietnamese society during the Diem period. Also,this film has the same director with Purple Horizon.

[@Kabutoes]

@@hoangnam6048 wow that is a very interesting fact, when was this film made since the director is the same?

[@tamdan5832]

Republic of Vietnam important ❤️❤️❤️

[@blueliqqqo8018]

I love my nation South VietNam so much. Coz too much enemies my nation be killed so painful. Justice for Republic of VietNam.

[@johnhungg]

Bro said you love your nation but ran like a dog in 1975

[@HNHanRyang]

@@johnhungg ran away from killer

[@vuthien9342]

They are hero my country .

[@mlagamer8698]

Yes ARVN a fallen kingdom

[@RS-rj5sh]

Anyone know name of the lady at end, was she famous South Vietnamese actress?

[@tranduyduytran2938]

Nice

[@kjnguyen1385]

From late 1960s and early 1970s ARVN got their new weapons m16 rifle car 15 carbine m60 machine guns

[@kjnguyen1385]

ARVN armed with old ww2/Korean war weapons like m1 garands m1/m2 carbine bar m1918 Thompson smg during early war

[@user-mw9qq7lz1h]

Phim hay qua ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@horse_face3019]

Was that the end???

[@Kabutoes]

I will make another one based on Hollywood films and another based on other asian films including ones made in United vietnam probably

[@tuanthanhtran8147]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@binguyen2277]

Hùng Cường trong phim chân trời tím,,

[@HellCorps]

Nice film about ARVN, but just have to concern if the films portraying ARVN are illegal in Vietnam

[@Kabutoes]

There’s a lot of movies in Vietnam based on the Vietnam war mostly between ARVN and VC/PAVN since it’s kinda hard at the time to find American actors, sometimes dignified some times they wear beards (symbol of laziness)

[@Franco_the_notable]

My grandfather actually Ngô Đình Diệm

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

troll

[@Franco_the_notable]

@@hoppinggnomethe4154 red bastard

[@binguyen2277]

KBC 4671

[@buikhan]

The acting never changes with my people, even today. Oh well.