81
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
positive
17(89%)
mixed
2(11%)
negative
0(0%)
Showing 19 Critic Reviews
100
Here is a film so placid and filled with sweetness that watching it is like listening to soothing music.
100
Anyone who thinks nothing is happening in The Scent of Green Papaya-in the absence of car chases, rapes, gunfights and whatever else we may now demand from our entertainment-is obviously not paying attention. [11 Mar 1994, p.D]
100
A movie to savor.
100
As its title suggests, it plays not only on sight - with masterfully composed images that glisten with the timeless quality of memory - but smell, touch, taste and sound are all equally well utilized, to establish the kind of serenity that has become all but extinct in movies today. [04 Feb 1994, p.D3]
90
The Scent of Green Papaya, a film as delicate and evocative as its name, recognizes that out of illusion can come reality.
88
The Scent of Green Papaya is an astonishingly rich evocation of maternal energies and gestures, expressed in lovingly lingered-on images. [25 Feb 1994, p.47]
80
The Scent of the Green Papaya marks a luxuriant, visually seductive debut for Mr. Hung, whose film is often so wordlessly evocative that it barely needs dialogue. Reaching into the past for its precisely drawn memories, it casts a rich, delicate spell.
80
The boldness of this remarkable feature film debut resides in its reticence, and we experience the world through a special sensibility. [03 Apr 1994, p.5]
By Staff (Not Credited)
80
The movie's poetic-realist design meshes detailed, patient observation and delectable, poignant travelling shots; it grounds us in the quotidian duties of service and dissects contemporary Vietnamese social hierarchies, yet adds up to something much more subtle and enticing: a lyrical portrait of the human spirit in work and in love. Exquisitely controlled.
By Staff (Not Credited)
FULL REVIEW 80
As an evocation of things past, THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA is a remarkable and modestly enchanting film.
By Staff (Not Credited)
FULL REVIEW 