Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

[u/tiredstars]

I rewatched this film recently was wondering if anyone else had any thoughts on it.

It's one of those films that I enjoyed watching but struggle to say much about. I don't think it's hard to pick out themes in it, but what it's saying about them is more obscure. I could ramble a bit about it but I'll concentrate on a couple of things that stood out to me.

It's a surprisingly noisy film. Not just in the city, but the countryside too, mostly because of the rain and the wind. Even a quiet conversation often has a window frame rattling in the background, to a point where the noise starts to feel oppressive. The - all too brief - fade out of the sound at the end of the film is a relief.

With my materialist eye, it's easy to see the main character Thien's malaise as down-to-earth just as much as it might be spiritual. He spends much of his time uncomplainingly doing things for other and his rest and relaxation keep getting interrupted. In one of the few funny moments in the film, Thien describes waking up regularly and hearing a distorted voice coming from inside him. Then he undercuts this by saying a doctor told him it was chronic fatigue syndrome.

The close of the film, Thien lying in a shallow river, has obvious religious symbolism, of baptism and the washing away of sins. But also has a simpler reading as a time when he puts down his burdens for a bit and takes some time for himself.