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When the Tenth Month Comes

When the Tenth Month Comes

Representation Score

8.7/10

Excellent

1984

Director

Dang Nhat Minh

Runtime

85 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Dang Nhat Minh’s work shifts the focus of war cinema from the battlefield to the domestic sphere. By centering on Duyên, the film challenges the convention of war as a purely masculine endeavor, instead highlighting the psychological resilience needed to maintain a family unit under systemic trauma. The film excels in providing a non-Western perspective, grounding the conflict in Vietnamese cultural realities rather than outsider viewpoints. This approach offers a nuanced critique of how large-scale military institutions impact individual lives and family structures. While the film lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities, its strength lies in its subversion of traditional war clichés through gendered ability to act and cultural authenticity.

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Category Breakdown

Does When the Tenth Month Comes have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The story centers around traditional family roles, including a mother, son, and father-in-law. There are no explicit mentions of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships.

How does When the Tenth Month Comes portray gender?

Good

Duyên is a central character who carries the emotional and structural weight of the family. Her resilience challenges typical masculine-centric war narratives by emphasizing female psychological strength.

How racially and ethnically diverse is When the Tenth Month Comes?

Excellent

The film provides a crucial non-Western perspective, rooted in Vietnamese culture. It offers a necessary counter-narrative to the Western-centric dominance often found in global war cinema.

How does When the Tenth Month Comes represent religion and culture?

Good

By focusing on domestic struggles amidst war, the film critiques the impact of large-scale political institutions. It highlights the human experience over nationalistic or institutional pride.

Does When the Tenth Month Comes include disability representation?

Fair

The inclusion of an ailing father-in-law introduces themes of physical frailty and age-related decline. This provides insight into the experience of vulnerability during a crisis.

Present on Screen

  • Challenges traditional masculine war clichés by emphasizing female psychological strength and resilience.
  • Provides a critical non-Western perspective that counters Western-centric cinematic dominance.
  • Prioritizes human and domestic experiences over nationalistic or institutional pride.

Limited or Absent

  • Does not include explicit representation of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships.
  • Disability representation is limited to a single character facing physical frailty.

Official Synopsis

In the final days of the war, Duyên faces a daily struggle to take care of her young son and ailing father-in-law, all the while hiding from them the fact that her husband has recently been killed in battle.

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