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Starting Place

Name: Starting Place
Director: Robert Kramer
Released: 1994
Duration: 80 min

Representation Score

8.3/10

Excellent

1994

Director

Robert Kramer

Runtime

80 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Robert Kramer’s documentary shifts the focus from an external observer to the local Vietnamese population, disrupting traditional Western historical narratives. By centering the experiences of citizens—from tightrope walkers to war veterans—the film moves away from monolithic geopolitical storytelling. The work excels in its racial and cultural depth, offering a nuanced look at survival and identity in Hanoi. It avoids the pitfalls of a purely Western-centric war story by prioritizing the subjective experiences of those who lived through the conflict. However, the film is less clear regarding specific gendered power dynamics or LGBTQ+ identities. While the narrative structure suggests a move away from rigid social structures, these specific areas lack explicit representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Starting Place have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not explicitly show LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships. It explores uncertainty but does not clearly represent LGBTQ+ characters.

How does Starting Place portray gender?

Fair

Clothilde Piven holds a top-billed role, and the film avoids traditional patriarchal hierarchies. It focuses on individual human experiences rather than a 'great man' theory of history.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Starting Place?

Excellent

The documentary highlights Vietnamese perspectives, featuring circus performers and war veterans. It provides a localized study of identity through the lives of its subjects.

How does Starting Place represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film challenges Western-centric timelines by focusing on Hanoi's post-colonial existence. It emphasizes the complexities of historical trauma and recovery from a subjective viewpoint.

Does Starting Place include disability representation?

Fair

A character who lost his fingers due to combat introduces themes of physical disability, highlighting the long-lasting impact of systemic violence.

Present on Screen

Exceptional centering of Vietnamese perspectives and local ability to act.
Effective deconstruction of monolithic, Western-centric historical narratives.
Nuanced inclusion of characters dealing with the physical aftermath of conflict.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit representation regarding LGBTQ+ identities.
Limited detail regarding specific instances of gendered power dynamics.

Official Synopsis

In this film from late in his career, Kramer returns to Hanoi after nearly 25 years to re-envision the city’s struggle through an uncertain and daunting past, present, and future. The Vietnamese characters in the film are diverse: Kramer’s former guide from an earlier visit in 1969; a tight-rope walker in the national circus; a man who took photos of B-52s and another who lost his fingers shooting them down.

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