Death Wish (The Sympathizer)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Park Chan-wook
- Don McKellar
| "Death Wish" | |
|---|---|
| The Sympathizer episode | |
| Episode no. | Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Park Chan-wook |
| Written by |
|
| Cinematography by | Ji-Yong Kim |
| Editing by | Vikash Patel |
| Original release date | April 14, 2024 |
| Running time | 57 minutes |
"Death Wish" is the first episode of the American historical black comedy drama miniseries The Sympathizer, based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, and directed by Park. It originally aired on HBO on April 14, 2024, and was also available on Max on the same day.
The series is based on the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam plant in the South Vietnam army. He is forced to flee to the United States with his general near the end of the Vietnam War. While living within a community of South Vietnamese refugees, he continues to secretly spy on the community and report back to the Viet Cong, struggling between his original loyalties and his new life.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.206 million household viewers and gained a 0.04 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised Park's directing, performances, tone, tension and editing.
At a North Vietnam re-education camp, a man known as the Captain (Hoa Xuande) is pressured by soldiers to "confess" his story.
In 1975, four months before the Fall of Saigon, the Captain meets with a CIA agent named Claude (Robert Downey Jr.), joining him for a "screening" of Death Wish, which is actually an interrogation of a woman being tortured due to possessing a vital list. As they are joined by the General (Toan Le), the woman stares at the Captain in hatred. Two days prior, the Captain is seen working as part of the special police for the South Vietnam army. However, he and his colleague Man (Duy Nguyễn) secretly work with the North Vietnam army. They are friends with Bon (Fred Nguyen Khan), who is not part of their operation, and is content being in the country with his wife and baby.
Two months later, tensions in the country continue arising. Claude visits the Captain and the General, informing them that he is disbanding their partnership and assigns them in destroying all documents linking them. The General is furious and demands two planes to leave the country, which Claude promises, as part of Operation Frequent Wind. However, both the Captain and General are aware that only one plane will be ready. As the Captain and Man discuss their future, Man persuades him to leave on the plane and start a new life in the United States. The Captain agrees, also promising to get Bon and his family out of Vietnam.
With one day to go before the fall of Saigon, the General and the Captain retrieve some selected Vietnamese to join them in the plane. Driving across the dilapidated city, they reach the military base. Claude parts ways with the General and praises the Captain for his actions. As the bus heads towards the plane, bombs start hitting the airfield, eventually causing the bus to crash. The civilians leave the bus and start running towards the plane, with some dying as the bombs continue falling. The Captain leads Bon and his family, but they briefly stay behind and are hit by a helicopter. Bon survives, but his wife and child die. The Captain is unable to persuade Bon in leaving. Back in present day, the Captain laments his situation and his failure in protecting Bon's family.
Production
Development
The episode was written by series creators Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, and directed by Park.[1]
Writing
Part of the narration involves the Captain constantly changing through perspectives, often rewinding scenes. Don McKellar explained that they decided to deviate from the book's tone by saying, "we thought that as a narrative device, as a storytelling device, we like the idea of an old Steenbeck. He's shaping it like a movie. He's editing, he's rewinding. And it just reminds us that it's one version of this story, one subjective version."[2]
Filming
For the climatic sequence depicting the bombing of Saigon, Don McKellar had reservations over whether they could accomplish it. The sequence required four nights to film. He commented, "we really wanted the audience to feel it. We really wanted to feel it on an emotional level. And director Park [Chan-Wook] is very smart. He's not indulgent of emotions but he's not afraid of them either and he really wanted the emotional impact to be major without being sentimental. So that was a big one. We storyboarded it and worked really hard. We had to make it work."[3]