"THE MISSING PICTURE"
The ArtsWire | 20 Sept. 2013
We
sit in history class, most of us eyes glazed over, taking for granted
what our forefathers experienced. We are bored. Most of us don’t care.
Though is we are wise, we recall the old saying, “Those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” THE MISSING PICTURE (L’IMAGE MANQUANTE)
is a history lesson. Writer and director Rithy Panh, was 11 years old
when he and his family were forced to leave their home by the Khmer
Rouge in 1975.
Horrific refugee camps were created. The people were lied
to, brainwashed, told they were going to be a new people for a new
Cambodia. With a Maoist China design, the people were instructed to hand
dig irrigation systems based on 11th century models, hauling dirt and
rocks in baskets from morning until night. Their clothes were dyed
black, their hair cut, shoes taken. Communist mantras played on a loop
throughout the day turned the individual into empty vessels. The people
were starved and killed at the whim of the regime leaders. Rithy watched
his entire family parish in the camps. If was not until 1979, that he
was able to flee to bordering Thailand.
This
unbelievable film is told in a unique fashion. Rithy uses hundreds of
hand carved clay figures, archival video and photographs to retell his
story. All supported by his incredible narration, we are treated to a
history lesson that seems like one endless day after another. How he
survived in such conditions is a mystery we as viewers may never fully
be able to grasp. As a child, he was forced to bury to dead. People he
knew. People he didn’t. He saw the humanity of his fellow refugees fall
away. The use of music in this film is extraordinary. Marc Marder, a
friend of Panh for over 20 years, creates a beautiful backdrop for the
still and moving parts to this masterpiece. During the entire film, we
are treated to the real time work of the sculptor, Sarith Mang. He
paints each figure with care and a steady hand. Each possessing a small
life of it’s own. The Missing Picture is a
privilege to watch. It will leave you with a longing to learn more of
the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. For we must learn from our
past. It is our duty.
VERDICT: Must See
Written and Directed by: Rithy Panh Country: France/Cambodia Language: English Running Time: 92 minutes
BOTTOM LINE: The Missing Picture will stay
with you long after you’ve left the theater. You will experience a piece
of art and learn more than you ever bargained for.
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