The Sympathizer – Episode 1 “Death Wish” Recap & Review

Death Wish

“In America, it is called the Vietnam War. In Vietnam, it is called the American War.”

Episode 1 of The Sympathizer opens with a map of Vietnam divided into North and South Vietnam. There is a succulent background to the Vietnam war, a war between “the North led by communists who defeated the Vietnam’s long-time French colonisers; and the South, backed by Americans who took over from the French”. It’s anti-war theme is made apparent with “All wars are fought twice. The first time in the battlefield, the second time in memory.”

We are hurled into a wooden prison where Captain now sits. He’s order by a communist soldier to “start again – Restart, Recollect, Re-educate, Revolution and Rewrite”. From this scene, it’s evident that the soldiers are trying to indoctrinate him. They do not trust him as a communist and thus, Captain rewrites and retells his story. 

Winter 1975. We meet Captain waiting for a CIA agent, Claude, outside a cinema showcasing a movie called Death Wish. They meet and go inside the cinema hall, where there is a performance but not a performance of fiction on a piece of cloth hanging from the ceiling. It was an interrogation involving a communist spy who is supposed to have gotten hold of top secret papers containing the information of the staff of counterintelligence force of Vietnam. 

Through Captain’s narrative, we understand that he was brought up and introduced to the American pop-culture and way of life by Claude. He is biracial and bilingual, and someone who went to university in America. He now works as the Captain of the counterintelligence Vietnamese force and the right wingman of the General, a high-ranking South Vietnamese general. 

Now, the mole who handed the papers over to her was Captain himself, a communist mole in the Southern counterintelligence police force. And she being a loyal comrade refuse to turn him in, even when he’s the cause of her misery.

It all began when the Southern counterintelligence successfully wiretapped the woman’s conversation. The Captain, reluctantly, orders for the car, tracks her down, and arrests her. The woman also encourages him to hit her to that he is safe from any doubt. 

And now the counterintelligence with Claude as the CIA representative, all gather in an investigation room, waiting for the woman to defecate so that they can search for clues in the fecal matter. Claude even proceeds to flaunt his toilet humour, much to the Captain’s dismay.

He remembers the time he spent with his friends – Bon and Man, 3 days earlier. Captain explains that Bon’s father was killed by the communists and so, he could never understand their cause. Man and Captain were undercover spies, working for the communist cause but even then, the three were “blood brothers”. Bon was married and had a newborn baby, the godson of the Captain.

On the terrace, Man tells the Captain to get the complete staff list for the secret police. Man tells him that they all will need “reeducation” when the communists take back the city, foreshadowing the fall of Saigon (Southern capital, presently Ho Chi Minh City). This is what is possibly happening with the Captain in the beginning of the show, even though Man reassured him that he wouldn’t need to be reeducated. 

And so, the Captain takes the snapshots of the complete staff list by breaking into the General’s drawer and posts the film, which is picked up by the woman, who is now being interrogated. We jump back to the scene where the Captain is told about the wiretap. He calls Man, who is a dentist, and relays the message about the impending arrest.

We further jump to cinema hall, where the woman is finally detained and interrogated about her supplier and she replies, “My contact? His first name is ‘Viet’, last name ‘Nam'”, this emotional sequence of patriotism wins her a lone tear from Captain. 

2 months later, the attacks on Saigon begin. Amidst the tensions, Claude visits the General’s house, chippier than anybody living in Vietnam with an impending war looming overhead. The General plans to evacuate and asks for a plane to America.

Claude finally offers him a plane with 92 seats where the general replies aghast, “92 seats? My extended family itself is 54” implying they need more seats to accommodate their entire family when ordinary people have nothing to flee with. 

They begin preparations to leave and the Captain is tasked with selecting the officers who would be able to go to America with them. He purposely chooses those who are incompetent but appear competent so that the real dangerous ones are punished when the communists take over Saigon. Later, he also asks for 3 seats for Bon and his family. 

A few days later, the three friends enjoy snacks and plan for their futures in America. The reality is that Man and Captain are planning to stay behind. However, later in the evening Man informs Captain that he is required to go to America with the General so that he can keep the communist government posted from the intelligence perspective. Captain is reluctant but eventually agrees for the national cause. 

Finally, the General and his family, along with selected officers sit in the bus and proceed towards the US air force base amidst a warring city. The group finally reach the military base and wait for their buses to take them to the aircraft. The general cribs over the lack of space for his troupe while the American soldier repeats, “Nut to butt” since “Vietnamese asses ain’t that big anyhow”. 

As the bus is trying to reach the aircraft, there is heavy shelling where the bus is hit and it topples. People climb out and the Captain with Bon’s family try to reach the aircraft. However, Bon’s wife and child are hit and they die, as the people onward yell at them to run towards the plane. 

We are back with the Captain in the prison cell, crying while thinking about their deaths. This is when he hears an American pop-song that he grew up with, climb over to the little barred window and sings along as the episode ends. 

The Episode Review

The Sympathizer, armed by a Pulitzer Prize winning book and the involvement of acclaimed directors like Park Chan-wook, is on a road of sure success. The entire episode was an absolute treat to watch with every scene embellished with a stately cinematic flare, dripping with meaning and symbolism. If I’d have to point every meaningful scene, I’d run out of words to describe it. 

The plot is tight and engaging with the personal narrative voice-overs of Hoa Xuande’s Captain replicating the narrative voice from the original book by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The stylistic approach of linking a scene with another through props is not only stylish but a work of art. By doing so, even though the storytelling style is non-linear, meaning we go back and forth in time and space, there’s always a connecting sequence to it. 

Moreover, the black comedy makes itself apparent since the beginning, with Claude (Robert Downey Jr.) encouraging the Captain to “taste the investigation” while the group is lowkey torturing a female communist spy and looking for proof in her excreta. Yikes. No wonder they were enjoying the torture show sitting in a cinema theatre with all “lights, camera and action” with the name of the film, “Death Wish”. 

The show also marvelously and subtly showcases the identity crisis associated with the figure or the Captain and his dual persona. This is highlighted when even in the communist prison for “reeducation”, and after emphasising his loyalty to the communist cause, the unnamed Captain finds comfort in American pop-culture songs. 

All in all, the first episode of The Sympathizer was terrific and we cannot wait for the next episode! What do you think about this episode?  Do let us know in the comments!