"I'm still only in Saigon" Photo

Photographer’s Note

"Saigon, shit. I'm still only in Saigon. Every time I think I'm going to wake up back in the jungle.
When I was home after my first tour, it was worse. I'd wake up and there'd be nothing...
I hardly said a word to my wife until I said yes to a divorce.
When I was here I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle.
I've been here a week now. Waiting for a mission, getting softer.
Every minute I stay in this room I get weaker. And every minute Charlie squats in the bush he gets stronger.
Each time I look around the walls move in a little tighter.

Everyone gets everything he wants. I wanted a mission, and for my sins they gave me one. Brought it up to me like room service. "

Apocalypse Now Screenplay:
John Milius & Francis Coppola

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Image took at a vegetables and fruits market in the District One of Ho Chi Min City.

*Scanned image*

PixelTerror, efigesta, falves, huynt, alon, aloyho, devimeuxbe, john_c, ChrisJ has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

jinju (14265) 2005-12-06 3:55

The movie was also based on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness..the novella that is considered the birth of the modern English novel..and Conrad was a POole who learned English in his 20s:) Truly, the feel here is that this IS Vietnam circa 1969 and this IS the Vietnam War.

RGatward (19751) 2005-12-06 3:56

Good retro look from the scanned image, which could easily take us back to Willard's time there. Very apt title, added to theme.

bantonbuju (48856) 2005-12-06 3:56

ciao paolo, i love this shot, something in the style that richard (rgatward) presented yesterday - i like this old fashioned feeling, b&w twist, the good-old-times mood;
post humans, belive me!
have a nice day, jerzy

PixelTerror (87195) 2005-12-06 4:27

Ciao Paolo,
A beautiful street scene, I like the lot of action going on with interesting activities in the foreground and the fact you managed not to cut important people of this composition. I like your ageing technique too, adding grain is effective, I'm just wondering about the frame. I find good to present the view with such an exhibit-like frame, but I think the clear frame area shoud be white instead of grainy.
Buona giornata,
Jean-Yves

eco (84) 2005-12-06 4:33

Hi Paolo

I like yhis photo, fantastic stylization. Perfect presentation and wonderful grain. Brilliant integrity. congratulate
best regards, rafal

efigesta (12181) 2005-12-06 4:43

Ciao Paolo

Nice b/w pic, with a great pov and i like so much the frame

Regards
Manuel

Luan (15935) 2005-12-06 4:49

Hello Paolo,
It looks like this picture has been taken 1 century ago ;o). It is very nice, I like this busy place, markets in Vietnam are excellent places to taste diferents specialities.
Cheers
Luan

falves (1403) 2005-12-06 5:13

Hi Paolo,
Powerful composition. Lots of action and daily life very well pictured. The b/w tones and the grain of the photo takes us back in time.
Take care
Fred

ngythanh (8496) 2005-12-06 6:00

Using the dialog of Apocalypse Now, you have skillfully re-directed TE viewers back to the blood-and-fire time of Saigon rather than just today superficial daily-life snapshots.

Thanks for the reminder: many young Vietnamese intellectuals will discover the screenplay is not about the ancient Greek or current outerspace stories.

Sincerely Yours,

Thanh

Fis2 (46713) 2005-12-06 6:51

Witaj Paolo!
I like the Daily Life shot. The blackand white was increase this emotion. Very impressive picture. Good work.
Regards
Krzysztof

rbcy1974 (20746) 2005-12-06 7:32

Hello Paolo,
YOu took it 7 years ago, but it seems like a lifetime ago. I havent been to Vietnam, but it seems it is modernizing rather quickly..
Very athmospheric shot,
well done
regards
Daniel

fabio_ts (13674) 2005-12-06 7:53

Sembra fatta negli anni 60/70, bellissimo documento Paolo, bella la grana ed il biancoenero ottima l' inquadratura, complimenti!!!

e buon superPonte!!! sigh!!

Fabio.

huynt (5077) 2005-12-06 7:57

Ciao Paolo
Wow. 7 year vs now. It is the nice souvenirs from your great shot. Well done. Thanks

alon (1281) 2005-12-06 8:53

Hi Paolo,
Very good work on this scanned image to give it that retro feel.
I like the photo as well as your comment.
Regards,
Alon

feather (50560) 2005-12-06 9:33

Well done for the atmosphere you have created here. Any war veterans out there will be transported back in time. I don't normally like grain but its use here is justified.
Kath

Quentin (5278) 2005-12-06 13:26

Hi Paolo
Nice picture from another time! It really looks like an old
one. Very interesting street view anyway.
Regards
Quentin

rosaline (0) 2005-12-06 14:27

Paolo
The atmosphere in this picture is fantastic. The grainy black and white picture conveys the lifestyle style and conditions of life well. The culture is well emphasized and you have caught the workers in a good pose.
Cheers
Aubrey

Zepi (22848) 2005-12-06 16:34

Salut Paolo,
Belle scène de rue!
J'aime ici le grain argentique qui envahit ta photo.
Beau contrastes,chouette cadrage!
Super travail
Amicalement,
Sébastien

designsoul (21394) 2005-12-06 18:19

Ciao Paolo, What a quirky reenactment of the Vietnam of the 60s... there is that feel to me, Paolo, this strange feel of the Heart of Darkness as your excerpt from the movie suggests... wonderful shot, really great capture of the Hanoi street of 98, looking like 68...
Brava
Sarolta

keribar (42760) 2005-12-07 0:57

Hello Paolo,

When I saw the thumbnail I thought I was looking at a photo taken 40-50 years ago during the Indochine days. Perhaps it is the BW that gives this impression: But I also think that the composition of the streets and the activity which goes on in the front plus the conical hats that we are used to see in old pictures make this picture great. Perhaps a little more contrast would make it even stronger.

Best regards - Ciao - Izzet

saigon (5541) 2005-12-07 5:04

exellente capture de la vie au VIETNAM!
bon choix de la couleur(filtre paper toner)!
il me semble reconnaitre le marché du quartier chinois de CHOLON(peut-etre?)vestige de l'epoque coloniale française.
amitiés....aldo.

faubry (32511) 2005-12-07 5:29

belle ambiance de style ancien! on ditait une carte postale il aurait fallu la mettre en sépia, ce n 'est que mon idée, beau travail, bravo
francine

arindam_thokder (3946) 2005-12-07 9:04

Hello Paolo,

Beautiful street life picture, yes , this is looking like a very old picture, The B/W effect is excellent.

Arindam

sergecross (3438) 2005-12-07 13:26

Paolo, very nice scene and the market were great. I like the b/w. It's a scanned image but it looks very itneresting.
Well done!
Sergio

cessy (13647) 2005-12-07 14:41

very nice street market photography, Paolo
its very classic mood
love this one

aloyho (6109) 2005-12-07 21:44

Hi Paolo,
An impressive image and you have cleverly created this illusion of time through this shot. I love the perspective which leads us into the heart of the busy market and the hive of activities that are going on. We are able to enjoy every bit of the scene without any disruption. Congratulations!!! Best regards.

greg64g (11193) 2005-12-08 3:51

hi Paolo

Great mood here especially with the b&w, it look that a very old picture.
nice frame too.
ciao.
greg

devimeuxbe (56532) 2005-12-09 3:30

Hi Paolo
This picture has 7 years. All change so quickly in Vietnam. It's very different now.
Nice picture. A historical testimony.
Well done
Bertrand

john_c (24635) 2005-12-11 11:56

Hi Paolo,
A powerful image. This works well in B&W, though I would have liked to see the colour version as well. There is such a hustle and bustle of activity here that you have captured. The little features make this a winner - the head coverings, the bicycles, the expressions of the shoppers. Interesting that there seem to be mainly women in the scene. I also like the interesting structural details - the awnings and the building with the tower in particular. A very well composed and effective shot, Paolo.
John

maurazos (0) 2005-12-13 17:37

Interesting image. Someone could believe it was taken some decades ago, but it was done just in 1998. The time seems not to run in many places of the world. Regards.

ChrisJ (70521) 2005-12-18 3:39

Bonjourno Paolo

The grainy b&w makes it look deceptively like it was taken in the 1960's, rather than the late 90's. Perhaps a slight yellow sepia tone, to complete the transformation? A good photojournalistic shot. Well done!

Mistral (13850) 2006-03-05 12:52

Ciao Paolo,
bella immagine stile retrò ben inquadrata e ricca di particolari.
Buona settimana!
Luca