The Third Wife

Writer-director Ash Mayfair’s debut feature, set in 19th-century Vietnam, focuses on May (Nguyen Phuong Tra My), a 14-year-old whose family has arranged for a marriage between her and a wealthy landowner named Hung (Le Vu Long). The film’s title refers to May’s status as the polygamist Hung’s third wife, following Xuan (Mai Thu Huong Maya) and Ha (Tran Nu Yên-Khê). The young May quickly realizes that her role in the household is to produce another son for Hung, whose only other male child—named Son (Nguyen Thanh Tam)—is being prepared for his own marriage. But Son bitterly rejects the woman chosen for him and May finds herself increasingly attracted to the free-spirited Xuan—who, in turn, is infatuated with Son, the child of Hung and Ha. The Third Wife is not lacking in melodrama, but Mayfair mercifully keeps the tale from veering into soapy territory thanks to a mature script and a remarkable ensemble cast. And while the women are front and center, the male characters are not treated as caricatures, but rather figures also trapped in the rigid societal demands enforced by Vietnamese culture. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)