Educational Media Reviews Online

This beautifully filmed documentary follows Dang Van Tho and Hoang Cong Doan, veterans of service in Quang Tri Province in the late 1960’s with North Vietnamese Army (NVA) Commando Brigade K-10, on their search for lost comrades. Dang and Hoang know that their former comrades were killed in battle, also that their comrades’ bodies were not recovered at the time of their deaths and were not properly identified for burial. It is incredibly important to Dang, Hoang and the surviving relatives of the dead that their remains be located, the burial locations registered and the interment sites visited by surviving family members. Presumably, visits by survivors aid in reconciling prior relationships and aid in the final dispositions of the souls of the departed. Viewers will need in-depth knowledge of Vietnamese popular Buddhist traditions and rites to make sense of divination-by-incense inquiries into the location of the missing souls, the queries answered by the heads and tails combinations of two coins, and other practices depicted in the film. The “ceremony of coins” seemed a lot like asking for guidance from a Magic Eight Ball: if unsuccessful on try one, two out of three is fine.

There are some good insights into contemporary social interactions among the Vietnamese. Their commitment to the honoring of the unknown martyrs of the American War is very nearly incredible. Similarly, the acceptance of the home altar value of some tangible relic like earth or dust from a grave site, along with the PhotoShopped image of the deceased is unquestioned. Although one grave identified by Dang and Hoang goes unvisited by surviving relatives, the veterans convince Tran Thi Tiep to take the long, expensive journey from the Haiphong area to Quang Tri to visit a possible location of her husband’s remains. Much knowledge of Vietnamese society can be gleaned from the encouragement of Tran’s mother and the women of southern Vietnam toward the successful completion of Tran’s quest. Much also can be learned from Tran’s treatment by Dang and Hoang, and the cemetery officials and spiritual guides that assist her in her attempt to locate her husband’s soul.

Wandering Souls is suitable as commentary on contemporary Vietnamese society, especially so since much of our recent knowledge has been centered on the cities, especially on business and economic improvements and a developing tourist trade. The ties to teaching comparative religion are somewhat obscure. In depth knowledge of Vietnamese religious beliefs and practices would provide the necessary starting point for commentary on a religious tradition that appears to be related to Buddhism, perhaps influenced by Roman Catholicism or other Western beliefs. Wandering Souls is beautifully filmed, edited and produced. For an expert teacher in contemporary Vietnamese history or in comparative religions, the film may be an excellent resource, for the general audience, a curiosity.