The Vietnam War was one of the most tragic and divisive events in American history. Tens of thousands of young men and women were sent to fight in a country they knew nothing about, and many never came home. The Miss Saigon musical tells the story of those who did come home- but not in the way they expected.
Chris, an American soldier, meets Kim, a Vietnamese girl, during the final days of the war. They fall in love and make plans to start a new life together in America. But when the war ends, Chris is forced to leave without her. Kim is left alone in Vietnam with their child, Tam.
Miss Saigon is a tragic story of love and loss against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. It is a story of what could have been, and what might have been if the war had never happened.
Madame Butterfly is a tragic love story set in 1970’s Saigon during the Vietnam War. It is inspired by Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly. The tale begins at a shady Vietnamese bar called “Dreamland.” Kim, on her first day as a bargirl, is met by the Engineer who runs the club. She is greeted upon entering the stage by the Engineer, who runs it.
The Engineer is an American Vietnam War veteran who has stayed in Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. He is a charismatic man who immediately takes a liking to Kim.
The two eventually have a child together and name him Tam. However, their happiness is short-lived as the Vietnam War ends and Saigon falls to the communist North Vietnamese Army. The Americans are forced to evacuate and many South Vietnamese citizens are left behind. The Engineer manages to get himself and Kim on one of the last helicopters out of Saigon. However, he is unable to take Tam with them and is forced to leave him behind with a bargirl named Ellen.
The musical then fast forwards three years to 1978, where we find Kim living in a squalid apartment in Bangkok with the Engineer. She is working as a prostitute in order to make money for their return to Vietnam. One night, Kim’s former employer, the Tiger Lady, comes to visit her. The Tiger Lady tells Kim that Tam has been taken away from Ellen and is now living in an orphanage in Saigon.
Kim makes the decision to go back to Vietnam to find her son. She leaves Bangkok and eventually arrives in Saigon, where she is reunited with Tam. However, their reunion is cut short when the communist authorities catch wind of Kim’s presence in the city. She is arrested and sentenced to be deported back to Bangkok. As she is being led away, she pleads with the Engineer to take care of Tam.
The musical ends on a tragic note, with Kim being deported back to Bangkok and the Engineer committing suicide. Kim is left alone in Bangkok with her memories of Vietnam and her lost love.
The film then shifts back to a bar in Saigon, where Chris Scott and his friend John Thomas try hard to persuade him to spend some “quality time” with one of the ladies. In this tavern, there is a Miss Saigon title that all of the bar girls compete for, and the winner is given to a solder for the night. Vietnam, on the other hand, isn’t all fun and games because the Vietnam War is still going strong.
Chris meets a girl named Kim who tells him her tragic story of being orphaned during the war. She was taken in by a prostitute named Ellen, who then pimped her out to various men. John eventually convinces Chris to spend the night with Kim, but Chris ends up falling in love with her. He wants to get her out of Vietnam, but Ellen refuses to let her go.
The Vietnam War comes to an end, and Miss Saigon closes its doors for good. Kim is desperate to find Chris and finally does so when she sees him on television giving an interview about his experiences in Vietnam. They reunite, but their happiness is short-lived as Chris is married and has a family. However, he can’t forget about Kim and eventually leaves his family to be with her.
Miss Saigon is a tragic story of love and loss set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. It is a gripping tale of two star-crossed lovers who are forced to part ways but never forget each other.
Chris and Kim are given a chance to win the heart of an American man and take him away from Saigon. It’s at this event that Chris first encounters Kim. He sees innocence in her that none of the other girls have. Although a different girl is named Miss Saigon, John recognizes his buddy’s affection for Kim, so he purchases a room from the engineer for Chris and Kim.
From this moment on, their tragic story begins to unfold. The Vietnam War is raging. American soldiers are in Saigon, fighting for a cause they may not even believe in anymore. And in the midst of all this chaos are the bar girls, women who use their sexuality to entertain the soldiers and make a little bit of money.
One of these bar girls is Kim, a young Vietnamese woman who was orphaned by the war. She is desperate to find a way out of Saigon and escape the life of a bar girl. When she meets Chris, an American soldier, she thinks she may have found her way out.
Chris is immediately drawn to Kim and starts to fall in love with her. He makes plans to take her away from Saigon, but the Vietnam War has other plans. Their tragic story ends in heartbreak, but also in hope for the future.
They cautiously enter the room after some hesitation. Chris realizes he has fallen in love with Kim after a night together. She seems to have fallen in love with him as well, since when he tries to offer her money, she refuses it. They vow their love for each other and Chris states that he will look out for her.
The Vietnam War is raging and it is time for Chris to return to America. They both know that this will be the last time they see each other and they say their goodbyes. Chris gives Kim his address and tells her to come to him if she ever needs anything.
Kim does not know how to contact Chris so she goes to a bar in search of him. There she meets the Engineer, a Vietnam-born man who has made his way to Saigon. He tells her that he can help her find Chris and get her to America.
The Engineer takes Kim under his wing and introduces her to the world of the prostitutes in Saigon. She is hesitant at first, but eventually agrees to work for him.
The years pass and Chris has long since forgotten about Kim. He is now married with a child. However, the Vietnam War still haunts him and he suffers from nightmares.
One day, out of the blue, Kim shows up at his doorstep. She has finally found him after all these years. Chris is shocked to see her and does not know what to do.
Kim tells him that she has come for help because she is in danger. The Engineer has been pimping her out and she wants to escape from him. Chris is reluctant to get involved, but eventually agrees to help her.