In late 19th century Vietnam, fourteen-year-old May becomes the third wife to a wealthy landowner. She quickly learns that she can gain status and security if she gives birth to a male child, but her burgeoning attraction to Xuan, the second wife, puts her fragile standing in jeopardy. As May observes the unfolding tragedy of forbidden love and its devastating consequences, she must make a choice, to either carry on in silence, or forge a path towards personal freedom.

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Video Quality

The Third Wife arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Film Movement with a sumptuous 1080p presentation that favorably depicts this film. Skin tones look natural, and there are some lovely facial details present. There is a valuable amount of texture in the clothing and production design. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies are not an issue. This is a striking film that explores each environment with a sense of wonder. Colors are boldly saturated with some deep colors filling the screen. Black levels hold firm with no crush observed, and highlights are free of any issues of blooming. The film looks magnificent in high definition.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track in the original Vietnamese (with optional English subtitles) that sounds quite strong. Dialogue is paramount in this feature, and each word comes through with the utmost clarity. There is a rich world flowing throughout the speakers such as subtle notes within the environments. The track comes alive when outdoors, but there is also a strength to the interior moments that stand out. The score maintains a precise fidelity that does not struggle in the slightest. This is not the most kinetic film, although there is some discrete texture in the low end. This track is a winner on all fronts.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Ash Mayfair provides an informative commentary track in which she discusses the personal influences she brought to this story, the importance of nature to this story, symbolism within the film, the thought process behind the aspect ratio, and more.

Between Shadow and Soul (1:28:41): An alternate silent, monochrome version of the movie is provided that treats the movie like a proper silent film with a persistent score and occasional text to guide the narrative.

NYAFF Chat: A 15-minute conversation from the New York Asian Film Festival in which director Ash Mayfair discusses her background, the personal nature of the story, the emotional honesty in the film, and more.

Grasshopper: A 14-minute film from Ash Mayfair in which a young child has an important interaction with a pig.

Trailer (2:08)

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is provided featuring the essay “Sensory Overload: The Third Wife” by writer and historian Beatrice Loayza, in which she analyzes the film, the director, the themes, its place in Vietnamese cinema, and more. The interior cover also has a brief statement from director Ash Mayfair.

Final Thoughts

The Third Wife is a gentle yet emotionally harrowing look at the stifling confines of tradition and the complexities of desire. The film does not go overboard with overt villainy, but there is a consistent quality that makes you long for these characters to experience true freedom. The camera captures unbelievably gorgeous imagery throughout, yet this is cold comfort for the characters who are so disenchanted. The narrative is very understated, but it leaves a mark when it needs to. Film Movement has provided a Blu-Ray with a grand A/V presentation along with a strong assortment of supplements. Recommended

The Third Wife is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Film Movement and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.