HBO miniseries ‘The Sympathizer’ aired to great success with both audiences and critics. However, many people wonder if the black comedy series is based on real-life events, and the short answer is yes, but loosely.
While the characters of the black comedy series are entirely fictional, their narratives are inspired by real people and events in Vietnam, particularly the fall of Saigon. Created by Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, the show is also based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
It centers around a fictional character named the Captain, played by Hoa Xuande, a North Vietnamese spy embedded in the South Vietnam army during the Vietnam War. The series begins near the war’s end. Here’s what to know about the real-life events behind the show, starring Robert Downey Jr.
What is real on ‘The Sympathizer’?
Viet Thanh Nguyen drew inspiration from real-life individuals and their stories during the Vietnam War’s conclusion in both countries to create many of the characters in the plot. The story is set against the backdrop of the fall of Saigon, a catastrophic and life-changing event that initiates the narrative.
The Vietnam War, which began in November 1955, lasted nearly 20 years before ending with the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. And this event marks the beginning of the show. In the series, we follow The Captain, a North Vietnamese spy forced to flee to the United States. In his new home, he lives among South Vietnamese refugees from the war and continues his espionage activities for the Viet Cong, although he becomes increasingly conflicted as he acclimates to his new environment.
On the other hand, Robert Downey Jr. portrays four different characters in the series, with one of the most significant being a CIA agent named Claude who mentors the Captain. The story flashes back to the fall of Saigon in 1975 before the Captain’s relocation to the United States.
This historical backdrop sets the stage for The Captain’s journey in the United States in the HBO satirical spy thriller. Author Viet Thanh Nguyen, whose family also fled Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, explained that the war didn’t end with there, as the consequences were still felt through the stories of refugees, prisoners, or the defeated and left behind.
