In The Sympathizer, the Captain works for a high-ranking official in South Vietnam known as the General, played by Toan Le.
As the General is in charge of the Secret Police of South Vietnam, he is a feared figure in both North and South Vietnam.
However, the Captain, who is the General’s right-hand man, believes that the General is not very astute, given that he has not realized that the Captain is a spy.
Rebuilding his life in the US
The General keeps the Captain close because he went to college in the US and helps the General improve his English.
He assists the General with his speeches, making him appear intelligent and well-read, and lives in the General’s house as his manservant.
The General trusts the Captain enough to leave important and difficult decisions, such as choosing the people to accompany him to the US, to him.
Being an anti-communist, if the General had stayed in the country after the war, he would have been sent to a reeducation camp.
Therefore, the General had to flee the country with his chosen group of men. However, life in the US proves to be extremely difficult.
The General has to live in a refugee camp, losing all the privileges he once enjoyed back home, along with his stature and prestige.
He is also blamed by the families of his followers for misleading them. The General is no longer a respected and feared figure.
Unable to cope with his changed circumstances, the General turns to drinking, which eventually gives him the idea to open a liquor store.
As a man who thrived in war, the General finds it hard to adapt to this new life. His paranoia leads him to believe there is a spy among his men.
He shares his concerns with the Captain, who is tasked with finding the spy. The Captain frames the Major, and the General does not hesitate to order the Captain to kill him.
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