The Wild Fields is a lyrical epic, encapsulating all national philosophy.

Wild Field is one of the classic films of Vietnamese cinema - Photo: Document

Wild Field is a classic Vietnamese film, released on April 30, 1979. The film was directed by People's Artist Nguyen Hong Sen, written by writer Nguyen Quang Sang and composed by musician Trinh Cong Son.

The film won many prestigious awards such as the Golden Lotus Award at the 1980 Vietnam Film Festival, the Gold Medal at the 1981 Moscow International Film Festival (Russia), the Special Award of the International Federation of Cinema Journalists at the 1980 Moscow International Film Festival...

Set in the Dong Thap Muoi region during the flood season, the film revolves around the lives and resilience of the family of Ba Do (People's Artist Lam Toi) and Sau Xoa (Thuy An) and their young child.

They lived in a makeshift hut in the middle of a flooded field, carrying the sacred duty of protecting the communication lines for the revolution, while facing relentless pursuit by American helicopters.

The lyrical epic in The Wild Fields

Appearing on the program Cine 7 - Memories of Vietnamese Films broadcast on VTV3 on the evening of April 5, film critic, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan affirmed that Wild Field is a lyrical epic.

The film encapsulates all the philosophies of the nation such as revolutionary heroism, patriotism, sacrifice, the beauty of the Vietnamese people... all expressed in each scene.

Film critic, Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan in the program Cine 7 - Memories of Vietnamese films - Photo: VTV

"That has been our philosophy for generations that Uncle Ho said many times - "grasshopper kicks cart".

Ba Do and his wife, guerrillas, had only a small boat and a 5-month-old child. They had to defend their territory in the middle of a deserted field - a place where life was difficult to sustain and they had to oppose an iron force symbolizing the civilized, modern world .

However, it still sparkles with poetry and lyricism, which is present in the daily life of Mr. Ba Do and his wife" - she commented.

The lyricism in Wild Fields is reflected in the daily life of Mr. Ba Do and his wife - Photo: VTV

According to Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan, without the perfect and talented transformation of a great artist like People's Artist Lam Toi, Wild Field and the image of the guerrilla liaison would not be able to live forever with time and in the hearts of millions of viewers.

"It's hard for anyone to make a movie that fully depicts the difficult river scene like director Nguyen Hong Sen, writer Nguyen Quang Sang, and cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba...

In particular, the simple yet profound melody of musician Trinh Cong Son also makes listeners feel nostalgic.

"Without those people, we certainly would not have a masterpiece like Wild Field until today" - Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan commented.

Filming Wild Fields is hard but fun

Although 46 years have passed, for cinematographer, Meritorious Artist Bang Phong, the days of making Wild Fields are unforgettable memories.

At the age of 29, cinematographer, Meritorious Artist Bang Phong had a chance to work on Wild Fields . This was also the first film he participated in as an assistant cinematographer. Throughout his career, he had the opportunity to collaborate with director Nguyen Hong Sen in 9 different films.

Cinematographer, Meritorious Artist Bang Phong said the time filming Wild Field was extremely difficult but very fun - Photo: VTV

"The topic of war is close to my heart, so I really enjoyed working on it. I was young at the time, filming was hard but fun. Even though the meals were dry and there was no meat or fish, I always went to work with a cheerful spirit," he recalled.

He said that at the time of filming, the crew only had one camera. He and cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba ​​took turns holding and supporting the camera. Even if there were scenes that were difficult, they tried to film them in one take.

The difficulty of Wild Fields is not only in the filming stage but also in the limited budget. Also in the program Cine 7 - Memories of Vietnamese Films , Mr. Duong Minh Hoang - deputy director of the film revealed that Wild Fields was made with only 300,000 VND.

Deputy director of the film Wild Fields Duong Minh Hoang revealed that the film only had a budget of 300,000 VND - Photo: VTV

With that little money, the entire film crew had to stay in an abandoned house during filming, spreading out tarps to sleep overnight.

The crew also made the most of the surrounding natural landscape such as cajuput forests, lotus ponds, fields... as backdrops. Notably, most of the props in the film were borrowed instead of rented to save costs.

The film's setting and props in The Wild Field were all available or borrowed instead of rented to save costs - Photo: Document

Listening to the story of cinematographer Bang Phong, deputy director Duong Minh Hoang and Dr. Ngo Phuong Lan expressed their admiration for the efforts and spirit of filmmakers of the past.

"That was the golden age. During the war or subsidy period, filmmakers never asked for anything. For them, making films and contributing was an honor. They were willing to sacrifice everything for their work.

That's why with only 300,000 VND, they can still create a monumental work that has long-lasting vitality" - Ms. Phuong Lan said.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/canh-dong-hoang-la-ban-hung-ca-tru-tinh-goi-gon-tat-ca-triet-ly-dan-toc-20250406004700232.htm