A peaceful life is the most precious thing.

The film "Tunnels - The Sun in the Darkness" (or simply "Tunnels") was widely screened in Ba Ria-Vung Tau and cinemas nationwide ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country. The press and social media have praised "Tunnels." This historical war film, not funded by the state budget, is captivating and attracts a large audience. Revenue is increasing daily, reaching nearly 100 billion VND to date. On some days, there were as many as 4,800-4,850 screenings. In Ba Ria-Vung Tau, some cinemas screened the film from morning until late at night.

 

"The Tunnel" is indeed a popular historical war film, warmly received by the public. I booked tickets online for 100,000 VND each two days in advance, and went to Lotte Mart cinema with my daughter and her husband to watch the film.

While watching the movie with her father, when scenes of the female guerrilla fighters of Binh An Dong living and fighting in the Cu Chi tunnels during the fierce war of 1966-1967, and scenes of American soldiers pumping water deep into the tunnels, using napalm bombs to burn them down, and blowing smoke into the deep bunkers... my daughter sobbed.

- I'm so impressed by "The Iron Land, the Bronze Fortress"! I feel so much sympathy for the female guerrilla fighter Ba Huong (played by actress Ho Thu Anh) and the female guerrillas of Binh An Dong and Cu Chi. What strength made these guerrillas so brave and indomitable? Death was so light to them. The "tick-tock" signal transmitting intelligence received through secret couriers from Saigon to their base, amidst fierce bombing and shelling, never stopped!

I said to my child with emotion:

- The peaceful life we ​​enjoy today was achieved at the cost of countless sacrifices and the blood of our soldiers and compatriots. The guerrilla fighters, living among the people, are a magnificent symbol of people's war. Having a peaceful life is the most precious thing!

My daughter loves books and movies. During the Southwest and Northern border wars, she and her mother carried books to the trenches to give to the soldiers, braving bomb attacks. When she watched the movie "The Underground Tunnels," she recalled the historical context and said:

- I've read many books about the Cu Chi Tunnels; I've seen "X6 - The Perfect Spy" about the extraordinary double life of strategic intelligence officer, Major General Pham Xuan An; and "Intelligence Stories" by Colonel Nguyen Van Tau (Tu Cang), an outstanding son of the heroic Long Phuoc, Ba Ria - the head of intelligence unit H63. I wonder: What were they fighting for? My parents only said very briefly: For the Fatherland, for peace and the tranquility of the People!

Stopping at a captivating and engaging scene featuring the character Bay Theo (played by artist Thai Hoa), who lives and fights in a system of tunnels stretching over 200km underground, my daughter continued:

- The character of Bay Theo, portrayed by actor Thai Hoa, is truly outstanding. The film makes viewers feel as if it's real. A hero with a distinctly Cu Chi style: living with emotion, not pretentious, not rigid, not a great man. Bay Theo's silent sacrifice at the end of the film is poignant, inspiring, and reflects the righteousness and greatness of the People's War—truly heroic and moving!

Strategic intelligence agents lived deep within enemy territory, right in the heart of the enemy's stronghold, gathering top-secret information and transmitting it to receiving centers, including the Cu Chi Tunnels, located 50-60km from the center of Saigon, for onward transmission to the Supreme Command. Cu Chi endured approximately 500,000 tons of bombs and ammunition from thousands of sweeps, yet it held its ground, ensuring the safety of the strategic information lifeline from the enemy's stronghold to the revolutionary base.

I asked my child what they thought of the movie "The Tunnels," and they replied:

- The film "The Tunnels..." is an immortal epic. I really like it. Director Bui Thac Chuyen expressed from the bottom of his heart that: It is time for the press, literature, and cinema to speak more fully about the immense sacrifices of our forefathers in the war of national liberation and the war to protect the Fatherland. Depicting the war with all its ferocity, brutality, fairness, and clarity is absolutely essential. Only in this way can we highlight the immortal epic, bought with blood, immense sacrifices, for national independence and the peaceful life of the country and its people.

PHAM QUOC TOAN

 

Source: https://baobariavungtau.com.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202504/cuoc-life-hoa-binh-la-dieu-quy-nhat-1040119/