Was the performance a success or a "disaster" for the image of Uncle Ba Phi?

VTC News•18/10/2023

The film "Southern Forest Land" premiered on October 16th. Although he only plays a supporting character, Uncle Ba Phi, portrayed by Tran Thanh, has already garnered attention from audiences even before the film's release.

To this day, this character remains a subject of much debate among viewers. In online film discussion groups, the keyword "Uncle Ba Phi" receives far more attention than the main character.

Tran Thanh's portrayal of the character Uncle Ba Phi.

Some people expressed dissatisfaction with Tran Thanh's performance, with some even suggesting that the character he portrayed deviated from the familiar image of Uncle Ba Phi in Southern Vietnamese culture.

The actor incorporated into his character typical of Tran Thanh's "preachy" personas, making the image of Uncle Ba Phi seem alien to the audience.

Lines like, "Our people understand our land, our people love our land, and heaven and earth will protect us," have made Uncle Ba Phi from the film adaptation of "Southern Forest Land, " who many call him "Uncle Ba the moralist," seem heavy and "fake," as if he were acting in a play.

"Exaggerated storytelling" is Uncle Ba Phi's "trademark" in literary works. However, Uncle Ba Phi's exaggerations are witty, relatable, and persuasive, without being overly boastful.

Many viewers believe that Tran Thanh has ruined the image of the character Uncle Ba Phi.

In particular, the scene where Uncle Ba Phi, played by Tran Thanh, "claims credit" for saving Vo Tong has sparked much debate. Specifically, in the scene where he exaggerates at Mrs. Tu Beo's tavern, Uncle Ba Phi recounts how he saved Vo Tong in a hyperbolic way:

"I witnessed it that day. The soldiers had just brought out their guns when Vo Tong roared, thunder and lightning struck, and the soldiers were so scared they almost wet their pants. They had no spirit left to shoot! Ba Phi saw it at the right moment, grabbed his sickle, and cut the noose."

Võ Tòng whistled, and from nowhere a herd of buffaloes charged, trampling the soldiers to the ground. Then Võ Tòng's father jumped into the river and was carried away by a giant fish."

In reality, Uncle Ba Phi didn't appear in the scene where he raids the execution grounds, so there's no way he saved Vo Tong. The fact that Uncle Ba Phi made such a statement has led many to believe that it went beyond mere wit and humor, becoming an attempt to take credit for something.

Tran Thanh's portrayal of Uncle Ba Phi is causing controversy among viewers.

This plot point was considered completely contrary to the generous and upright character of Uncle Ba Phi in both the real-life version and the television adaptation. Therefore, the actor received considerable criticism from viewers who felt he had ruined the image of Uncle Ba Phi – a source of pride for many generations of people in Southern Vietnam.

However, there are also some opinions supporting Tran Thanh's decision to "reinvent" his character. These people argue that the film adaptation of "Southern Forest Land " is only inspired by the novel of the same name, so the characters don't need to be exactly like the original.

These people argue that everyone has a different approach, and moreover, this is just a minor character in the film, so there's no need to focus too much on him to avoid diluting the overall focus of the film's content.

Tran Thanh wants to build his own image of Uncle Ba Phi.

Tran Thanh himself has shared that he will create something different for his portrayal of Uncle Ba Phi. The actor said: "Initially, I was hesitant when the director invited me to play this classic role. However, I like this challenge because it stimulates creativity. I believe my version will be completely new, not just stepping out, telling jokes, or telling tall tales like the old version, but will have many more roles. I hope to be loved by everyone through this role."

During the Q&A session for the film "Southern Forest Land" in Ho Chi Minh City, artist Mac Can – who was once synonymous with the character of Uncle Ba Phi in the film adaptation – also commented:

"Tran Thanh is young and has his own creative ideas that I don't know about. Sometimes, those ideas are excellent, who knows? As for his youthful face and physique, he has to try to look as much like Uncle Ba Phi as possible. Because an actor has to resemble the character when they're in a film."

Artist Mac Can at the launch event for the film adaptation of "Southern Forest Land".

Regarding the image of Uncle Ba Phi in the hearts of the audience, the veteran artist also emphasized that "there's no need to preserve it." Because, according to artist Mac Can: "If someone dares to reprise the role, it means they have confidence. Confidence is key. They have to do it better, and doing it better is valuable. In short, whoever reprises the role, whoever reprises the role they've already played, that's great."

Director Nguyen Quang Dung, in a concise statement, said: "I chose Tran Thanh to play Uncle Ba Phi because of his eloquence and versatile acting skills. If it weren't for Tran Thanh, I wouldn't have had any other choice."

An Nguyen

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