Movie “Tunnel: Sun in the Dark”:

A scene from the movie “Tunnels: Sun in the Dark”.

Stories about people "living underground"

“Tunnels: Sun in the Dark” does not follow the path of many previous war films. Although it is a war film, there are no large-scale battles, no spectacular cinematography, no heroic characters to “save the world ”. The film leads viewers into a stuffy underground space - where 21 guerrillas under the command of Bay Theo (played by Thai Hoa) are tasked with protecting a top-secret radio station. This is the place to receive and transmit intelligence from the inner city of Saigon to the war zone - a vital mission during the fiercest period of the resistance war against America.

The film’s scenes are mostly dark, evoking the dark atmosphere of the Cu Chi tunnels - where guerrillas had to hide underground during the day to avoid American raids, only emerging to operate at night. But in that darkness, the “sun” of courage, discipline and humanity still shines brightly.

Rather than focusing on portraying a specific individual hero, the film celebrates the collective strength - where each soldier is clearly aware that he or she can sacrifice himself or herself at any time, but remains calm, disciplined and resilient. The short, simple dialogues, imbued with the spirit of farmers and soldiers, combined with the natural, profound acting of the cast, convey the very real "essence" of people living between the fragile boundary between life and death.

The film conveys a strong message: The brutal war cannot destroy the patriotism, heroic qualities, and desire to live of the Vietnamese people. The dialogue of the character Uncle Sau in the film, when facing American soldiers, recalls the history of the 60-day and night battle in Hanoi in 1946 when 13,000 French soldiers with tanks and planes could not defeat more than 10,000 Viet Minh soldiers with only more than 2,000 guns, making the historical value of the film even more profound.

The humanity in the film is expressed in a subtle yet simple way through details such as Bay Theo accepting to marry a female guerrilla without thinking to protect the honor of his subordinate, or the scene where Tu Dap and Ba Huong spare the life of an American soldier even though he caused the death of many of their comrades... Those are details that make the audience speechless. Because amidst the smoke, hatred, and death lurking every second, compassion and the desire to transform the enemy still exist - that is the greatest victory of humanity against the brutality of war.

Although it is a movie, “Tunnels: Sun in the Dark” also has the appearance of a documentary, increasing the authenticity of the story told in the film when there is the appearance of real former guerrillas who fought in the Cu Chi tunnels in the last part of the film. Among them, the Hero of the People's Armed Forces To Van Duc appears as the prototype for the role of Tu Dap. The radio station in the film also makes many people realize that it is the base of the legendary H63 intelligence group stationed in Cu Chi during the war against the US...

Revolutionary war movies are still attractive

With a simple yet sophisticated cinematic approach, the film not only left a mark on the audience but also opened up many expectations for Vietnamese historical films. It is time for heroic yet very ordinary stories like “Tunnels” to continue to be told - not only to remember, but also to understand and appreciate the value of peace today.

Vietnam's history of national defense is a rich treasure trove of heroic, touching and cinematic stories. From famous battles such as Dien Bien Phu, Quang Tri Citadel, the legendary Truong Son Road, to ordinary lives during the war - each slice can become valuable film footage, contributing to inspiring and arousing national pride in generations of Vietnamese people, especially the younger generation.

“Tunnel: Sun in the Dark” is a clear proof that: When invested seriously and told delicately, historical films are not dry but can touch the emotions of viewers. The fact that the film earned 18 billion VND in early screenings and 30 billion VND on the first day of official release, along with the overwhelming number of screenings in cinemas this week is proof. On social networks, thousands of reviews from even very young audiences show that the film has reached a large audience, not just those interested in war films.

At the film premiere, director Bui Thac Chuyen confided: “Our wish is to make a film to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the country’s reunification and to show it to as many people as possible so that everyone can feel that our ancestors knew how to fight and could defeat any enemy, no matter how strong they were.” And it can be said that this wish has been realized with “Tunnels” because of the film’s own appeal.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/phim-dia-dao-mat-troi-trong-bong-toi-lat-cat-lich-su-day-cam-xuc-va-chat-nhan-van-698713.html