Tunnels Movie: Sun in the Dark - Epic Song from Underground

In the film Tunnels: The Sun in the Dark, the character Uncle Sau (Meritorious Artist Cao Minh) uttered a poignant sentence when facing the enemy: "Tunnels are people's war, you can never win." Under the narrow and dark underground, the tunnels became fierce battlefields but always lit up with the steadfast fire of patriotic hearts.

Slices of history

The setting of Tunnels: Sun in the Dark (tunnels) takes place in 1967, when the resistance war against the US entered a fierce phase. The film recreates that atmosphere in a realistic and haunting way. Panoramic shots from above show the entire forest burned down, and on the ground, bombs and mines are everywhere, just one misstep can cost you your life. Not only reflecting the brutality of war, the film also depicts the resilience of the people who stay here, fighting in the dark but always keeping the light of patriotism.

Tunnels: Sun in the Dark recreates a fierce slice of war. Photo: DPCC

The Tunnels is a fictional film, but based on historical context and true stories. In the film, only the character Tu Dap is introduced as inspired by the prototype of the People's Armed Forces Hero To Van Duc. This choice allows the crew to freely create, increasing the appeal of the film. However, fiction does not mean being far from reality. On the contrary, the film is filled with historical material, like a slow-motion film, helping today's generation clearly visualize the life and fighting of their ancestors in the fierce years of the past.

No longer the familiar motif of us winning - the enemy losing even though the enemy is strong - we are weak, instead, The Tunnels clearly depicts pain, loss, and at times seems to fall into a deadlock. Bay Theo, Ba Huong, Tu Dap, Uncle Sau, Ba Hieu, Ut Kho, Sau Lap, Hai Thung... are first of all ordinary people of the steel land of Cu Chi. Some of them hold a gun for the first time, are afraid, in pain, even want to give up, give up. They also swear, act on emotions, long to love, to live. They love each other passionately amidst bullets, discreetly and poetically - a detail that emphasizes humanity.

The film Tunnels: Sun in the Dark recreates a fierce slice of war. Photo: DPCC

The film leaves a strong impression on the acting, mostly leaning towards a static style. The actors not only practiced hard to have the right look, but also devoted themselves to the harsh filming conditions. Quang Tuan escaped the image of the "king of horror films", Ho Thu Anh was no longer the dreamy girl in Saigon in the rain. Although some audiences may have expected more explosiveness from Thai Hoa, his overall acting in the film still maintained harmony. All of this created a realistic and haunting picture of war.

From underground tunnels in the hearts of the people to "underground tunnels" of cinema

The tunnels use many contrasting techniques, not only in the position and strength between us and the enemy, but also in the way the battlefield is depicted. The film makes a strong impression with the smooth transitions from the ground to the tunnels, creating a clear contrast. Above ground, the well-trained army with modern weapons sweeps day and night, tanks, planes, and warships roar and destroy. Underground, the Cu Chi guerrillas infiltrate, inch by inch in the narrow, stuffy tunnels, sometimes filled with the smell of toxic gas. One side tries to destroy, the other side not only resists but also creates a resilient underground position.

I have nothing but deep gratitude to the actors and crew, because the film has recreated a part of the steel land of Cu Chi - a story that no film has been able to do in the past 50 years.

Hero of the People's Armed Forces

To Van Duc

The film is particularly impressive with the scenes inside the tunnels, where the narrow angles create the feeling of the characters' own eyes, not just the camera frames. This technique often makes the audience breathless, as if they are directly crawling, crawling, and fighting in the film's setting. The tunnels are no longer a setting but truly become a character with its own soul, like a witness to the sleepless days and nights with the guerrilla team.

The tunnels have both recreated a historical miracle and opened a new "tunnel" in the heart of Vietnamese cinema. It has been a long time since the Vietnamese historical - revolutionary war film genre has had a work that has satisfied the audience, thrilled them, and then made them proud and burst into tears. Director Bui Thac Chuyen admitted that this is the first time a privately produced film has mobilized many heavy weapons that were used by the US in the Vietnam War, such as: M-48 tanks, M113 armored vehicles, UH-1 helicopters... Thanks to that, the scenes of explosions, close combat, and landing sweeps of the US expeditionary force become as realistic as a documentary, bringing a vivid and haunting experience.

The film will have early screenings from 7pm on April 2 and 7pm on April 3, before officially opening on April 4 at cinemas nationwide.

VAN TUAN - QUYNH YEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/phim-dia-dao-mat-troi-trong-bong-toi-khuc-trang-ca-tu-trong-long-dat-post788745.html