Vietnamese historical films: Now or when?

With the upcoming release of the film 'Hong Ha Nu Si' (about the life of Doan Thi Diem), the ongoing production of 'Chien Bao' (about the hero Le Loi), and the controversial historical events surrounding the film 'Dat Rung Phuong Nam', it's clear that the time has come for Vietnamese historical films to be viewed with a broader perspective.

The Southern Forest Land is, ultimately, just a fictional film, inspired by a fictional literary work of the same name. Of course, the historical context of the region depicted in the film is still a matter of discussion, both for the general audience interested in learning more and especially for professionals in the field.

But perhaps all related comments should focus directly on the "text" of the existing film adaptation, rather than getting bogged down in using literary frames of reference to "interpret" a film, including whether it is historically accurate or not.

Referencing some perspectives from international filmmakers.

For example, the 1996 film Romeo and Juliet , starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed (produced and co-written) by Australian Baz Luhrmann, is a modern adaptation of the tragedy of the same name by the great playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616). It was quite controversial among viewers and critics internationally. It was also the third major film adaptation of this classic play, following the 1936 and 1968 versions. While retaining Shakespeare's original dialogue, the film portrays the families as warring mafia empires in a contemporary American setting, where swords (in the original work) are replaced by guns! This means the original setting was shifted from medieval Italy to a modern American era, where the classic characters are present in the film. The names of some characters were also changed, or characters were removed, or some characters were even transferred to the opposite family name by the filmmakers, compared to the original play by the renowned writer William Shakespeare (written around 1594-1595).

The film review website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 73% of its 66 reviewers gave Romeo + Juliet a positive rating, with an average score of 6.8/10. The unanimous reviewers on the site also stated: "Director Baz Luhrmann's visual aesthetic is divisive because it is so new and infinitely innovative."

Romeo and Juliet (1996)

TEM

The director of Romeo and Juliet , Baz Luhrmann (born 1962), is a professional filmmaker whose work spans the film, television, opera, theater, music , and recording industries. He is considered by international critics to be an auteur filmmaker. The term "auteur" refers to a film in which the artist takes a unique approach, a filmmaker capable of controlling the filmmaking process in an unconstrained and personal way, to the point that the director is considered the "author" of the film, even when adapting a classic original format.

Romeo and Juliet competed for the Golden Bear at the 1997 Berlin Film Festival and received a nomination for Best Art Direction at the 1997 Academy Awards. Interestingly, the film made a strong impression and maintained a popular reputation among English teachers worldwide as a contemporary means of introducing the classic play to secondary school students. Although not to the liking of every critic, Romeo and Juliet is now recognized as one of the most influential film adaptations of Shakespeare's play ever made.

Another example is the film *Curse of the Golden Flower * by director Zhang Yimou, released in 2006, starring renowned Chinese actors such as Chow Yun- fat , Gong Li, Jay Chou, and Liu Ye. The film is considered to have a plot based on the play *Thunderstorm* (written by Cao Yu in 1934), and also inspired by the classic play *Hamlet* (written in 1601) by playwright William Shakespeare. The plot of *Hamlet* originates from medieval folklore. *Thunderstorm* is set in Tianjin during the Republic of China era. In his film adaptation, director Zhang Yimou shifted the setting to the Tang Dynasty in 928.

Zhang Yimou's film Curse of the Golden Flower

TEM

Along with shifting the film's timeline to a completely different context from the original stories it was inspired by, and even "misrepresenting" the chronology of a real dynasty in Chinese history, Zhang Yimou's *Curse of the Golden Flower* also faced strong public backlash in China regarding its costumes. The filmmakers depicted all the female characters in the film wearing extremely daring, revealing bodices, creating a powerful visual impression of sensual beauty. When criticized for unrealistic costumes, the filmmakers asserted that the film crew had extensively researched the extremely liberal cultural history of the Tang Dynasty, particularly the clothing styles of the prosperous Tang period, where female concubines in the imperial court wore dresses with deep necklines that exposed their breasts. Just because other dynasties in China after the Tang Dynasty didn't replicate this revealing style doesn't mean it never existed in history, as the general audience might perceive. Zhang Yimou's film Curse of the Golden Flower received an Oscar nomination in 2007 for Best Costume Design.

Vietnamese historical film: In which lifetime did they fall in love?

With films related to Vietnamese history, whether they are fictional reenactments of a region like "Southern Forest Land" or films about real historical figures, it is inevitable that they will face critical and multifaceted scrutiny and judgment from the general audience.

Poster for the movie "Southern Forest Land"

In 2015, the Vietnamese historical drama film " My Nhan" (directed by Dinh Thai Thuy) also sparked mixed reactions in Vietnam. The core of " My Nhan" is the story of incest involving Tong Thi during the Trinh-Nguyen civil war, presented from a new perspective on history by screenwriter Van Le. The film was criticized for its costumes not being authentically Vietnamese, even from the moment the filmmakers released its promotional trailer.

By 2020, the film "Quynh Hoa Nhat Da " (directed by Ly Minh Thang), which had just debuted with a teaser trailer, had already been questioned by the online community on various aspects, but the most prominent was the costume of the female lead character, Empress Dowager Duong Van Nga (played by supermodel and actress Thanh Hang). This is a Vietnamese film project following a historical drama style, not official history, set during the Dinh - Early Le dynasties.

The epic action film "War Armor" is produced by Ba Cuong - Thien Production.

Manufacturer's Credit

Recently, Thien Production, the film studio of producer Ba Cuong (director and producer of the martial arts action film "The Great Battle of the Martial Arts Students ," released in 2021), also revealed a project for an epic historical action film: "War Robe ." The script was written by the Golden Kite Award-winning screenwriting duo Luong Kim Lien and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich. This historical film project tells the story of the hero Le Loi raising the banner of rebellion in the Lam Son - Chi Linh mountains ( Thanh Hoa province ) against the Ming dynasty, during the fourth period of Chinese rule (also known as the Ming occupation) in Vietnamese history, beginning in 1407 when the Ming empire defeated the Ho Dynasty - Dai Ngu.

In the winter of 1416, Le Loi and 18 like-minded companions held an "Oath Ceremony" at Lung Nhai (present-day Thuong Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province), performing a ritual to worship heaven and earth, swearing brotherhood, and vowing to unite to drive out the Ming dynasty. In 1418, Le Loi officially launched his rebellion, with an initial force of only a few thousand men. After many fierce battles, and even being surrounded and cornered by the Ming army several times, the resistance under Le Loi's leadership finally succeeded in 1427, driving the Ming army out of Vietnam. From then on, Le Loi unified and rebuilt Dai Viet, establishing the Later Le Dynasty. Historians highly regard Le Loi for his political , military, and economic talents, considering him one of the two national restoration leaders of Vietnam (the first being Ngo Quyen).

But will a large-scale historical film project like "War Armor" continue to face negative public opinion, as has happened with other Vietnamese films of the same genre?

Historical film: Hong Ha, the female writer.

DPCC

The answer regarding the future of Vietnamese historical films certainly remains to be seen, depending on the actual quality of the films when they are released. The only condition is that Vietnamese audiences should be more open to the creative scope of private filmmakers in the country, especially since Vietnamese cinema still lacks historical films with funding outside of the national budget.

Hopefully, Vietnamese historical films will receive more support from the audience.

National Assembly representative Bui Hoai Son, also a permanent member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education, expressed his opinion in a National Assembly discussion session, stating: "We often praise historical films from China, South Korea, etc., as captivating. But I believe that such films, if made in Vietnam, would certainly spark much debate and face public criticism. Of course, each culture is different, and the filmmaking methods must be different. In the current context, artistic creations about history need to be viewed more 'openly,' listened to more positively, and supported more. Only then will artists dare to dedicate themselves to art."

Associate Professor Bui Hoai Son also hopes that the recent debates (related to the film "Southern Forest Land ") will not discourage dedicated artists from exploring Vietnamese historical themes. He also cited the example of some state-commissioned films this year, such as "Peach, Pho and Piano" and "Hong Ha Woman," which, despite state investment and meticulous production, have not truly garnered significant public attention in the domestic film market.

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