Review - 'Peach, Pho and Piano'

The film "Peach, Pho and Piano" explores the lives of those who stayed in Hanoi's neighborhoods during the war in late 1946 and early 1947.

* Article reveals part of the movie content

The film has a budget of 20 billion VND, released on the first day of Lunar New Year (February 10), only at the National Cinema Center, Hanoi with a limited number of shows.

Doan Quoc Dam in a movie scene. Photo: Son Phi

In the atmosphere covered by bombs, the highlight is the love story of a self-defense soldier (Doan Quoc Dam) and a young lady from Hanoi (Cao Thi Thuy Linh). The young lady was separated from her family during the evacuation with the people from Hanoi in February 1947, and had to return to her neighborhood, where the army and people were fighting. Here, she was reunited with her lover, living happy moments. Their wedding was organized by the painter (Tran Luc), witnessed by a priest (NSND Trung Hieu).

The next day, the enemy attacked the neighborhood. During the battle, the soldier was blinded by a bomb. Seeing his lover about to be crushed by an enemy tank, the young lady decided to hug the three-pronged bomb and rush into the car. At the end of the film, a piece of white cloth from her ao dai flew into the air, evoking many emotions.

Billion-dollar film studio recreates Hanoi's 60 days and nights of fire and smoke

5-6 billion VND film studio in Vinh Phuc. Video : Anh Phu

Besides love, the work depicts humanity. The Western scholar (Tuan Hung) drives through all the enemy's outposts, helping the self-defense soldier return to base. The pho seller (Nguyet Hang) also cannot bear to leave her house to evacuate, just because of the promise to treat the shoe shine boy to a delicious bowl of pho.

Images of peach blossoms, pho, and pianos - the typical features of the capital - appear throughout the work. Peach blossoms are often purchased by people during Tet. Pho is an indispensable dish for Hanoians. Amidst the desolate scene, The sound of the piano conveys the army and people's wishes for independence, expressing the love of art and the romantic character of Hanoi people.

The film depicts a period Fierce war. Impressive screenwriter Trinh Thanh Nha image of a neighborhood with dilapidated, cluttered houses. According to artist Vu Viet Hung, the process of finding a location to build a film studio was difficult, because it had to ensure the safety of nearby residents and be quiet enough to record synchronized sound. Thanks to the support of the Ministry of National Defense , the crew built a studio on a plot of land in an old military barracks in Dai Lai, Phuc Yen (Vinh Phuc). After more than three months of construction, the old quarter, more than 100 m long, with grocery stores, tailor shops, and restaurants of Hanoi in the 1940s, was recreated.

Phi Tien Son chose a non-linear narrative style, interweaving the past and present. The opening scene is a romantic scene between the two main characters, then the film moves to the battle between our army and the French invaders. The film's plot shows the director's creativity, but sometimes it is confusing for the audience, requiring them to focus on every detail.

The film's soundtrack evokes the atmosphere of old Hanoians, when ca tru songs such as Chi lam trai (poem by Nguyen Cong Tru) , Doi dang bor (poem by Tan Da) or the song Guerrilla Song (Do Nhuan), Dream Stream (Van Cao) resounded. Interspersed were Western songs such as Bridal Chorus - Richard Wagner, Liebestraum - Franz Liszt.

Tuan Hung (in white shirt) plays Mr. Phan - a person who is passionate about Ca Tru and loves romanticism. Photo: Provided by the film crew

Screenwriter Trinh Thanh Nha commented that the actors all played their roles quite well. Taking on the role of the young lady is Cao Thi Thuy Linh, 21 years old, a "newbie" on the screen. Thuy Linh surpassed nearly 100 actors in the casting round, although she did not study acting professionally. In Dao, Pho and Piano, she had many intimate scenes with Doan Quoc Dam, when their characters enjoyed their last happy moments before returning to real combat.

Despite the investment in the setting, the film's content still has many limitations . The character line is thick, the film's duration is not enough to build situations to create climaxes for some actors. Some lines in French have no translation, making it difficult for viewers to understand. The actors' speech is commented to have a dramatic, forced feeling, although according to Doan Quoc Dam, the crew consulted documents and some historical witnesses, affirming that this is the way old Hanoians spoke.

The special effects were carefully prepared but not realistic. In the final scene, the female lead holds a three-pronged bomb and rushes into an enemy tank, the slow motion scene was considered unnatural. The explosion effects in some scenes were fake. Some close-up shots of pho bowls gave the feeling of commercials, and were unnecessarily long. In addition, the scene where Mr. Phan Tay learns to drive a classic car and escapes the siege of French soldiers was commented by many viewers as forced and unbelievable.

In the psychological scenes, the female lead shows her insecurity due to her lack of experience. Tuan Hung shows the demeanor of a patriotic intellectual, but his dialogue is still stiff and dogmatic.

Thuy Linh and Doan Quoc Dam in the movie. Photo: Provided by the crew

On February 18, social media suddenly appeared with a lot of positive information about the film, attracting the attention of the audience. Due to the increased demand for tickets, the theater opened additional screening times. On February 19, Director of the Department of Cinema Vi Kien Thanh said that the Department proposed that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism screen the film nationwide, considering that the film has value to introduce to the public.

Audience member Quang Huy (26 years old, Hanoi) praised the efforts of the film crew, was moved by the beautiful love story of the militia soldier and the young lady, and admired the sacrifices of many generations for national independence. Meanwhile, Thao Phuong (25 years old, Hanoi) said she was excited about the content of the work but had not been able to "hunt" for tickets because the screenings were currently full.

Phuong Linh

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