Review - 'Lights on' - the sad life of an out-of-date cai luong troupe

The actors in the film "Lights" had to carry rice for hire and polish tables and chairs to make a living, through the acting of artists Huu Chau and Le Phuong.

* Article reveals part of the movie content

New trailer of the movie — Trailer for the movie "Lights Up". Video : *MegaGS*

Director Hoang Tuan Cuong's work was released on March 22, more than a month after the release date was postponed for the Lunar New Year. The film is set in 1994 - the period when many Western opera troupes began to disband, and the Vien Phuong troupe of Mr. Bau (Huu Chau) was also struggling with a "market rice and river water" life. From a traditional singing troupe, to suit the tastes, they accepted to become a variety show, performing plays interspersed with circus and comedy acts.

The script spends most of its time focusing on the lives of the actors and actresses who pursue a singing career. In one scene, the Boss lifts the curtain and looks out at the audience seats, holding back a sigh when he sees only a few people watching. They are not performing on a large stage or in a luxurious theater like in the golden age, but have to wander around riverbanks and temples. The actors sing while fearing power outages, worry always on their faces.

The story of Vien Phuong theater troupe was inspired by the Southern reformed opera scene in the early 1990s. Photo: Huong Le — The story of Vien Phuong theater troupe was inspired by the Southern reformed opera scene in the early 1990s. Photo: *Huong Le*

The pressure of making a living weighs heavily on the artists as they have to struggle for every meal. Away from the stage, during the day, young actor Canh Thanh (Bach Cong Khanh) works as a rice carrier for hire, while lead actress Kim Yen (Le Phuong) polishes tables and chairs to earn extra income. The theater troupe also faces the risk of disbanding when it falls into the sights of protection rackets if they refuse to "pay up". The director does not dramatize the fate of the characters but instead inserts many details and lines of self-deprecating dialogue, thereby evoking heartbreaking laughter.

Among the cast, Huu Chau stands out with his gentle, calm acting style that contains hidden regret. Following his family's footsteps to become a director, he witnessed the troupe's most prosperous times as well as its decline when Cai Luong was in decline. Huu Chau's character is described as a dedicated director who cares about the lives of each member of the troupe. He inspires the young actors and reminds them to stay true to their profession. Although he has to struggle to maintain the troupe, he does not chase after money at any cost.

On the background of the story of cải lương, the love story of the characters is a secondary plot, adding a romantic color to the work. Le Phuong - Cao Minh Dat play the roles of Thanh Kim Yen - Phi Khanh, a middle-aged couple who love each other but are forced to separate when the troupe is in danger. Bach Cong Khanh - Truc May play their roles well when they transform into a young couple who fell in love through the times they acted together in excerpts of traditional plays. In the secondary plot, Hong Van creates a lot of laughter with the role of Tu Phuong, a sponsor who pours money into the troupe because he idolizes the actor Phi Khanh.

Le Phuong and Cao Minh Dat act together for the first time on the big screen. — Le Phuong and Cao Minh Dat act together on the big screen for the first time. Photo: *Huong Le*

Towards the end, the script revealed many weaknesses. The incident that caused the Vien Phuong troupe to disband was very staged, not reflecting the decline of the art of reformed opera. The interweaving of many stories made the film overall disjointed and lengthy compared to its two-hour running time. The work had errors in the setting, the actors' skin tone was yellowish, unnatural due to over-editing of effects.

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