Review - 'Lights on' - the sad life of an out-of-date cai luong troupe

The actors in the movie "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 postponing its release for the Lunar New Year. The film is set in 1994 - a 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, 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 pursuing a singing career. In one scene, the Boss lifts the curtain and looks out at the audience, holding back a sigh when he sees only a few people watching. They are not allowed to perform 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' shoulders 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 gangs if it refuses to "pay off". 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 yet haunting acting. Following his family's footsteps as a director, he witnessed the troupe's peak and its decline when Cai Luong was in decline. Huu Chau's character is described as a dedicated director, taking care of the lives of each member of the troupe. He inspires the young actors, reminding 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.

Based on 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 plays 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 plays the role of a young couple who fell in love through the times they performed 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 acted 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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