Boss Sò and Thị Hến in the movie.
The familiar plot involving the theft of the valuables by the wealthy landowner and the scribe being tricked by Thi Hen only appears briefly in the beginning of the film; the remaining 80% is a completely new story.
At this time, the imperial court allocated 1,000 taels of gold to the district magistrate of Chạch to build projects to alleviate the drought in the region. However, the magistrate hid the gold, exploiting and plundering the people's money, causing widespread resentment. Trùm Sò, having lost a large amount of gold and silver to the magistrate, agreed to provide food, lodging, and weapons to Tôm Hùm's gang of robbers to rob the magistrate's house in order to recover his wealth. Trùm Sò (Đức Thịnh), Thị Hến (Mai Phương), and Tôm Hùm (Phương Nam), three close childhood friends who had been separated, joined forces. However, things went unexpectedly wrong; the plan failed, their friendship fractured, and lives were in danger. At the last minute, Trùm Sò decided to do something that astonished everyone…
The film retains the original spirit of the classic work by satirizing and criticizing the greed and cruelty of officials; the stinginess and selfishness of those who value money above all else; and the punishment of the guilty. The characters, from the Shell Boss, the district magistrate, the clerk, the Clam Girl, the Crab, the Snail, the official's wife, etc., all retain their original images and personalities. The new plot allows these characters to be explored in greater depth and given more screen time. The Lobster character is a new element, playing a role in driving the plot and providing much of the film's humor. But the biggest surprise is still the Shell Boss. From beginning to end, this character is consistently established in terms of personality and thinking: very stingy, calculating, and selfish, but at the end of the film, the Shell Boss does something unexpected: sacrificing all his wealth to save his friend.
The film provided an excellent explanation for this sudden change, why Boss Sò did what he did, or why he valued money more than life… Although saving people stemmed from personal motives and was a last resort, ultimately, Boss Sò became a better version of himself, doing something meaningful for the entire village. That is the film's highlight.
As a comedy, "The Oyster Boss" utilizes everything to generate laughter: dialogue, physical comedy, and situations. However, many of the comedic elements are cliché, creating senseless or even nonsensical laughter. The film is long, but the plot is disjointed, sometimes rambling and drawn-out. Some plot points feel forced or unconvincing. For example, when recounting the Oyster Boss's past, viewers sympathize with the character's unfortunate circumstances but still don't understand how he became so wealthy. If he had simply worked hard and saved every penny, he couldn't have amassed such a huge fortune as depicted in the film.
The film has many characters, but none stand out because they are all poorly developed. Even Thi Hen – an intelligent and shrewd character – is merely a "decorative figure" in the film, lacking any strategic thinking that would benefit the group. As for Trum So, if he were portrayed as a cunning, intelligent businessman who devises plans for the group, it would be more impactful. Therefore, despite some unexpected twists near the end, "Trum So" fails to create a lasting impression. Everything relies on luck rather than the intelligence or strategic planning of the characters.
Overall, "The Shellfish King" is a commendable work by the filmmaking team for their effort in refreshing an old work and meeting the entertainment needs of a wide audience.
CAT DANG
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/-trum-so-hai-nhung-chua-du-sau-a203836.html
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