“Air Battle to the Death” – A film based on a real plane hijacking in Vietnam in 1978

“Death Battle in the Air” is a film by People’s Police Cinema based on a real plane hijacking in 1978. The film is directed by Ham Tran and is scheduled to be released on September 19.

Scene from the movie "Air Battle". (Photo: Galaxy)

“Death Battle in the Air” takes the audience back to the time when Vietnam had just been unified, the airline was still very primitive and young, but still had to face risks from hostile and destructive forces... The flight... picked up passengers, but the entire crew did not expect that among them were professional, cold-blooded and cruel hijackers.

The film takes place in a single plane cabin and cockpit, creating a cramped, tense and suffocating atmosphere. The battle of wits and strength between the flight crew and the security forces is extremely intense.

Thai Hoa in the movie.

The group of hijackers led by Long (played by Thai Hoa), along with Ti (played by Vo Dien Gia Huy), Suu (played by Bao Dinh), and Dan (played by Ray Nguyen) aimed to hijack a civilian plane, control all passengers and crew, and force the flight to change its route so that the hijackers could escape abroad. In a life-or-death situation, a flight crew of less than ten people, including two female flight attendants (played by Kaity Nguyen and Tram Anh), had to both fight off the ferocious hijackers who were ready to kill anyone who got in their way, and ensure the safety of the passengers and the flight.

The film features many prominent names, from veteran actors to young actors: Thai Hoa, Kaity Nguyen, Thanh Son, Xuan Phuc, Vo Dien Gia Huy, Tram Anh, Tran Ngoc Vang, Ma Ran Do, Loi Tran, Xuan Van, Bao Dinh, Ray Nguyen... The film also marks the reunion of actor Thai Hoa and actress Kaity Nguyen after many years in a fairly new genre. Thai Hoa commented that Kaity Nguyen has matured a lot compared to 5 years ago.

Major General Do Trieu Phong, Director of the People's Public Security Communications Department, Ministry of Public Security, shared that for more than 30 years, the People's Public Security Cinema has not had a work released in theaters. This is a meaningful work with the core of the security force based on real cases, on archival documents. "This is a real case, after the country's reunification, suppressed by the predecessors of the current aviation security force. Cinema only recreates part of the incident, the reality is much more brutal. The work is a tribute to the predecessors of the security force, and also a meaningful event to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2" - Major General Do Trieu Phong said.

Director Ham Tran said that he usually likes to make horror, psychological, and family films. But recently, he realized that he had been doing too much horror films and wanted a change. After that, he was invited to participate in the film, met and talked with witnesses, and found the story so interesting that he couldn't miss it.

The film is invested elaborately in terms of setting.

The film was extremely elaborate, from the setting to every detail of the hijacked plane. The film crew painstakingly restored the entire plane using old equipment of Vietnam's aviation industry after 1975, as well as recreating the past setting through costumes, makeup and nostalgic film colors.

The DC-4 model in the studio was built almost 1:1 scale with the real plane. Some compartments were enlarged to accommodate the filming process. The model was required to be designed to match the period, color, compartment size, and especially must be able to be flexibly disassembled to serve different shooting angles.

The details were meticulously and precisely executed, to the point that actor Ma Ran Do said that during rehearsals, the plane parts were covered with paper illustrations, meticulously detailed to the last detail, exactly like the real plane. When he performed on the 1:1 model plane, he realized that the details drawn on the paper were completely accurate. “That was something I didn’t expect and helped the actors get more excited during the performance,” Ma Ran Do said.

Lieutenant Colonel Tran Nam Chung - representative of the People's Police Cinema shared that the actors were initially referenced on a real plane at the 1st Special Task Force Battalion. The crew's ambition was to bring a real plane in Hanoi to the studio in Ho Chi Minh City. But then, the crew decided to move the entire interior of a real plane from Hanoi. To create authenticity, this model plane was placed on a lifting table to create vibrations, and it was this meticulousness that created a very good visual effect.

To create the most realistic setting, the crew received a lot of support from the Ministry of Public Security and other agencies and departments. This is not only a thrilling action story, but also a spectacular re-enactment of a real event nearly half a century ago, when Vietnam's aviation industry was still young and had to confront sophisticated hijackers, creating a fierce death battle in the air.

The film is also a challenge for the crew, as they have to recreate a real event vividly, appropriate to the context and era, while ensuring the drama of the film. This is also a fairly new topic, inspiring the creative crew and if successful, will create a new direction for Vietnamese cinema.

LINH KHANH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tu-chien-tren-khong-phim-dua-tren-vu-cuop-may-bay-co-that-tai-viet-nam-nam-1978-post903467.html