"People's war, tunnels are people's war. You guys have no way to win"
In 1967, the Binh An Dong battlefield in Cu Chi district became the center of a firestorm when the US army was frantically preparing for the largest-scale sweep ever. Unlike the lightning-fast landings, which only searched and destroyed and then retreated, this time the sky of Cu Chi shook with the roar of planes, the ground shook under the tracks of American tanks. They surrounded, raining down bombs and bullets day and night, seemingly determined to thoroughly attack the legendary Cu Chi tunnel system, with the sinister goal of cutting off the vital communication route of our army, weakening the resistance of the revolutionary forces.
The movie "Tunnels" was praised by directors, actors, businessmen... for being magnificent, touching, creating a tunnel with character and soul.
In that fierce context, a vital mission was entrusted to 21 Cu Chi guerrillas – simple, gentle farmers, who now stood up to take up arms to protect their homeland. The heavy responsibility placed on their shoulders was to ensure absolute safety for intelligence soldiers who were carrying out an extremely dangerous mission: transmitting extremely important secret documents of the US army. Twenty-one people with primitive weapons, courage and passionate patriotism, had to face a powerful force, the world's top combatant, equipped to the teeth with the most modern weapons.
That is the seemingly "small" story that the film "Tunnels: The Sun in the Dark" skillfully depicts, a touching piece in the great picture of the long, arduous but proud resistance war of our nation, to finally regain independence, freedom and unification of the country on the historic day of April 30, 1975. The story of 21 Cu Chi guerrillas is not only a specific battle, but also a symbol of the indomitable strength, solidarity and iron will of an entire nation in the just struggle.
"Sun Tunnel in the Dark" shows the world how resilient Vietnam is
Right from the opening moments, "Tunnels: Sun in the Dark" strongly draws viewers into a gruesome scene, where grief and death surround the brave soldiers. At the same time, the film realistically depicts the suffocating, dark underground space - which used to be a life-and-death battlefield, a secret base of our army and people.
The talented director Bui Thac Chuyen rejected the flashy, rosy storytelling style, and chose a direct approach, bringing the audience into "tight" battles, full of danger. Viewers felt breathless when witnessing the soldiers having to squeeze through small, narrow, damp tunnels, facing enemy bombs and bullets every second and minute, and death always lurking nearby. In that dark space, the rare light seeping through the cracks on the ground suddenly became a fragile but powerful symbol of hope, of the aspiration for a brighter tomorrow amidst the harsh darkness of war.
When watching each film, the audience not only feels the fierceness of the war on the ground, with sweeps and fierce clashes, but also understands more deeply the hardships and silent sacrifices of the Cu Chi soldiers when they had to survive underground in extremely suffocating conditions, lacking in all aspects. The images of restless eyes, tossing and turning in the deep darkness, the heavy, choked breaths when hearing the footsteps of the enemy searching right above their heads, or the sound of bombs and bullets falling down, shaking the entire complex tunnel system all make the audience shudder, feeling the extreme harshness of the situation.
"You guys can't win"
The film's moving power comes not only from its emotional historical content but also from the wholehearted sacrifice for art of the talented cast. Quang Tuan, who plays the role of Tu Dap - an image inspired by the real-life character, People's Armed Forces Hero To Van Duc, had an amazing transformation. He did not hesitate to lose up to 14kg to match the emaciated, skinny figure of a soldier during the fierce war. Moreover, Quang Tuan also directly met historical witnesses, those who lived and fought in the tunnels, to be able to understand more deeply the military knowledge, the indomitable fighting spirit and the indomitable will of the previous generation.
"You can defeat an army, but you cannot destroy a nation" - businessman Hoang Nam Tien concluded from the movie Tunnels
With a talented and humane writing style, director Bui Thac Chuyen has portrayed the character Bay Theo without avoiding the usual personality traits, even somewhat "rough": he often swears, gets angry easily, is clumsy in repairing broken guns, and has many flaws. However, interwoven between those flaws are humorous and witty moments, creating a close and genuine person.
This way of building the character of Bay Theo is also similar to the way he embellishes the personality of Tu Dap (Quang Tuan) with bravery hidden behind a somewhat scholarly appearance, Ba Huong (Ho Thu Anh) is strong but still has her own worries, or Ut Kho (Hang Lamoon) is innocent but resilient.
All of these diverse personalities together convey a profound message: they are ordinary Vietnamese people, extremely ordinary, people who are used to the fields and a simple life. But when the sacred call of the Fatherland rang out, they did not hesitate to put aside all personal worries and firmly hold their guns in their hands. Leaving behind simple roofs that sheltered them from the rain and sun, they were ready to venture deep underground, accepting years of life in the suffocating Cu Chi tunnels, where darkness and danger always lurk, to contribute their efforts to the revolutionary cause, towards the day of peace and independence for the nation.
The film not only recreates a part of the nation's painful but heroic history, but also conveys strong messages about patriotism, sacrifice, desire for peace and the humanistic beauty of the Vietnamese people.
One element that cannot be ignored in "Tunnels: Sun in the Dark" is the beautiful film color, although most of the scenes were filmed under the limited light of flashlights, oil lamps and flickering natural light. The tunnel setting is recreated in a breathtakingly realistic way, true to its harsh nature, where danger is always latent and can strike at any time, threatening the lives of the resilient guerrillas.
Ordinary people become extraordinary
The film's soundtrack and sound are also carefully invested, creating a tense, dramatic atmosphere, but still maintaining subtlety, without deliberately controlling the audience's emotions in an obvious way. And above all, perhaps it is the Cu Chi tunnels set design: both majestic and realistic in every detail, giving viewers a vivid image of the magnificent tunnel system, not only a military project but also a living space, a symbol of the will and strength of the Vietnamese people.
The resolute line "You guys can't win" resounds in the film, as an affirmation of the strength of will and determination. And the most profound message that director Bui Thac Chuyen wants to convey is "The tunnels are people's war", which is expressed proudly and emotionally through the passing of an important character in the story. That sacrifice is not only a personal loss but also a testament to the great strength of the entire people, of a just war based on the strength of the people.
