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For over two decades since returning to Vietnam to contribute to the country's film industry, director Victor Vũ has left an indelible mark on audiences with his unique storytelling style and creative scripts. His vast filmography is not only diverse in genre but has also achieved numerous resounding successes, conquering record-breaking box office revenue. Films such as "Bride Wars," "Blood Heart," "Blue Eyes," and most recently "Guardian Angel" and "The Last Wife," each possess their own distinctive characteristics, enriching the spectrum of Vietnamese cinema.
However, "Detective Kien" emerges as a fresh and promising milestone in the career of this talented Vietnamese-American director. The film marks Victor Vu's return to the detective-horror genre – a genre that had previously made his name and brought him great success in his earlier works.
Victor Vũ returns to his forte with "Detective Kien: The Headless Case".
In the ever-evolving creative stream of the talented director Victor Vũ, the "Detective Kiên" project had been conceived even before the release of "The Last Wife." However, the enthusiastic love and support that the audience showed for the character Kiên became a powerful source of motivation, fueling the filmmaker's passion. Despite this, Victor Vũ humbly shared that he doesn't dare claim that the detective genre is his forte. Instead, he expressed a deep passion for detective films, especially the unique combination of historical elements, spiritual mysteries, and challenging cases – three artistic elements that he always finds abundant inspiration and potential to explore.
The majestic and picturesque landscapes of Cao Bang and Tuyen Quang were chosen by Victor Vu as the setting for the mysterious scenes in Detective Kien. The story unfolds when Kien, a diligent official under the magistrate, receives an urgent plea for help from Miss Hai Man (played by Dinh Ngoc Diep). In the letter, Miss Hai Man tearfully reports the mysterious disappearance of her beautiful niece, Nga (Minh Anh). Kien immediately sets off to the village where Miss Hai Man lives, carrying the responsibility of uncovering the truth.
The film, marking 20 years in Victor Vũ's artistic career, also promises to open up new avenues for his career.
Cruel fate cast a shadow over Nga's life from an early age. From childhood, she endured many hardships. As an adult, Nga harbored a secret and tumultuous love for Thac (Quoc Anh), a young man from a wealthy family. However, ironically, Thac was already betrothed to Tuyet (Anh Pham), a girl from a noble lineage. In the mysterious case of Nga's disappearance, all those involved seem to be under suspicion, creating a network of secrets and hidden motives.
Detective Kien is portrayed as a high-ranking court official who upholds the law, is highly rational, yet possesses compassion and a strong sense of justice.
The motif of searching for the culprit within a closed group, where anyone could be a suspect, is reminiscent of the classic detective style of "the queen of detective fiction," Agatha Christie, and her legendary detective character, Hercule Poirot. "Detective Kien" possesses similar qualities. He is not afraid to venture into danger, approaching and questioning each person involved in the case: from the distressed Hai Man, Mr. Vinh – Nga's austere father, the lovesick Thac, the resentful Tuyet, Mr. Ho Dac – Thac's powerful father, the couple, Mr. Liem and Mrs. Vuong (Tuyet's parents), Teacher Tinh – the most reclusive and mysterious character in the village, to Dong – the servant falsely accused of theft, living in isolation and full of suspicion, and even Mui – Mrs. Vuong's quiet maid. Each encounter, each testimony, reveals a small piece of the complex case.
With its "case within a case" narrative style, the audience follows the two main characters as they track down Nga while simultaneously searching for answers to a local tragedy that occurred 30 years ago.
More than just a thrilling and suspenseful crime-solving journey, Detective Kien also closely follows the spiritual element that director Victor Vu always pursues. This element becomes even more mysterious, fitting the context of a feudal society full of beliefs. The spiritual atmosphere envelops the story in a mystical mist, leading the audience into a world that is both eerie and real, where rumors and supernatural phenomena may conceal terrifying secrets.
In particular, the depiction of the "ghosts" in the film is vividly and horrifyingly portrayed, reminiscent of the terrifying demons in American horror movies. The creepiness, haunting atmosphere, and sometimes the feeling of disgust it evokes in viewers can be compared to the gloomy and unpredictable atmosphere of the early Conan manga series, where the murders always contained unpredictable and horrifying elements.
The director guides the viewers by offering clues, stimulating them to speculate along with Detective Kien.
Unexpected situations interwoven between reality and the past, thrilling yet humorous details... have created a flavorful and well-balanced feast that Victor Vũ brings to the audience.
The film's plot is fast-paced, with many unexpected twists, concise, and avoids the unnecessary lengthy scenes that Victor Vũ has often fallen prey to in some of his recent films. The length of the film and the story are just right to capture the audience's attention for over two hours.
The exciting plot keeps viewers glued to the screen.
One of the most noteworthy and heartfelt efforts of director Victor Vũ, a pioneer in bringing the majestic and poetic beauty of his homeland into cinema, is the meticulous creation of stunning natural settings. Ancient villages and tranquil waterways have been vividly recreated in the Cao Bằng and Tuyên Quang regions. This careful investment not only provides an authentic setting for the story but also represents a journey of discovery and celebration of Vietnam's scenic beauty on the big screen.
The film crew's investment in both setting and costumes is commendable.
To create an authentic and colorful historical setting, the film's costume team undertook a tremendous amount of work. Over 1,000 costumes, from the main characters' attire to the extras' outfits, were all custom-made and dyed entirely by hand. In addition, the ceramics collection featured in the film was meticulously crafted, boasting 1,000 diverse pieces that subtly recreated the cultural and material life of the era. Particularly, the reconstruction of a 200-year-old ancient village nestled in the high mountains, transforming it into a setting perfectly suited to the mystical storyline, required immense effort from the entire film crew. This effort paid off handsomely, resulting in mesmerizing, captivating, and dramatic scenes that significantly contributed to the film's distinctive atmosphere.
The depictions of corpses and ghosts in the film are vividly rendered, incorporating just enough "jumpscare" elements to instill fear.
The cast of "Detective Kien: The Headless Case" consists of seasoned and enthusiastic actors who were ready to "throw themselves" into the film crew throughout more than a month of challenging filming. Working in the high mountains with rugged terrain, low temperatures, and limited living conditions did not diminish the dedication of the artists. The impressive performances of People's Artist My Uyen, Meritorious Artist Xuan Trang, Quoc Huy, Dinh Ngoc Diep, Anh Pham, Tin Nguyen, and others played a crucial role in the film's success.
This is truly a significant milestone for Vietnamese cinema, opening up new potential for the historical detective film genre in the future.
However, overall, "Detective Kien: The Headless Case" still has some limitations. The plot is sometimes considered quite predictable, and the performances of some actors, despite being given considerable screen time, are not entirely convincing to some viewers. Additionally, Detective Kien's five-day investigation into Nga's whereabouts is sometimes criticized as being overly drawn out. Nevertheless, the film is still considered a bold and encouraging first attempt by director Victor Vu in the potentially lucrative historical detective genre.
