The director of "Sang Den" - a film about old-fashioned reformed opera - said he was sad when the film only earned more than two billion VND after one week, with the risk of losing tens of billions.
A week after its release, the film grossed VND2.6 billion. According to Box Office Vietnam - an independent box office monitoring unit, the film averages only about 200 screenings nationwide each day. At noon on March 28, the daily revenue of Bright Lights was only about VND35 million, lower than Tran Anh Hung's Muon vi nhan gian - a Vietnamese film released at the same time (VND51 million) or Tran Thanh's Mai - released nearly two months earlier (VND56 million).
Trailer for the movie "Lights Up". Video: MegaGS
Bright Lights is gradually disappearing from large cinema complexes. On March 28, at CGV Su Van Hanh - one of the largest cinemas in Ho Chi Minh City, the film had no more screenings, giving way to foreign works such as Godzilla x Kong , Exhuma . On the website of Galaxy Nguyen Du cinema (District 1), on March 29, the film was only scheduled for one screening, inferior to Godzilla x Kong (19 screenings). On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, Bright Lights was shown for one day, earning about one billion VND, then withdrawn from cinemas nationwide, moved to another release date due to the influence of the film Mai.
Director Hoang Tuan Cuong said that in recent days, he and his crew have been saddened by the negative effect. The filmmaker compared Sang Den to the fate of the Vien Phuong opera troupe in the work - difficult to sell tickets, few viewers. When contacting some theaters, he received the answer that the film was unpopular because the theme of opera was not popular with the majority of the public. In addition, the work also faced competition from a series of other blockbusters. "Actually, we used opera to talk about the feelings between people. In difficult times, they still live for each other, not being influenced by money," he said.
Director Hoang Tuan Cuong (left) with guest - actress Nhat Kim Anh (middle) and male lead Bach Cong Khanh at the premiere. Photo: Huong Le
The crew representative said the film had a high investment level, double that of the films he had made, such as Nha Khong Ban, Xom Tro 3D . The film invested in the setting, art, and costumes when recreating the atmosphere of the Cai Luong troupes in the early 1990s, along with some action scenes. Faced with the fear that the film was at risk of losing tens of billions of dong, Hoang Tuan Cuong said he hoped that in the near future, word-of-mouth effects from the audience who went to see the film would help the film spread and receive more positive signals. Ms. Bich Lien - the film's producer - said that she had planned to release it online and screen it for the Vietnamese community abroad.
The film is set in 1994 - the period when many Western opera troupes began to disband. The Vien Phuong troupe of Mr. Bau (Huu Chau) had to become a variety show, performing plays interspersed with circus and comedy acts. They were not allowed to perform on large stages or luxurious theaters like in their heyday, but had to wander around riverbanks and temples. In addition to the story of opera, the film explores the love stories of the characters. Le Phuong - Cao Minh Dat play Thanh Kim Yen - Phi Khanh, a couple of artists who love each other but are forced to separate when the troupe is in danger. Bach Cong Khanh - Truc May transform into a young pair of actors and actresses who fell in love through performing together in ancient operas.
Le Phuong (left) and Cao Minh Dat play the mismatched couple in the film. Photo: Huong Le
The second half of the film has many weaknesses in the script. The incident that causes the Vien Phuong troupe to disband is very staged, not reflecting the decline of the art of reformed opera. The interweaving of many stories makes the film disjointed overall. The filming and editing techniques also have many limitations, causing the film's color to turn yellow and become unnatural due to the effects.
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