Nun Huyen Trang and untold secrets about 'Saigon Commandos' after 40 years

The arduous journey to create a cinematic monument

Few people know thatSaigon Commandowas filmed over 4 years and was originally planned to have only 2 episodes. Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan said: "I didn't expect the film to take so long to film."

Screenwriter Trinh Thanh Nha - wife of the late screenwriter Le Phuong of the filmSaigon Commandorecounted in the CINE 7 program broadcast on the evening of April 26: "When episode 1 was shown, the audience came to watch in large numbers and lined up to buy tickets. Episode 2 was coming to the end, the Cinema Department suggested making episode 3. While making episode 3, episode 2 exploded more than before, the Cinema Department suggested making episode 4."

The film crew had to work in extremely difficult conditions. Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan shared: "At that time, there were still many messy scenes of the old military camp, many buildings were in ruins. There were two rows of level 4 houses where the whole film crew lived."

To play the role of nun Huyen Trang in the most realistic way, Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan had to go through an extremely elaborate preparation process. She said: "I was able to stay in the temple for a week to learn how to chant, beat wooden fish, and recite Buddha's name. We had to go into practice - from the leisurely alms-begging gait of a monk to the calm steps, step by step."

Being a soldier also helps Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan when performing action scenes. She has been to the AK shooting range and held a pistol, so she is familiar with weapons.

To ensure the authenticity of the film, Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan said the actors had to meet the prototypes of their characters. "Mr. Quang Thai, who plays Tu Chung, meets the prototype of Colonel Tu Chu. Nam Hoa is the role played by Mr. Bui Cuong, alias K9," she said.

Behind the scenes secrets

Many scenes inSaigon Commandocan only be performed once, requiring the actor to concentrate highly. Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan said about the torture scene: "This scene had to be performed only once. At first, the torture made Huyen Trang's legs and arms twitch. But at the end, they poured water on her to wake her up, so it had to be performed only once, it could not be performed a second time."

Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan shares her favorite scene: "In episode 2 -Quiet, when Huyen Trang had to go to a temple to meet her superior but didn't know who she was meeting, it turned out to be Tu Chung - her ex-lover whom she always missed. The candle kept dripping down like someone crying. That scene was my favorite and truly touching."

As for the most difficult scene, she recounted: "I had to jump into a pond full of water lilies to push the boat of the injured Tu Chu. I had to push the boat very big, the camera was high up, seeing me pushing the boat and then gradually sucking it into the coconut forest. That part was filmed very beautifully."

An interesting behind-the-scenes detail was revealed by screenwriter Trinh Thanh Nha about the rain scene in the film. "At that time, fire trucks in Saigon rarely ran and were rarely used. When a hose needed to spray water over a large area, water from the truck had to be used, but the water in the fire truck was rusty and yellow. An actor had to go in and put money in the alms bowl of nun Huyen Trang, but no one wanted to because they were too disgusted to see the yellow water pouring out," she said.

In the end, the screenwriter had to play the role of the paying customer: "That was his only role."(Screenwriter Le Phuong - PV)) in this movie and it's funny that he has to endure dirty water".

To create authenticity, the film crew used real historical locations. Screenwriter Trinh Thanh Nha shared: "Around 1985-1987, there were still many old scenes. The US Embassy had not been repaired, it was still intact. The wild scenery of Cu Chi was still almost intact because it had only been 10 years since it was liberated."

In particular, the Ministry of Defense allowed the film crew to use helicopters and tanks left behind by the US. This contributed to the rare authenticity of this historical film.

A special phenomenon was that after the movie was released, many parents named their daughters Huyen Trang. Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan said: "Many people said:Oh, after watching the movie, I feel so sorry for Huyen Trang, I love Huyen Trang so much.. Everyone wants to name their child Huyen Trang. Huyen Trang's role is suffering and suffering, I love but am not loved, and I also sacrifice.

After 50 years of liberation, 40 years of the film's release,Saigon Commandostill has a strong influence on young people. Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan did not expect that the role of nun Huyen Trang would become an immortal symbol in the hearts of Vietnamese people. This is a character that has gone beyond the screen to become a source of inspiration for many generations about patriotism, silent sacrifice and resilience.

Huy Minh