THE POLITICAL NATURE OF CINEMA IS EVIDENT IN THREE MASTERPIECES “THE RETIRED GENERAL”, “THE PAST FINDER”, “THE RETURNEE” OF VIETNAMESE CINEMA

ABSTRACT

Audiences and viewers always recognize that in Vietnamese films, political elements, traditions, national identity, and the Vietnamese people are always given top priority. This demonstrates the political nature of Vietnamese films - of Vietnamese cinema. The social and political significance of cinema has been emphasized by philosophers such as Bazin, Francois Truffaut, and Andrew Sarris in redefining the role of the author. The author here refers to the film director. In the scope of this article, the author will use two approaches to clarify the concept of the political nature of cinema: the author approach and the approach through collective consciousness, through three films on the theme of war and postwar soldiers: “The Retired General”, “The Pasr Finder”, and “The Returnee”.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Зрители всегда отмечают, что во вьетнамских фильмах политическим темам, традициям, национальной самобытности и вьетнамскому народу всегда уделяется первостепенное внимание. Это демонстрирует политическую природу вьетнамских фильмов - вьетнамского кинематографа. Социальное и политическое значение кинематографа подчеркивалось такими философами, как Базен, Франсуа Трюффо и Эндрю Саррис. Автор ссылается на режиссера фильма. В рамках этой статьи автор будет использовать два подхода для определения политической природы кино: авторский подход и подход через коллективное сознание, а именно с помощью анализа трех военных фильмов: “Генерал в отставке”, “Искатель прошлого” и “Вернувшийся”.

Keywords: Political nature of cinema, Post-war soldier characters, ideology, Author theory.

Ключевые слова: политическая природа кинематографа, послевоенная личность солдата, идеология, авторская теория.

Films work with images, emotions, and similar elements. In other words, filmmakers cannot be considered philosophers because their work does not correspond to a philosophical understanding, in which their task is to present arguments and anticipate objections for argumentation. However, with this definition, a considerable number of philosophers also do not qualify as philosophers: there is no place in philosophy for Heraclitus or Diogenes, nor is there a place for Confucius or Nietzsche [1]. Contemporary films always reflect the current era, raising hot issues regarding politics, ethnicity, or personal memories with universal value... For film critics, researchers, and journalists, what they are more concerned about are not just artistic films that portray the zeitgeist or address contemporary social issues.

Researchers Cao Thanh has stated: "Under the banner of the 'Politics of the Author,' films by authors, not producers, aim to revive the old dreams of the formalist artists: cinema must become a tool for change, for revolution. In order to resist old values, critique capitalism, and the war in Vietnam, the postmodern psychological theories of Louis Althusser and Jacques Lacan play a guiding role in the structuralist criticism of thought and Philosophy. It finds its way into film theory. This is the demand of film theory and the political nature of cinema" [2, 3].

Vietnam possesses a vast heritage of cinema with numerous valuable films that record history and the heroic resistance of the nation. These films not only represent history and culture but also depict the spiritual values of people throughout different eras. Through cinema, we can witness the fluctuations and serenity, divisions and harmonies, wounds and healings, suffering and happiness, breakdowns and resurrections, departures and returns. Sacred symbols in folk culture and revolutionary warfare have been utilized by many authors, directors, and filmmakers, portraying them in their works, such as the motif of Lady To Thi carrying her husband in the Fairy Tales for 17-year-olds, and the Legend of the Mother... The revolutionary soldier figures in "The Abandoned Field: Free Fire Zone”; “The 17th Parallel, Nights and Days,"; "The Rising Storm"... Audience and viewers always recognize that in Vietnamese films, political elements, traditions, national identity, and the Vietnamese people are prioritized. This reflects the political nature of Vietnamese films - the cinema of Vietnam. So, how do we understand the political nature of cinema? How does cinema engage in politics? The social-political aspect of cinema has been emphasized and redefined by philosophers like Bazin, Francois Truffaut, and Andrew Sarris in terms of the author's role. The author here is the film director. Referring to the director as the author has sparked a lot of debates to this day. Some argue that the director is the author, while others believe that the author is the screenwriter - the one who first outlines the film on paper. Author Na Le Dao has proposed the concept of the film author as follows: The film author is a relatively complex concept because filmmaking is the product of a collective effort. This collective effort includes cinematography, actors, makeup, lighting design, and so on. Although in Vietnamese, those involved in literary or film production are commonly referred to as "tác giả" (author), in English, these are two different terms. The literary author is referred to as an "Author." English speakers have retained this term from French without replacing it with the concept of author, as they somewhat recognize the distinct nature of author and auteur, which Vietnamese calls "tác giả." Additionally, the pronunciation and usage of the term auteur also reveal part of the meaning of the film author. France is somewhat related to theories of the film author and the initial concepts of the film author. Although the term used for film author in French is auteur, the term "tác giả điện ảnh" (film author) has even deeper roots, originating from the concept of autorenfilme (films by an author) in the German language [3].

As mentioned above, the approach to the author is to understand the director's filmmaking style, as stated by Francois Truffaut, where the final product bears the director's signature on the film. Truffaut introduced the concept of the film author (auteur) and specifically identified the film director as the author. According to Truffaut, the director becomes the author of the film, even though the film is a collective effort, with the collective standing behind the director, under the director's name. What we see on the screen is the director's perspective, and there are certain themes and distinctive stylistic features that connect the films of a particular director together. One of the most influential perspectives in the history of cinema is the belief that the director is ultimately responsible for the genre, style, and meaning of the film.

The significant affirmation of this line of thought is Alexandre Astruc's essay in 1948 on "The Camera-Pen" (la camera-stylo). According to Astruc, cinema has reached maturity and will attract serious artists who will use film to express their opinions and feelings. "The author - filmmaker writes with his camera just like a writer writes with his pen." In the early 1960s, American critic Andrew Sarris began publishing the "auteur theory" as a way to understand the history of American cinema. In his essay "Notes on the Auteur Theory" in the journal Film Culture in 1962, he stated: "The auteur theory is primarily a history of American cinema because it develops a historically aware appreciation of what American directors have achieved in the past." The issues raised by the authors in films always bear their personal imprint and belong to their own nation. However, within the scope of this article, we will not delve deeply into the "auteur theory," "Authorial Cinema," or the term "Auteur Film." Instead, we will focus on the political aspect of Cinema through two of the six methods of film criticism according to Timothy Corrigan's concept: the author-director approach and the ideological approach.

Film works can be understood as the expression of the director's perspective on various issues in life. Therefore, the representation of the director's or author's viewpoint is considered an expression of their ideology regarding social, political, ethnic, gender, etc., issues. According to Timothy Corrigan, on one level, ideology is an expanded and refined way of expressing political terms, at least when we think about politics as concepts or beliefs that form the foundation of our lives and worldview. Timothy asserts that most of us recognize that each film carries distinct ideological messages about individualism, gender relations, the importance of family life, race, or history. Professor Su Dinh Tran has put forward the view that, until now, there has been no universally agreed scientific concept for social consciousness, and when referring to consciousness, researchers have had to use different terms such as "perception," "worldview," "philosophy," "ideology," "belief," etc., as replacements, but they cannot be entirely avoided. It can be said that this is one of the most frequently used but elusive and complex terms, yet it holds significant influence. To examine the essence of consciousness, Professor Su Dinh Tran has presented the perspective that consciousness should not be equated with the contents of human consciousness, as ultimately, the essence of consciousness lies in their function, not in the content itself. This means that the same idea can play the role of consciousness in some instances but not in others. He has generalized four functions of consciousness: the function of creating a worldview, the function of directing action, the function of social encouragement and call to action, and the function of creating a system of influential discourse that has a broad impact on society. From these functions and the pathways of formation, Professor Su Dinh Tran believes that only consciousness has the ability to satisfy all the material and spiritual needs of human beings comprehensively, from desires, emotions, perceptions, interpretations, ideals to attitudes, actions, and practices. Understanding consciousness in this way, it becomes an indispensable factor in human social life [4].

Returning to the three post-war-themed films by directors: Loi Khac Nguyen (“Retired General”), Phuong Tran - Binh Tat (“The Past Finder”), Huyen Thai Bui (“The Returnee”). Director Loi Khac Nguyen was born in 1932, director Phuong Tran was born in 1930, Binh Tat was born in 1949, and Huyen Thai Dang was born in 1980. If we divide the time into decades, these four directors belong to three different generations with different historical, social, and intellectual contexts. Among them, only Huyen Thai was born in peacetime, but the social circumstances at that time were also challenging and underwent many changes due to market mechanisms. These three films were all adapted from the works of famous writers: Thiep Huy Nguyen (Retired General), Lai Chu (The Past Finder) and Minh Nguyet Suong (The Returnee), by three generations of directors, each with their own perspectives on war and post-war soldiers, set in a specific social context. This period started from 1986, when the war ended, and the Đổi Mới policy (Renovation) opened up new horizons for artists to critically reflect on the reality, which was previously depicted in a simplistic, one-sided, and illustrative manner. The construction of characters, especially soldier characters, has undergone significant changes compared to the revolutionary soldier characters in previous war films.

Director, People's Artist Loi Khac Nguyen was born in 1932. He is a director who has left a strong impression on the audience through films such as “Quoc Ai Nguyen in Hong Kong”, “Retired General”, “The Destiny Bell”... The film “Retired General” earned him the Silver Lotus Award (no gold award) at the 9th Vietnam Film Festival in 1990. The titles of these films somewhat affirm his style and strengths in making revolutionary and historical films. Director Loi Khac Nguyen did not serve in the military because at the time of peace, he was sent by the State to study directing in the Soviet Union. However, perhaps due to his experiences of war, the generation of directors like Loi Khac Nguyen, Phuong Tran, and Binh Tat have a deep understanding. They always seek to understand and empathize with the fate of post-war individuals as a tribute to the previous generations. When adapting his literary works into film scripts, Thiep Huy Nguyen wrote in a different style, slightly humorous and satirical but not deviating from the essence of the work. However, when making the film, Director Loi Khac omitted the humorous parts that were originally published in the Literature and Arts newspaper. The General is a commanding officer who led thousands of soldiers, fought hundreds of battles to secure independence for the homeland. However, when he returns to civilian life, he feels lost. The bitterness of the character reaches its peak when confronted with the pragmatic, profit-seeking, and unethical behavior of his daughter-in-law, which undermines the honesty he has upheld throughout his life. This ultimately leads to the painful death of the General. The image of a meat grinder in the final part of the film, in which the maid grinds aborted fetuses to feed the pet dog, represents a cruel and even repulsive aspect of human behavior. It also foreshadows the harshness of the market economy in the following years. By making this film, Director Loi Khac Nguyen elevated his artistic work to a higher level: foresight. This completely aligns with the ideology of the literary work. Therefore, it can be said that when a literary author and a film director share the same consciousness, the work has reached the “ideological system” of the Era.

The talent of film authors is demonstrated in how they remain faithful to the literary work in their selection of events and the way they narrate the story to make it captivating for the viewers. Directors and People's Artists Phuong Tran and Binh Tat chose the significant events from the novel by writer Lai Chu, a military writer, when they collaborated on the film “The Past Finder”. Both directors have a background in acting, with numerous roles in various films during different periods, before transitioning into the role of a director. Writer Lai Chu, who adapted his own work for the screen, had firsthand experience on the battlefield and, after the era of renovation, his experiences during the war years combined with the realities of present-day life allowed him to write poignant and touching accounts of soldiers, filled with new and delicate discoveries. As “witnesses” of the war, although not directly engaged in combat outside the battlefield, directors Phuong Tran and Binh Tat deeply empathize with Lai Chu’s story. The two film adaptations closely adhere to the content of the novel “Beggars Of The Past”. The films focus on acting, with many close-up shots that depict the characters' inner emotions, pain, and turmoil, likely influenced by the fact that both directors were once actors themselves. Choosing a novel about the post-war period and soldiers shows us the generation that endured these wars, considered a resilient, suffering, and fierce generation that can never deny or forget the past. The characters in the film include those who are vagrant eaters and those who deny their memories, conflicting with each other to create a powerful explosion of personalities. This film also exhibits a sense of foresight and shares the same ideological system as "Retired General," which is the eternal battle between good and evil. To rediscover the past and confront the pain, we must engage in a fierce battle with ourselves to reclaim our true selves, and “Beggars Of The Past” will provide answers to all of us through simple and humane reasoning, such as the sun, wind, rivers, and forests.

The generations of directors have always been conscious of their love for the country, national pride, nation-building traditions, and the responsibility to preserve the nation. This consciousness is not only shaped through personal experiences of battles, bombings, pain, and loss but also through books, history, and the simple stories passed down by previous generations. Director Huyen Thai Dang, representing the young generation of directors, lacks firsthand experience of bloodshed in battles, yet she is a military personnel. Perhaps that's why she fully embraces the spirit and ideology of writer Minh Nguyet Suong, who was also a soldier, through the short story “People at the Chau River Wharf”. The film includes deep and intense scenes that portray the psychological conflicts of the characters, as well as the desolate and devastated landscapes of the northern regions after the war, making viewers feel as if they are reliving a difficult and suffocating past, yet filled with beauty and emotional moments.

Being a woman and a military officer during peacetime, director Huyen Thai Dang has shown empathy and compassion for the women who have endured significant losses and pain, both physically and emotionally, as depicted through the suffering experienced by the character May. The pain of the character May also reflects the reality faced by the women in northern Vietnam after the war in 1975. It is something that female director Huyen Thai Dang intends to convey to the public.

“The Returnee” vividly depicts the harshness of war, leaving not only physical wounds on the soldiers but also bringing about life-altering circumstances after the war has ended. However, those who return, with their resilience and compassion, still rise up passionately. Despite the three to four generations that separate us, we can see that director Huyen Thai Dang has contributed the youthful enthusiasm and dedication, amplifying the spirit of pride and emphasizing the humanitarian values of the Vietnamese people. Cinema does not limit itself to significant events, issues, or grand social connections, but rather delves into the depths of the human psyche, individuality, and intricate relationships between people. Therefore, cinema sets its own interpretations of history, society, and human beings. Through the lens of a camera, it captures the personal and intimate aspects of individuals with an open-minded, exploratory, and explanatory approach. In doing so, it provides the audience with a comprehensive understanding of themselves, the harmony between individuals and their environment, and society as a whole.

Each director's exploration of the fate, thoughts, and essence of each individual in an ever-changing era of their homeland opens up diverse and complex interpretations of the past, filled with numerous emotions. Ultimately, we must acknowledge that through films, a director's perspective and viewpoint on social and political issues, whether it be that of an individual, a collective (film crew), or even a nation, are expressed. The author and the film work are two distinctive products of the culture and history of the time, always corresponding to and harmonizing with each other.

References:

1. Costica Bradatan. Phylosophy has a lot to learn from Film. Url: https://aeon.co/ideas/philosophers-have-much-to-learn-from-the-great-film
2. Mau Quang Quy. The transformation of literary discourse and conception in the vision of forms of social consciousness. Peking: Peking University, 2005.
3. Na Le Dao. From literary author to cinema author - Compassion and creativity / Philological issues (Collection of 40 years of scientific research of the Faculty of Culture and Languages), Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2015.
4. Su Dinh Tran. Literature and social ideology. Science and technology. Hanoi: National Department of Science and Technology Information - Office of the Digital Vietnamese Knowledge System Project, 2017. Url: https://trithuc.itrithuc.vn/articles/van-hoc-va-y-thuc-he-680.html