Top 14 Films Adapted from Vietnam's Most Meaningful Literary Works

The film Mr. and Mrs. A Phu was produced in 1961 and is one of the finest films of Vietnamese revolutionary cinema. The screenplay was written by the original author, writer Tô Hoài, so the content closely follows the original story. Actors Trần Phương as A Phu and Đức Hoàn as Mị vividly portrayed the sufferings of the married couple before fleeing and later protecting the villagers during the revolution.

Referring to the work Mr. and Mrs. A Phu, writer Tô Hoài once shared: 'I wrote that story during the years of practical work for the newspaper Cứu Quốc. It was a story almost true of a Hmong couple in Phù Yên, now Bắc Yên, Sơn La province. Back then, on the way to the resistance, I met that couple celebrating the Hmong New Year. Their story, along with the stories from the partisan brothers, became the subject for me to write. By 1960, the story was adapted into a screenplay for a movie. That movie, based on the original story, had all the characters'.

Mr. and Mrs. A Phu was adapted into a screenplay by Tô Hoài himself and was 'sculpted' by director Mai Lộc. With an engaging and touching plot, the film continues to captivate viewers with beautiful images of the Northwest region and the excellent music of composer Nguyễn Văn Thương. The song 'Mountain Ballad' sung by artist Kiều Hưng also received the love of many music lovers.

This is a film inspired by the folk tale Tấm Cám. Producer Ngô Thanh Vân has transformed the familiar story of Tấm Cám into a tale of struggle for power and fight against foreign invaders of the prince. With large investment and the participation of many beloved young actors and singers, Tấm Cám: The Untold Story has attracted a large audience.

While retaining the old story, Tấm, a gentle orphan, suffers from the cruelty of her stepmother and wicked stepsister. Despite at times being fortunate enough to become the prince's wife, she must then endure numerous trials to gain eternal happiness and punish her enemies.

With an enormous investment of 20 billion VND for a cinema film, producer and director Ngô Thanh Vân has turned the fairy tale setting into a vivid and impressive reality. The first advantage of Tấm Cám – The Untold Story lies in the breathtaking scenes of the countryside and magnificent palaces. Ninh Binh, Long An, Dong Nai on the screen are beautiful and breathtaking with lush green fields, azure waters, and clear skies. From Tấm's house and the two Cám women to the magnificent royal palace, everything is meticulously and fully staged with detail.

The film I See Yellow Flowers on Green Grass is considered the most successful in 2016 as it successfully portrays the story of Nguyễn Nhật Ánh. The original work by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh received much acclaim from young readers, which is also the reason for attracting viewers. Not only the content, but the film is also attractive with beautifully shot images and excellent performances by child actors. The film not only has a large revenue but also received many film awards domestically and internationally.

The film is an emotional story about homeland, family, and adolescence. Tường, the innocent boy, is full of affection while Thiều is the selfish, narrow-minded older brother. Alongside the sibling relationship with love, jealousy, envy, regret, remorse... is the friendship, childhood memories of poor rural children in the late 1980s in the Central region. There are arguments, fights; interesting children's games; fairy tale dreams of princesses, princes; early emotions...

Sister Dau is a film adapted from the literary work of the same name by writer Ngô Tất Tố. Released in 1981, Sister Dau reflects the harsh reality, poverty of Vietnamese farmers before the August Revolution of 1945. The film features the participation of actors Lê Vân and Meritorious Artist Anh Thái, and is one of the iconic films of Vietnamese cinema.

The famous film belongs to the list of classic works of 20th-century Vietnamese revolutionary cinema. Produced in 1980 by director, People's Artist Phạm Văn Khoa, who is also the author of another famous adapted film on pre-revolutionary topics, the film Village Vũ Đại in those days.

The film Sister Dau along with the film Village Vũ Đại in those days (1982) by director, People's Artist Phạm Văn Khoa, are considered two of the few Vietnamese cinema works that achieved great success in many aspects in depicting rural life and various social classes in the colonial half-feudal society of Vietnam before the August Revolution (1945).

The film Soul of Trương Ba da Hàng thịt is adapted from the literary work of the same name by writer Lưu Quang Vũ. Released in 2006, director Nguyễn Quang Dũng adapted the story into a comedy film, introducing the names of actors Johnny Trí Nguyễn and Lương Mạnh Hải to the audience.

Soul of Trương Ba da Hàng thịt is a Vietnamese comedy film revolving around the story of Trương Ba, who elegantly possesses the body of Hàng Thịt. At that time, Trương Ba was known for his exceptional chess skills, even the Heavenly Emperor had to admit defeat to him. He helped Trương Ba come back to life after death, but Trương Ba's body had decayed over time, so he possessed the body of Hàng Thịt who had just passed away. Later, Trương Ba's wife and Hàng Thịt's wife competed for him, leading to a court case.

In the movie Soul of Trương Ba da Hàng thịt, we see many hilarious situations caused by the two wives of the main character.

Adapted from the work Nguyễn Trãi Part 2: Blood Letter: Hero's Destiny by writer Bùi Anh Tấn, director Victor Vũ explored the historical drama genre that had not been widely explored by filmmakers. The film tells the story of Nguyễn Trãi who left behind a blood letter before his death, and his surviving descendants set out to find it when they come of age.

Director Victor Vũ stated that Hero's Destiny was a significant challenge in his career. He aimed to build fictional main characters with dialogue and personalities, set against a historical backdrop without altering history. Viewers are mesmerized by the breathtaking natural scenery of rivers and mountains in Ninh Bình, also known as 'Hạ Long on land.'

Cinematographer K’Linh chose picturesque locations to set the stage for intense sword fights and thrilling action scenes. The martial arts sequences, coupled with stunning visual effects, captivate the audience and rival international films, showcasing the talent of Johnny Trí Nguyễn, Vietnam's leading action star.

The Village of Vũ Đại in the Old Days is one of the iconic films of early Vietnamese cinema. Following the success of Sister Dậu, director Phạm Văn Khoa continued to bring to life a film adapted from the famous novel by writer Nam Cao. The Village of Vũ Đại in the Old Days combines three major works: Lão Hạc, Chí Phèo, and Sống Mòn. The images of Chí Phèo and Thị Nở in the film became symbols of Vietnamese cinema for a long time.

If in Nam Cao's work, the three characters are three distinct individuals, in three separate worlds... Then in The Village of Vũ Đại in the Old Days, they share the same living conditions, the same living environment, and have relationships with each other. The bond between these three characters paints a dark picture of Vũ Đại village - a grim reality of colonial society. The film's criticism is therefore stronger and more 'authentic'.

The Village of Vũ Đại in the Old Days... With the fierce Chí Phèo, the sly Thị Nở, the cruel Bá Kiến, the suffering old Hạc, and also Giáo Thứ, an idealistic young man. The Village of Vũ Đại is like a microcosm of society with all its components, classes of people, reflecting the reality of life in the war years.

Once again, a successful work by Nguyễn Phan Quang Bình, The Endless Field is adapted from the work of writer Nguyễn Ngọc Tư. The film is praised for its authentic and touching depiction of southern Vietnam. It portrays the thoughts and suffering of Mr. Út Võ's family. Mr. Út Võ and his two children, Nương and Điền, welcome a new woman into their lives after his wife leaves. She is Sương, a prostitute who was driven out of the village.

Director Nguyễn Phan Quang Bình has almost faithfully adapted the literary work into the film. The film's screenplay remains largely unchanged from the structure of the short story, with only minor alterations to the ending to make the film's atmosphere lighter and the characters' lives warmer.

Drifting aimlessly in an uncertain future, Điền and Nương grow up amidst the bitterness of Mr. Tư's hatred towards women for the betrayal of his wife. The harshness of life has made all three characters develop unconventional personalities in their thoughts, actions, and way of life.

The film Quyên was invested up to 22 billion Vietnamese dong with many scenes shot abroad. Quyên is a film adapted from the work of writer Nguyễn Quang Thọ. The fate of Vietnamese people far from their homeland is vividly depicted through the journey of Quyên and her husband abroad. While not outstanding in terms of screenplay, the acting performances and beautiful imagery have somewhat contributed to the reputation of the film Quyên.

The author of the novel Quyên was quite satisfied when commenting: 'Director Nguyễn Phan Quang Bình has created a film to clarify, directly, and vividly, the complete, pure, and pristine beauty of Vietnamese women from the inside out. And, to let Quyên and her love stories live another new and different life, with the wings of the seventh art. Honoring the beauty of Quyên is honoring the representative of the original Vietnamese cultural beauty, the 'Vietnamese essence' in the journey of seeking true and faithful love of a woman named Quyên.'

The Golden Boy is a film inspired by the short story Lão Hạc by writer Nam Cao, adapted by the late Meritorious Artist Bùi Cường, and directed by his son-in-law, director Trần Vũ Thủy. The cast is a combination of actors from both the North and the South of Vietnam: Viết Liên as Lão Hạc, Hữu Châu as Bá Kiến, Chiều Xuân as Bá Kiến's first wife, Khánh Huyền as Bá Kiến's second wife.

Among the young artists are Băng Di as Bá Kiến's third wife, Will as Lý Cường - Bá Kiến's son, Trần Lê Nam as Giáo Thứ, Trần Doãn Hoàng as Cò - Lão Hạc's son, Bích Ngọc as Cải - Cò's girlfriend, Thanh Hoa as Giáo Thứ's wife, Thanh Bình as Lê Văn, Chiến Thắng as Master Hoàng.

The film presents a fresh and modern perspective compared to Nam Cao's perspective in the era of poverty and suffering, aiming to give viewers a lighter and fresher feeling when enjoying the film. The film was released on January 8, 2020, and received various reviews. The most controversial opinion was that the character of the dog playing The Golden Boy looked like a Japanese dog, which somewhat did not reflect the true essence of the character.

Fragrance Market is an action film that won the Golden Kite Award in 2014. The film depicts the life of the notorious former crime boss Dung Ha, combined with the work of writer Nguyen Dinh Tu. Directed by Cuong Ngo, the film features many excellent action sequences and great performances, particularly by actress Truong Ngoc Anh in the role of crime boss Fragrance Market.

From an innocent girl named Dieu, due to the twists of fate, she changed her name to Fragrance Market and became a notorious gangster who intimidated everyone in the area around the railway station. The film not only shows viewers the true faces of crime bosses but also reveals that behind these individuals, there is still goodness and mystery deep in their hearts. It's just that due to harsh circumstances, people's hearts take a different turn.

The film Fragrance Market won the Best Vietnamese Film award at the San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival 2016 and received 3 Silver Kite Awards for the feature film category. The main actress is Truong Ngoc Anh, and the director is Cuong Ngo, honored at the 2014 Kite Awards.

Silent Beneath the Deep Abyss is another successful work on the topic of ethnic minorities, also adapted from the work of the same name by writer Do Bich Thuy. The film revolves around the story of the characters Phong (played by Doan Quoc Dam) and Sua (played by Phuong Oanh).

In addition to the fresh plot, viewers can clearly feel the lifestyle of the Hmong ethnic people, the customs of Hmong people, and the difficult life of the highland ethnic groups. Furthermore, viewers are enchanted by the majestic mountains, the fields of triangular flowers, and the mysterious limestone mountain ranges.

The songs in the film are excellent and touch the hearts of many. Besides the profound and authentic message that Silent Beneath the Deep Abyss wants to convey to the audience, the film also promotes the enchanting beauty of Ha Giang.

Pao's Story is based on true events and the short story 'The Sound of Flute behind the Stone Fence' by writer Do Bich Thuy. It's a social psychological film about ethnic themes, portraying the life of a girl named Pao - a Hmong person and her family. The film showcases the desire for freedom and happiness of ethnic minorities, while also praising the rich cultural and spiritual life of our ethnic minorities. It's a very lifelike and poetic film, imbued with profound humanistic values.

Today, in the frontier land of our country, the setting of the film 'Pao's house' is one of the stops for tourists whenever they come to beloved Ha Giang because Pao's house epitomizes the essence of the people here.

Life's Game is a film built upon 3 famous literary works by Vu Trong Phung, namely Red Tape, Teacher's Meal, Western-Style Expertise. True to Vu Trong Phung's satirical and critically realistic spirit, Life's Game is a captivating film that attracts a large audience in front of the TV screen every evening not only because of the fame of the literary works but also because the film's content authentically reflects the historical context of our country in the 1945s, depicting certain segments of our society at that time being enchanted by the luxurious lifestyle of the West. In addition to the realistic material, director NSUT Nguyen Nhue Giang is also very skillful in incorporating humorous and witty elements.

The film features many famous actors such as Viet Bac, Bao Thanh, NSUT Minh Hang,... making Life's Game even more vivid and appealing with its natural and lifelike performances.