“It was our ‘Red Rain’ Campaign”, says Director – Meritorious Artist Dang Thai Huyen of the film’s production. To bring the memory of the 81 fiery days and nights of the Battle of the Quang Tri Citadel to the screen, her crew endured their own grueling 81-day campaign of filming. “There were moments we thought we would collapse from the harsh weather and the pressure of the epic-scale battle scenes”, she recalled.
Widely regarded as the most ambitious and elaborate Vietnamese war film in over two decades, “Red Rain” powerfully resurrects the tragic heroism of the 81-day struggle to defend the Quang Tri Citadel in 1972. Colonel Nguyen Van Hoi, a veteran who fought in the battle, was visibly emotional. “We were there, and even we couldn’t hold back our tears”, he said. “My comrades who lie forever in that Citadel are probably smiling with contentment.”
The film’s impact transcended generations. Many young people at the premiere were equally moved. “The footage in ‘Red Rain’ makes you feel as if you can almost touch the profound pain and sacrifice of our forefathers”, shared Pham Truc Anh, a young audience member. “Each image is a reminder for us today to live lives worthy of their legacy.”
One viewer called the film a depiction of “the price of peace”. Writer Nguyen Thuc Linh shared her experience: “I watched in silence, and I wept in silence. The blood-soaked frames followed me into my sleep. The image of a vibrant young man lying motionless, the two mothers releasing flowers on the Thach Han River. They are so haunting! You watch this and you understand how incredibly costly peace is to any nation.”
War films are notoriously difficult to make, but the creators of “Red Rain” transformed the challenge into an opportunity. “With the responsibility of soldiers and of artists, we poured all our faith, heart, and strength into this project”, said the film’s producer, Colonel Kieu Thanh Thuy, Deputy Director of the People’s Army Cinema.
In a remarkable commitment to authenticity, the crew built a near-exact replica of the Quang Tri Citadel, only to meticulously destroy it piece by piece as the battle unfolds in the script. The director’s painstaking process of rough-cutting and adjusting scenes immediately on set has resulted in a work that is both tragically grand and deeply moving.
The film’s greatest strength lies in its masterful blend of visceral brutality and profound humanity. It isn’t just about the thunder of bombs; it’s also about the quiet moments when a soldier confronts his own love, fear, and hope.
Even before its official premiere tomorrow, August 22, “Red Rain” has already become a real-life phenomenon. Since its trailer dropped, the film has been a top trending keyword, and within a week, it had rocketed to the #1 social trend in the nation. The critical acclaim has been just as swift. “War films demand the highest level of production”, commented acclaimed director Bui Thac Chuyen. “With ‘Red Rain’, the strength that director Dang Thai Huyen has shown is second to none.”
These assessments both affirm its professional quality and add to the belief that Vietnamese cinema can absolutely produce great works about history and revolutionary war.
“Red Rain”, adapted from a novel, has become an epic written in the blood, tears, and resilience of a nation. Its final message – “Blood and bone fell, but their names live on in the land and sky” – rings out from every frame, a reminder for all Vietnamese people now to live their lives worthy of the peace they are enjoying.
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