Unforgettable memories with the female lead role in Mid-Line Fire
Released in 1961, "Mid-Line Fire" directed by Pham Van Khoa and Le Minh Hien is one of the first films in Vietnamese cinema on the topic of war.
Participating in the program Cine7 Memories of Vietnamese films, Peoples Artist Ngoc Lan recalled the unforgettable memory of playing the role of Nhan in the film. That year she was only 18 years old, having just entered school.
"There are several people who have tried this role, not just me. The day the film crew brought my copy to Mr. To Huu to see. Mr. To Huu said that this was Ms. Nhan. I was so happy. From then on, I was exhausted with the role, People's Artist Ngoc Lan recalled the opportunity to play this special role.
The character Nhan is an enthusiastic and humorous female trafficker. The work was hard, but on her lips there was always an optimistic smile, loving life. During a time of saving a burning ammunition depot, the character Nhan did not hesitate to rush into the sea of fire.
To film the actual bullet carrying scenes, People's Artist Ngoc Lan revealed that the props were loaded with bricks inside, so there were incidents during filming. The bullet box she was carrying hit a member of the film crew and injured him. That is an unforgettable and profound memory of her.
To make the film, the film crew had to face countless difficulties. The setting was chosen in the northern mountainous provinces, in the harsh weather conditions of winter. There were scenes where actors had to carry heavy boxes, winding through cold water when the temperature was only about 4-5 degrees Celsius. The film crew even had to use a large-capacity water spray bottle to create artificial rain.
Another seemingly romantic scene when Nhan stood in the fields brushing her hair, in reality, it contained no less hardship. Right under the rice fields that People's Artist Ngoc Lan had to stand was a myriad of obstacles, making her extremely scared.
However, when the camera lights were on, when the director's " beginning" cry rang out, she immediately took on the role, smiling brightly, and the audience could only remember the poetic image of the character but did not know behind it.
The peak of the challenge was the bullets and bullets fire scene, the climax of the film. Sharing about this scene, People's Artist Ngoc Lan still clearly remembers: "This is a scene that can only be filmed once, because after the fire broke out, the entire scene will be destroyed".
In particular, the detail of Nhan climbing onto the roof to put out the fire and then falling to the ground was one of the most dangerous scenes. Below, there were only 4 people holding a blanket waiting to "standing", and the actress had to "fall into the zone" right in the middle of that blanket. Just one mistake, an accident can happen immediately.
From "Mid-Line Fire" to a relationship with a partner
In addition to the challenges during filming, "The Fire of the Line" is also a bridge for People's Artist Ngoc Lan's love story.
Special fate came to Ngoc Lan at the Moscow International Film Festival in 28. Not only was she honored to pull the flag to open the film festival with director Sergey Fyodorovich Bondarchuk as the main actor of The Line Fire, she also found half of her life.
In Moscow, she met People's Artist Ngo Manh Lan. At that time, he was a student at VGIK University of Cinema. Coincidentally, he was assigned to be an interpreter for her throughout the trip.
Before that, they had never met, but People's Artist Ngo Manh Lan had a special affection for the character Nhan that Ngoc Lan portrayed on screen. The meeting in Moscow became the beginning of a beautiful love story, and later, they became husband and wife, remaining together for more than half a century.
People's Artist Ngo Manh Lan was born in 1934 in Hanoi. He is one of the veteran artists of the Vietnamese animation industry. On September 15, 2021, he passed away at the age of 87.
