- When the Tet movie "The Four Guardians" was released to the audience, as an individual, were you satisfied with your project?
I have never been satisfied with any of my projects, including the movie "Mai". Because I always see my shortcomings in the projects I do, including "The Four Guardians".
With every film project that comes out, I always wish I could do it again. But I think everything happens for a reason. So instead of complaining, I see it as an experience.
From the first day I made "The Four Guardians", I determined that this film would not be as "big and bold" as "Mai". I chose a simple script to reduce headaches. I wanted to relax and rest a bit. So, I chose a product that mainly made the audience laugh.
- Tran Thanh's previous films are often psychological films, but the color of the film in "The Four Guardians" is youthful, more suitable for GenZ. What do you think about this point of view?
Many friends commented that my film was good but a bit old. They advised me to make a film for young people.
I pondered over that comment and found it to be true. Then I did a test math problem of making a film for young people. "The Four Defenders" was born from that.
I don't want people to think my film is all about crying and heavy psychology. But I don't think "The Four" is so light that it leaves no impression on the viewer.
The movie also has its own lessons and meaningful stories, but the emotions are not as heavy as the previous movies.
Many viewers think that perhaps by "The Four Avengers", Tran Thanh has stopped preaching morality in movies?
I don't use the word "morality" because I think people are making this concept negative. I don't make films with the intention of preaching morality to anyone.
The lines in the movie are what I think and want to say. But if people say I preach morality, I have no right to forbid it.
The messages I give are not even in the book because I draw them from my life experiences.
- Do you think it's time for Vietnamese cinema to not depend on "box office stars" but still be able to achieve high revenue?
I really want that. I want Vietnamese audiences to look at the poster and believe that this director can do something good, whoever it is. I want to do justice to new faces. Because if we only rely on stars, no one will be discovered.
- Was your production of the movie "The Four Guardians" influenced by "Say Hi Brother"?
I made the movie "The Four Guardians" before accepting to be the MC for the show "Say Hi Brother". But I don't deny that after making "Say Hi Brother" and approaching young artists, I was willing to put young music into the movie.
Because I feel lucky to have met a new source of energy and make my film younger.
- Do you expect to be able to make your first trillion-dollar movie?
I am confident that I can do it. Records are meant to be broken. At first, I never thought I could make the movie "Bo Gia" earn 400 billion VND, but in the end, I still did it.
When I made "Mrs. Nu's House", I thought it couldn't surpass the revenue of "The Godfather" because I made this film in a hurry compared to "The Godfather". In the end, this project was successful and surpassed "The Godfather".
When I made "Mai", I was afraid that a movie that was too sad would not be suitable for Tet. But as a result, "Mai" still broke the record of "Nha Ba Nu".
Why don't I have the right to believe that I can make Vietnam's first trillion-dollar film? I want to do this.
- Is Tran Thanh afraid of failure?
Who is not afraid of failure? I am afraid of failure too. But fear reminds me that I must strive not to fail.
I think the best thing is not to be discouraged. Because the opposite of success is not failure but giving up. If you don't give up, you will succeed if you try.
Thanks for sharing!
