In recent days, Chinese social networks, especially Douyin, have strongly spread a series of clips about Ha Nhuan Dong's Xiang Yu role in the movie "The Legend of the Desert". Although it has been broadcast for more than a decade, the image of a general with a rugged appearance, sharp eyes and a majestic demeanor still makes viewers excited, even considered "standard" for this type of role.
The attention paid to Ha Nhuan Dong unintentionally put young actors in a comparison position. In which, Truong Lang Hach became the focus when he was called "foundation general". In some scenes, his character, despite just going through battle, still maintains a smooth white face, meticulous makeup, clean armor, lacking the harsh traces of the battlefield.
Not only Truong Lang Hach, Luu Vu Ninh also received many mixed opinions when taking on the role of general in ancient costume projects. Despite having the advantage of height, he was considered to lack a majestic aura, and at the same time, his make-up style was too meticulous, making his image become "out of tune" compared to the battle scene.
In fact, this controversy reflects a change in the way characters are built in Chinese historical films. If in the past, generals were often depicted with a dusty, even "scattered" appearance to show fierceness, now many works prioritize aesthetic elements, aiming for beautiful images to attract young audiences.
This change makes a part of the audience feel unrealistic. When compared to the image of Hang Vu performed by Ha Nhuan Dong with sunburned skin, unkempt beard and hair but exuding a strong aura, the difference becomes even clearer.
In addition, another reason pointed out is the communication strategy. Attaching characters to historical generals such as Xiang Yu or Wallace Huo unintentionally raises the audience's expectations. When the images in the film do not meet the imagination of a true general, negative reactions are inevitable.
However, there are also opinions that the responsibility should not be entirely attributed to actors, because the image also depends on the production crew and the general direction of the film. The problem of balancing aesthetics and authenticity is still a major challenge for the current period film genre.
