The Musician at the Dragon Citadel explained

Director:Đào Bá Sơn
Producer:Trịnh Quốc Hùng, Đào Thái Anh
Starring:Quách Ngọc Ngoan, Nhật Kim Anh, Trần Lực, Bùi Bài Bình, Đỗ Kỷ
Cinematography:Đặng Phúc Yên
Music:Quốc Trung
Studio:Hãng phim Giải phóng
Country:Vietnam
Language:Vietnamese
Budget:7 billion VND

The Musician at the Dragon Citadel (Vietnamese: Long thành cầm giả ca) is a 2010 Vietnamese film based on Nguyễn Du's poem, Long thành cầm giả ca, for the Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi[1] directed by Đào Bá Sơn. The film won the Golden Kite Prize for Best Feature Film, as well as Best Director, Actor, Editing, and Costuming.[2]

Plot

The film opens with a scene of a little girl named Gái (Girl) reflecting in the village well. The girl was born in a peaceful countryside, whose mother used to be a singer, so she had to follow in her mother's footsteps. An acquaintance brought her to Thăng Long Citadel (Present-day Hà Nội) to learn how to play the đàn Nguyễn, she became a student of Master Nguyễn and was given a courtesy name (The name was Cầm). From the first time Master Nguyễn had met Cầm, Master Nguyễn saw in her, a special talent, her playing of the đàn nguyệt shows more emotion than her other counterparts. One day, a rebellion broke out and caused Cầm to leave Thăng Long (Hanoi). The poet Tố Như (Nguyễn Du) meets Cầm and they fall in love. But he already has a wife, and doesn't want to be with her, even when he meets her several times and has intimate sexual encounters with her later. Cầm wonders around aimlessly until she reached her hometown. During this time, the Qing Dynasty invaded Vietnam and a Qing mandarin had captured her along with other people in her hometown. And the mandarin had forced her to play music for him. The Tây Sơn army ambushed the Qing garrison which allowed for Cầm to escape. After this, Cầm becomes a famous singer, while Tố Như began writing poems. Many years later, the two meet when they are both old, feeling sorry, he writes a poem (Long thành cầm giả ca) for her, and she jumps into a well (commits suicide). The movie ends with the narrator saying that on nights when the moonlight shines, people can hear mysterious sounds of a musical instrument coming from the well[3]

Poem

The movie itself is based on Nguyễn Du's poem, Long thành cầm giả ca, where he writes about a beautiful female musician who lives in the Dragon Citadel (Long thành; Hanoi). The original poem was written in văn ngon (literary Chinese), but has been translated into Vietnamese.

!Literary Chinese!Sino-Vietnamese!Vietnamese translation!English Translation
龍城佳人Long thành giai nhânNgười đẹp Long ThànhA beautiful woman in the Dragon Citadel (Long thành; Hanoi)
不記名字Bất ký danh tựHọ tên không được biếtHer name we cannot know
獨善絃琴Ðộc thiện huyền cầmRiêng thạo đàn huyền cầmShe was talented with the lute (đàn Nguyễn)
舉城之人以琴名Cử thành chi nhân dĩ cầm danhDân trong thành gọi nàng là cô CầmThe people in the citadel call her Cầm
In the ending credits, the song heard is lines 249-263 of the Tale of Kiều,
!Chữ Nôm!Vietnamese alphabet!English translation
銙窗,秦銙窗Khoá kín song the, Mây Tần khoá kín song theSilk curtains veiled her windows like dense clouds
紅羅,紅料,底,瞻包Bụi hồng là, hồng liệu nẻo rằng, để đi về, đi về chiêm baoAnd toward the rose within he'd dream his way
旬缺,油Tuần trăng khuyết đi đĩa dầu haoThe moon kept wanning, oil kept burning low
羅,想,㐌嗷,㐌嗷Mặt mơ là, mơ tưởng mặt rằng, đã lòng ngao, đã lòng ngao ngán lòngHis face yearned for her face, his heart her heart
文液如銅Buồng văn hơi giá như đồngThe study room turned icy-metal cold
竹羅,兔,底絲,絲鵉Trúc se là, se ngọn thỏ rằng, để tơ chùng, mấy tơ chùng phím loanBrushes lay dry, lute strings hung loose on frets
湘氛拂彈Mành Tương phân phất gió đànTương (Xiāng) bamboo blinds stirred rustling in the wind
香羅,味,底茶看,茶看情Hương gây là, gây mùi nhớ rằng, để trà khan, mấy trà khan giọng tìnhIncense roused longing, tea lacked love's sweet taste
爲庄緣生Ví chăng duyên nợ ba sinhIf fate did not mean them to join as mates
爫羅,,底傾城,傾城Làm chi là, chi đem thói rằng, để khuynh thành, mấy khuynh thành trêu ngươiWhy had the temptress come and teased his eyes
傾景Bâng khuâng nhớ cảnh nhớ ngườiForlorn, he missed the scene, he missed the girl
坭羅,坭奇遇,底,蹎Nhớ nơi là, nơi kỳ ngộ rằng, để vội dời, mấy vội dời chân đi.He rushed back where by chance the two had met
Một vùng cỏ mọc xanh rìA tract of land with grasses lush and green
渃汵羅,汵沕,,姅兜Nước ngâm là, ngâm trong vắt rằng, có thấy gì, có thấy gì nữa đâuWith waters crystal clear; he saw naught else
如愁Gió chiều như giục cơn sầuThe breeze at twilight stirred a mood of grief

Cast

Notes and References

  1. http://veryvietnam.com/2011-03-14/2010-winners-of-vietnams-version-of-the-oscars 2010 Winners of Vietnam's Version of the Oscars : Very Vietnam
  2. Web site: Golden Kite Awards spotlight Vietnamese cinema - DTiNews - Dan Tri International, the news gateway of Vietnam. dtinews.vn. 25 June 2020.
  3. http://sgtt.vn/Van-hoa/129414/Khuc-hat-nhat-Long-Thanh-cam-gia-ca.html Khúc hát nhạt Long Thành cầm giả ca