According to many critics the Vietnamese film industry lacks real talent because of too much focus on the physical attributes and celebrity of actors and even singers.

A scene in film "Floating lives"

Golden era of Vietnamese film over

In the 1960s, when the country still faced more than one war, the Vietnamese revolutionary cinema was the starting point for many outstanding actors and actresses who are still remembered for their great performances. Some examples are Tra Giang's performance in the film Chi Tu Hau (Ms. Tu Hau),The Anh in Noi Gio (When wind blows), To Uyen in Chim Vanh Khuyen (White eys), Lan Huong in Em Be Ha Noi (The little girl from Hanoi).

In the 1970s, two actresses, Tham Thuy Hang and Thanh Nga, gained fame in foreign countries such as the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan. Their roles in films also increased the respect of the Vietnamese audience for the art of cinema.

The boom of commercial films late the 80s and the early 90s witnessed the appearance of artists such as Ly Hung, Diem Huong, Viet Trinh, Le Tuan Anh and Le Cong Tuan Anh, which became household names. Their images are still visible in advertisements and book covers.

Easy fame

Since then, many say that the local film industry has been frozen, with audiences preferring Hollywood films staring American actors like Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks or Sandra Bullock or Chinese and Taiwanese films.

One notable exception to this rule was a film named “Dancing girls” by the director Le Hoan, released in 2003.

After the success of Dancing girls, the number of Vietnamese films has increased, mostly showing during Tet, but many of the stars are MCs, models and singers whose fame draws box offices sales.

The audience is a major factor to the state of modern Vietnamese film. They often prefer movies starring names they know, even if they are not trained actors.

Because of the current economic situation, the choices in roles for many actors is limited, forcing them to take parts which they may not be suited for. The prospect of starring in a television role that could earn a salary of hundreds of millions of VND has created a situation in which money often trumps art.

Actress Tham Thuy Hang

Actress Diem Huong

A scene in film "Fire as the bell rings" or Chuong reo la ban