Trần Phương
Born: 1930-04-10 in Thái Nguyên province, Vietnam
Died: 2020-08-26
Known For: Acting
Biography
Trần Phương (10 April 1930 – 26 August 2020) was a Vietnamese actor, director and screenwriter. Following a serious work accident that cost him his finger, he ceased working as an industrial turner and was later dispatched to work in logistics for an artists' company where he gained his first acting experience in chèo and was coached in theatre by the veteran playwright Thế Lữ. Introduced to films by director Phạm Văn Khoa, his colleague at the company, Trần Phương began to pursue a career in cinema and in 1955, joined the newly-inaugurated Vietnam Feature Film Studio. He starred in the Studio's first film, "Chung một dòng sông" (1959) but went uncredited. In 1961, he was chosen as the lead A Phủ in Mai Lộc's "Vợ chồng A Phủ" and thanks to this role, rose to stardom in the North Vietnamese film scene. He was the male lead in many classics of the 60s-70s Revolutionary cinema, notably "Chị Tư Hậu", "Tiền tuyến gọi", and "Ngày lễ Thánh"; by 1980, he had garnered almost 20 acting credits. In the late 1970s, he tried his hands at directing by assisting Trần Vũ, who he previously worked for in "Truyện vợ chồng anh Lực"(1973) and was married to his longtime onscreen collaborator Đức Hoàn. In 1979, he made his first directing debut with "Mưa rơi trên thành phố". His major breakthrough came in 1980 with the crime drama "Tội lỗi cuối cùng" and in 1981, " Hy vọng cuối cùng", a work that deals with moral corruption and deterioration of trust in Vietnam's "subsidy period" - themes that are most present in his films throughout the 80s. "Hy vọng cuối cùng" earned Trần Phương Best Director at 1983 Vietnam Film Festival, and is still one of his most critically acclaimed works. With the introduction of the commercial "instant noodles" films in early 1990s, Trần Phương moved his productions to the South, and gravitated towards making crime and actions, distinguished by melodramatic themes, fast pace, along with a greater focus to costumes and set design. The director enjoyed great commercial success and despite some criticisms against his initial mainly Northern production team, his films were almost always box office hits universally enjoyed by the Southern public, and cemented the careers of some of its most famous commercial stars like Diễm My and Thương Tín. Despite a successful career, Trần Phương's personal life in his last years was marred by the death of his son and a series of debilitating health issues. He passed away in Hanoi on 26th August 2020, at the age of 90.
Filmography
2004
- When In Love ... (Director)
1992
- In Search of a Bygone Time ... (Director)
1991
- Remainder of the Laughing Forest ... (Director)
1990
- Singing in the Rainy Afternoon ... (Director)
1988
- To Catch a Thief 1: I Am Not Born For Imprisonment ... (Director)
- To Catch A Thief 2: The Woman In Nun's Habit ... (Director)
- To Catch A Thief 3: Solitary ... (Director)
1986
- Unintended Separation as Bộ trưởng
1984
- Quiet Night as Ông Tám
1982
- Standing In Front Of The Sea ... (Director)
- Cold Forest ... (Director)
1981
- The Last Hope ... (Director)
1980
- Life Is Not Simple as Viện trưởng
- The Last Transgression ... (Director)
- The Forgotten Proposal as Bí thư Công
1979
- Those We Have Met ... (Assistant Director)
1977
- A Stormy Journey as Coach company’s director
- Story of the Coconut Village as Thinh
1976
- The Holy Day as Tiệp
1971
1970
- Miss Nhung as Tiểu đoàn trưởng
- The Painting as Tám Tâm
1969
- The Front Is Calling as Vũ Khiêm
1967
- The Sea Calls as Thuyền trưởng Tơm
1966
- The Sun Rises on the High Plains as Đoàn
- Fire in the Woods as Pao Ly
1964
- Người chiến sĩ trẻ as Commander Truong
1963
- Mrs. Tư Hậu as Khoa (Tu Hau's Husband)
1961
- A Phu and His Wife as A Phủ
1959
- On the Same River as Villager (uncredited)