The Musician at the Dragon Citadel
The Musician at the Dragon Citadel is a 2010 Vietnamese film based on Nguyễn Du's poem, Long thành cầm giả ca, for the Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi 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.
Plot
The film opens with a scene of a little girl named Gái 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 to learn how to play the đàn Nguyễn, she became a student of Master Nguyễn and was given a courtesy name. 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. The poet Tố Như 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 for her, and she jumps into a well. 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 wellPoem
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. The original poem was written in văn ngon, but has been translated into Vietnamese.| Literary Chinese | Sino-Vietnamese | Vietnamese translation | English Translation |
| 龍城佳人 | Long thành giai nhân | Người đẹp Long Thành | A beautiful woman in the Dragon Citadel |
| 不記名字 | Bất ký danh tự | Họ tên không được biết | Her name we cannot know |
| 獨善絃琴 | Ðộc thiện huyền cầm | Riêng thạo đàn huyền cầm | She was talented with the lute |
| 舉城之人以琴名 | Cử thành chi nhân dĩ cầm danh | Dân trong thành gọi nàng là cô Cầm | The 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 the | Silk 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 bao | And toward the rose within he'd dream his way |
| 旬?缺?，?油? | Tuần trăng khuyết đi đĩa dầu hao | The 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 lòng | His face yearned for her face, his heart her heart |
| ?文?液如銅 | Buồng văn hơi giá như đồng | The 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 loan | Brushes lay dry, lute strings hung loose on frets |
| ?湘氛拂?彈 | Mành Tương phân phất gió đàn | Tương 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 tình | Incense roused longing, tea lacked love's sweet taste |
| 爲庄緣??生 | Ví chăng duyên nợ ba sinh | If 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 ngươi | Why had the temptress come and teased his eyes |
| ?傾?景?? | Bâng khuâng nhớ cảnh nhớ người | Forlorn, 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 |
| ?????荑 | Một vùng cỏ mọc xanh rì | A 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 đâu | With waters crystal clear; he saw naught else |
| ??如??愁 | Gió chiều như giục cơn sầu | The breeze at twilight stirred a mood of grief |
Cast
- Quách Ngọc Ngoan as Tố Như
- Nhật Kim Anh as Cầm / Gái
- * Hà Anh as Cầm / Gái lúc nhỏ
- Trần Lực as Nguyễn Khản
- Bùi Bài Bình as Thùy Trung Hầu
- Đỗ Kỷ as Nguyễn Đề
- Mai Thành as Thầy Nguyễn
- Nguyễn Anh Quang as Lý An Quân
- Thi Nhung as Dì Xinh
- Trần Hạnh as Ông lão kéo vó