Seoul [South Korea], July 1: The drama "Dedication" chose a tragic ending, leaving viewers with a heavy heart instead of satisfying their emotions. This decision sparked controversy after the final episode aired.
The central character, Nguyen Thanh ( played by Hua Vi Van ), completes his mission as an intelligence officer but pays the price with almost his entire personal life. His comrades fall one by one, his wife Bunny suffers a mental breakdown after years of anxiety and waiting, and Nguyen Thanh himself must accept sacrificing his family happiness to protect national secrets. The final episode doesn't bring a complete reunion but concludes with the lingering feeling of sacrifice, embodying the spirit of "dedication" that the People's Police Film Studio aims to convey.
The tragic ending of 'Dedication' is haunting.
After the final episode of " The Devotion" aired , social media was flooded with comments expressing regret. Many viewers said they hoped Nguyen Thanh and Bunny would have a peaceful ending after so much suffering, while many others admitted to still being haunted, especially by the scenes where Bunny loses her memory and Nguyen Thanh almost has no chance to make amends to his family. Some commented that the film was too sad and heartbreaking because every character had to bear such loss.
However, many also defend the film crew's choice. They argue that if Nguyen Thanh had a fulfilling life after all that, the film would inadvertently downplay the harsh realities of intelligence work during wartime. The value of "Dedication" lies in its willingness to let viewers feel the price of victory. Those who worked alone in real life had to accept sacrificing their youth, love, family, and even their own identities. A romantic, fairytale-like ending would diminish the historical message the film aims to convey.
In fact, from the very beginning of the project, director Tran Ka My determined that this was not a work focused on entertainment or action, but rather a journey to recount the silent sacrifices of intelligence forces using cinematic language that resonates with today's audience. Therefore, the sad ending is not a plot twist intended to shock, but a choice consistent with the spirit of the entire story. It is noteworthy that the film does not attempt to dramatize every loss. Amidst the tragedies, there is still a belief in ideals, in the continuity of generations, and the significance of silent sacrifices. Nguyen Thanh may have lost his personal happiness, but his contributions played a part in the greater victory of the nation.
Sharing his thoughts with Thanh Nien newspaper about the haunting ending, Hua Vi Van said that Vietnamese television viewers are accustomed to family and romantic dramas and often expect a happy ending. But "Dedication" is a political drama, based on the real-life Hero of the People's Armed Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thieu Gioc, so the production team couldn't choose a beautiful ending just to please viewers. What the film wants to tell is not a sad ending, but the truth about the lives of those working in intelligence. Some sacrifices didn't happen on the battlefield, but continued even after peace was restored. Some people had to wait until the end of their lives to have their secrets declassified, to be called "comrade," and to be recognized by the nation.
"I was very impressed with a viewer's comment that: Vietnamese audiences usually prefer films with happy endings, but this is a political drama. There are sacrifices, both before and after peace, that are part of history that we need to acknowledge," Hua Vi Van expressed.
In the final scene of the film "Dedication," the deaths of Do Chien (Nguyen Phuong Nam) and Vanthong (Meritorious Artist Ho Phong) brought many viewers to tears. Explaining this, Hua Vi Van said that the deaths of Do Chien and Vanthong were not intended to create tragedy, but to illustrate the price that intelligence agents have to pay. Even if they were still alive and the war had ended, they might not have been able to sit down and tell each other what they had gone through, because the work of an intelligence agent is inextricably linked to secrecy.
"What haunted me most was that the real-life model of Nguyen Thieu Gioc was only declassified and recognized at the very end of his life. Before he passed away, what he most longed for wasn't to be credited, but to be called 'comrade' by his comrades. That's also why, at the end of the film, when Nguyen Thanh placed the stone by the stream, I understood that he had fulfilled his vow and mission," Hua Vi Van further shared.
Source: Thain News paper
