Xa Lo Khong Den

Xa Lo Khong Den (Highway Without Lights) is a classic. Thanh Nga gave an extraordinary performance as a sweet girl who turns into a prostitute and ends up as a thug. Lieu (Thanh Nga) is the oldest daughter of a respectable family. Her father is a teacher and he wants his kids to go to school. The parents work days and nights but still cannot afford to put Lieu and Diem (Trang Thanh Lan) to school. Lieu decided to quit school to help out the family. In Saigon, the quickest way to make money is prostitution. Lieu ends up getting rob and raped. She joins the Hippies and becomes a thug. Lieu and her gang robbed money from a big mafia. Well, I am not going to tell you the whole story.

Xa Lo Khong Den describes Lieu’s life as a young and beautiful girl who takes the highway route without realizing the danger. Another highlight of the film is the conflict between Lieu and her father. The dialogue between them is well written. Her father believes in pride but when you are poor, pride won’t save your family, only money can. Lieu realizes that cruel reality and she has to do what she has to do to save the family even without her father’s approval. Xa Lo Khong Den is simply a masterpiece. Wish it had English subtitles so others can enjoy the film as well.