Anna and the King
Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat, Bai Ling; Directed by Andy Tennant
The King of Siam confounds his court when he decides to have his son and heir, Prince Chulalongkorn, educated by a foreign tutor. Anna Leonowens takes on the job, arriving in Siam with her young son, Louis, just as the country has been pushed to the verge of political revolution. During these difficult days, Anna finds that she must now not only provide the Prince with an education, but also the King's 60+ children. Anna struggles within the confines of the country's laws and traditions, battling with her conscious and with the King several times as well. Ultimately, the understanding of each other's differences leads to respect, and that respect, refined through the fires of tragedy and fear, leads to something more. When a traitor from the King's own court relates plans to march upon the palace and slaughter the entire royal family, Anna must summon every ounce of courage, stubbornness, and humility to save those she has come to love.
Based on the memoirs of the real Anna Leonowens’ experiences in Siam, this latest adaptation proves to be the most historically accurate and most visually stunning of all the rest. I mention ‘visually stunning’ straight out the gate because the set design, construction, cinematography, and costume design are raised to such a high level of excellence that films rarely see today. Every frame is a gorgeous eyeful of color, whether we find ourselves in the midst of a lush rice field surrounded by green mountains, or at a sumptuous royal banquet lit by the flames of a thousand candles and torches. This film was the recipient of 2 justly deserved Academy Award nominations, one for Art Direction, and the other for Costume Design.
Under the reliable direction of Andy Tennant, the story is enhanced by shots that take full advantage of the surroundings and talents of the artisans who joined the team. Mr. Tennant is a director who knows the importance of creating ‘atmosphere’ for a film, and this understanding does all the more to find its way into the senses and memory of a viewer. This benefit was also used to full effect in Ever After, also directed by Tennant. I believe that he is a woefully underappreciated talent. The performances were well done all around the board, with special recognition that must go to Bai Ling as the heartbroken concubine, Tuptim. Although Jodie Foster does seem to struggle with the British accent, she is able to convey the inherently British trait of “repressed longing emotions hidden beneath a mask of stoicism”. Chow Yun-Fat did a tolerable job as King Mongkut. He carried himself with regality and an air of command, but had almost no personality whatsoever. He did a short amount of yelling upon his first meeting with Anna, but there is little other display of strong emotion for the rest of the movie. And it wasn’t as if these feelings were being repressed, like Anna’s, because there was nothing in his eyes or face to show that anything was being kept back or hidden. This was the biggest bother to me in this film.
Apart from casting a different King (or getting Mr. Yun-Fat an acting coach, “Emote! Emote!”), there is little else I would have done differently. Unfortunately, this fault in the film affects it at a deeper level than a flaw in architectural accuracy would have. Because Mongkut’s feelings about everything are so lukewarm, it’s hard for us to believe that Anna would fall in love with him (never mind the in-house harem). So much of the story rides on their chemistry and their relationship, and because it falters and never really gets off the ground, the movie’s validity is nearly shattered. It is saved by all other surrounding elements, but by the film’s conclusion, I found myself thinking “he didn’t deserve her.” This is a great shame, because Anna and the King is really a fine film with an earnest heart.
Grading:
Story = A-
Originality = B+
DVD Features = A
Acting = B-
Enjoyability = B+
Visuals = A
Overall = B+
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