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Anna's film showing opens rare debate
A RARE showing of the two controversial movies based on Anna Leonowens books at Thammasat University on Wednesday gave Thais the first opportunity for ages to engage in intellectual debate on one of the defining moments in Thai history -- the rule of the reformist monarch King Rama IV.
The themes in both the books and the films, which were also partially based on other books about Siam, have raised considerable debate over whether Western concepts of Victorian morality should be applied to what was traditional Siam culture. But what was obvious during the discussion at the Pridi Banomyong Library was the need for even more debate on the subject if we are to understand our own history.
Anna Leonowens, the author of the controversial memoirs that began all the fuss, emerges as both a suspect for manipulating an otherwise fascinating Thai Royal history, and a heroine standing up for women's liberation.
Charnwit Kasetsiri, a Thammasat University historian, argues that Anna's two books, ''The English Governess at the Siamese Court'' and ''Romance of the Harem'', are reflections of Victorian colonialism, while the two previous movie versions -- ''The King and I'' (1946) and ''Anna and the King'' (1954) --constitute ''Hollywood imperialism'' in the modern world.
Hollywood seems to perpetuate the theory that the West is all supreme by continuing to depict Siam as inferior in those two movies. In the movies, Anna clings to the belief that English people are far more superior than the Siamese people in terms of civilisation, as shown by the practice of monogamy and the abhorence of the slavery system in England.
''Anything unacceptable in England is consequently viewed as barbaric, including polygamy, slavery and scant dressing in Siam,'' said Dr Charnwit, adding that Thai historians would never quote Anna in their research due to her likely historical distortions. The drive for Westernisation during the fourth reign resulted in King Mongkut opting for names, suggestive of the civilised, prosperous and the enlightened, for his children, like ''Sawang Watthana'' (brightness and prosperity).
However, Anna's depiction of old Siam sheds light, yet unbelievably at times, on court affairs, unknown to the world outside, according to Songyos Waewhong, a political scientist from Silpakorn University. ''It's quite a rarity to come across a woman writing about her adventurous life in a relatively remote country like Siam. Most travellers in the 19th century were men,'' Songyos added. Most male travellers from the West tended to liken ''Asiatic'' women to whores, lamented another guest speaker, Chartulee Tingsabhat. And with Anna subscribing to the woman's view of the world, readers would find her memoir refreshingly distinct from any account written by 19th century travellers.
''In her first book ('The English Governess'), Anna looked at Siam with a sense of shared sisterhood. Her concern for the plight of women, no matter whether they are slaves, servants or ladies-in-waiting, is very much in evidence. ''She views Siamese women as pretty, but put-upon. Readers should try looking at Anna's motive: she could have been a feminist in her time. Just before she died, Anna was an active member of a women's group there,'' said Chartulee.
Songyos, pointing toward Anna's second book (''Romance of the Harem''), credits Anna for her realistic portrayal of the Siamese cultural landscape of the time. ''It is the best book that depicts what Siam really was. What she wrote is surprisingly true,'' he says. Charnwit backs up Songyos' comment with Anna's credible quote of the Siamese population figure.
''She's no ordinary novelist,'' says Charnwit, ''for what she wrote contains some factual details which can be proven like descriptions on landscapes.''
Fuss aside, 'Anna' is more important for whom it will please, says historian
Historian Thanet Aphornsuvan offers his perspective to Manote Tripathi on the proposed filming of 'Anna and the King' in Thailand.
WHETHER or not ''Anna and the King'' is shot on location in Thailand is not as important as who the movie will please if the draft script is approved, says Thanet Aphornsuvan, a history lecturer at Thammasat University. ''I really want to know how Hollywood will make the movie to please Thais. What is it that pleases the audience? I'm not worried about where the location is. But if it's to be filmed in Thailand, then the movie would have to make the Thai audience feel comfortable.'' He adds: ''The Thai audience, especially those on the lower rungs of the social hierarchy, would be able to learn what Siamese society was like back then, and what kind of conflicts existed in Thai society.''
Thanet has been keeping a close watch on the widespread debate on''Anna and the King'', which he regards as ''another form of entertainment''. Although the movie attempts to paint a realistic portrait of King Mongkut, Thanet believes the film would not be able to infuse a sense of nationalism in Thais.
''I'm not sure the film would be able to make Thais love their country more. And I doubt film buffs in general would understand Thai culture from this film. People with high self-esteem won't be excited about the film, I guess. They probably won't care about the prevalence of a social hierarchy in Siamese society as depicted in either the movie or Leonowens' books,'' insists Thanet.
Thanet likens the new film version to the Hollywood smash hit, ''Tomorrow Never Dies'', saying audiences in general will not take the trouble to investigate who the characters portrayed in the movie really are. ''I don't think film buffs care about the nationality of James Bond. The movie is just made to entertain people, it's only a branch of art.
''If the film contains some truth, it'd be a type of truth as devised by Hollywood. It may or may not be accurate. History itself is not totally truthful; it's an interpretation by historians. So when people watch the film, they learn another kind of truth, which does not necessarily reflect standard Thai history,'' says Thanet.
''But if Hollywood makes the movie and bases it entirely on accurate history, I would praise them for their good intentions. But I don't think Hollywood cares much about relying on many Thai historians to improve the script,'' he adds.
Thanet says the fuss sparked by the 20th Century Fox production derives from two groups of Thais: the first expecting the film to be historically accurate, and the second eyeing free the publicity and the monetary rewards that Thailand would reap if the film is shot in the Kingdom. ''I would say Thailand would lose something as much as we gain from the movie being shot on location here,'' he says.
Associated Press adds: Although 20th Century Fox has dropped plans to shoot a remake of ''The King and I'' in Thailand, the studio retains high hopes the new film starring Jodie Foster will strike a chord with today's audiences. Citing red tape and bureaucracy thrown up by Thai film officials to scuttle the project, Fox has announced it will shoot the new film, ''Anna and the King'', in Malaysia.
But the Thai coordinator of the film told The Nation that the authorities would review the script for the final time next week. The Thai Film Board twice rejected scripts submitted by Fox, saying they were demeaning and inaccurate portrayals of King Mongkut. Hong Kong action star Chow Yun Fat will play him.
''The studio would love to have filmed in Thailand,'' said Jorge Carreon, a spokesman for Fox, by telephone yesterday from Beverly Hills. ''It's a beautiful country where the story takes place, and would add realism.'' Fox is hoping to capture a younger audience that those which saw previous versions of the tale -- about the prim Victorian governess, Anna Leonowens, hired by King Mongkut to teach his children English -- only on the small screen. ''The very iconic presence of Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat seems like it would work for this audience today. People want to see romances. 'Titanic' proved it,'' Carreon said. ''Every studio is going back to its historic catalogs,'' Carreon added. ''Ultimately, this story line is still very rich and romantic to a lot of people.''