ANNA AND THE KING
All the countries surrounding Siam are under colonial control by the
English and French in the 1860s, and King Mongkut sees the need for his
heirs to have a knowledge of English and Western cultures. When the recently
widowed Anna arrives to educate his considerable progeny, she is wary of
the archaic government and sexist traditions. However, though the king refuses
to grant her the house she requested off the palace grounds, she stands
firm and eventually gains his respect. She commences her lessons for the
60+ children, with her own son Louis (Tom Felton) sitting in, and after
a few rough days with the obstinate Prince Chulalongkorn (Keith Chin), begins
making headway.
As her confidence grows, so does her affinity for her new home, and this
is underscored by a dinner party held by the king, hosting numerous officials
from the British government. Their comments about the superiority of British
culture over that of the Asian peoples solidifies her allegiance with the
Siamese and her disdain for her own arrogant countrymen. That allegiance
is put to the test, however, when murderous attacks by the British-controlled
Burmese, against merchants who refuse to buy English trade goods, force
the king into a military conflict with the British protectorate. After his
army is on the move, however, one of his more anti-British generals (Randall
Duk Kim) turns traitor. Disgusted with Mongkut's deference toward Western
culture, he kills the king's brother (Kay Siu Lim) and plans to overthrow
Mongkut and assassinate his heirs.
This film will surely garner numerous Oscar nominations; its cinematography
is another beautiful effort by Caleb Deschanel, who has been nominated three
times before. The costume design by previous winner Jenny Beavan (A Room
With A View) and music by George Fenton (already nominated for a Golden
Globe) will also likely get the nod. And the screenplay, by Steve Meerson
and Peter Krikes, based on Leonowens's diaries, is thoughtful and dramatic.
Foster and Chow are both excellent, of course; their relationship is a touching
illustration of growing respect turning to affection and perhaps even something
deeper. Also notable is Bai Ling (Red Corner)
as Tuptim, the young woman separated from her lover to be one of Mongkut's
concubines.
The only problem I have with this film is Tennant's pacing. In an attempt to educate us about the history of Siam, he lets the action get bogged down in the politics and occasionally loses the dramatic momentum. This may be an explanation for the film's overlong 140 minutes. It seems that with some careful pruning, Anna And The King could have been a bit tighter. But this is a minor point, and it doesn't significantly mar this otherwise excellent film. ****½