The Legend of Suriyothai (2002)

Directed by a prince and financed by a queen, The Legend of Suriyothai is a sprawling Thai epic in the tradition of Hollywood's biblical extravaganzas of the 1950s. A former film student-turned-prince of Thailand, director and co-writer Chatrichalerm Yukol recruited film-school classmate Francis Ford Coppola to shape this ambitious production (originally over three hours long) into a 142-minute "Reader's Digest" version for an international audience, and the result is a mixed blessing: There's more pomp, circumstance, and pageantry in this historical saga than you'd find in a half-dozen lesser films, with bloody battles, assassinations, beheadings, parades of elephants, and jaw-dropping sets and costumes galore, and the attention to physical detail is astonishing. It's also a narrative mess, spanning two decades in the 16th-century story of Suriyothai, princess of Ayuthaya (now Thailand), where two kingdoms are quarreling while war with Burma (to the north) is about to erupt. Palace intrigue, lavish ritual, and traitorous deception abound, unfolding at a deliberate pace that will either test your patience or command your attention. As history lessons go, it's occasionally slow but certainly never boring. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Edited Version?

I am a little annoyed that the version released in the US appears to be so heavily edited for time. Although I admit I haven't seen the Coppola produced release, I have been told that most of the editing was done to "character development" scenes. Unfortunately, the US audience needs this development much more than the Thai audience would (i.e., US audiences have no institutional memory of the histories involved). Too bad.

I loved the version released in Thailand; a beautifully filmed movie with a great combination of action, drama, and intrigue. The elephant battle scenes were fantastic.

The subtitles were not perfect though. I must say that such a beautiful film deserved better subtitles, which seemed to be an afterthought. (Typos, and the English subtitles occasionally conveyed different meaning than the sound track.) January 31, 2007

Excellent film

Must say that I did not watch this film in DVD format so I am not sure if the version I have is the full film or the shortened one. The VCD I bought was from [...] which ships direct from Bangkok. My product was intended for home viewing in Thailand, not for mainly export/international audience. I really enjoyed the film, Thai culture is complex and Royal culture much more so. The Prince of Thailand made this film,it is a film not so much a movie, so yes, it can be slow at times and painfully detailed but it should be. This is a film to learn some of Thai history and culture, not just to be entertained. I really loved it. December 9, 2005

Sumptuous, lavish and impressive

We loved this film. Foremost, it was beautifully filmed, with lavish costumes, sets & scenery. The music is beautiful; I'm disappointed that it's not available; I'm a fan of movie scores.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story line also. Not being familiar with the history of Siam/Thailand/Burma, I can't vouch for its historical accuracy. Whether correct or not, it's a fascinating story.
My only criticism is that we became slightly confused by the interwoven relationships of the characters. I'd have liked a guide or "family tree" to follow so I could keep up with the many hierarchies. It was sometimes hard to keep up with who was doing what to whom & why & if they were related familiarly or only politically.
Although much of this was unfamiliar material, I highly recommend it if you enjoy subtitled films. We were never bored. August 26, 2005

A thoroughly entertaining spectical

They just don't make epic movies like they used to; they make 'em even better, at least in Thailand! I grew up on all those 1950's Biblical and Graeco-Roman Hollywood extravaganzas: Spartacus, Ben Hur, Ulysses, etc. The Legend of Suriyothai far surpassed all of these in every way (okay; it didn't have one of those big Coplandesque movie scores, but it does have some authentic Thai music at times). The the battle scenes, the costumes, the dancing girls, the proverbial "cast of thousands;" it's all here, plus enough heads getting chopped off to satisfy any 13 year-old male movie-goer.

Yes, the plot gets a bit complicated, but never to the extent that you can't follow it (and let's face it: most of the dreck that comes out of Hollywood is poorly plotted, anyway). A previous reviewer said the acting was wooden. Not so. I suppose if you're used to the post-modern saracasm and f*** patois of so many American films, you might think the acting a bit wooden, but the acting here, by Thai actors I'm totally unfamiliar with, is superb (the actress who plays the "bad girl" role is particularly outstanding, but they're all quite good).

The subtitles were easy to follow and most likely moved the involved plot along more efficiently than if the dialog had been in my own language. I'm glad Prince Yukol and Coppola didn't resort to overdubbing and ruin such an engrossing drama! The cinematography is exquisite, a real visual feast of colors, costumes and pagaentry.

I regret that this film will probably not get the mass exposure it deserves here in America, because it's a "foreign" film with subtitles, without car chases, gratuitious phony sex scenes (they're here but refreshingly understated), and the tedious use of the "f" word.

What more can I say? Great flick, first rate entertainment and the best thing I've seen in long time. Don't pass it up!
July 24, 2005

An Epic Asian Film That Doesn't Depend On Choreography!

THE LEGEND OF SURIYOTHAI is as fine a study in Thai history as is available. Obviously a Big Budget film (apparently financed by Thai Royalty) this is a no holds barred look at the legend of a woman (Suriyothai) in Siamese history circa 1540s who selflessly saved her country from annihilation both from civil unrest and from Burmese invasion.

For those of us for whom this film is the first exposure to the ancient history of Siam/Thailand the going can be a bit rough in following the multitude of characters, the various kings and queens and consorts of the provinces within Siam, and the rules of lineage in the royal families. But once into the film these constrictions relax and the development of the story is fascinating to watch.

The costumes and scenery are as beautiful as any in comparative Asian films and the photography encourages the viewer to jump into the middle of the many gory battles and absorb the feeling of terror that is a running constant in this legend. Thankfully for a change the emphasis is not on highly choreographed fight sequences that crowd the screens today. The acting is difficult to access: this lengthy two and a half hour version of the original four hour film treats some characters a bit abruptly, not allowing us to see how character evolvement worked in the original. But the leads are beautiful and sensitive actors and given the scope of the film, each seems to handle the story well.

There is an odd superimposition of Western music (of the tacky Muzak, elevator sort) on this otherwise authentic appearing film. I suppose that is due in part to the fact that Francis Ford Coppola is the producer and felt that the music would enhance Western viewing. This would be a mute point if it were not for the fact that one of the most sensitive moments in this movie is when a young man is asked to sing for the king: the song is true Siamese not only in language but in notes and style and it is hauntingly beautiful!

Due to the film's length and its indulgent use of battle bloody sequences this may not be a movie for everyone, but for those who find the history of the Orient sadly lacking in our teaching, then THE LEGEND OF SURIYOTHAI is a marvelous starting point. Grady Harp, March 2005 March 4, 2005

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