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The Legend of Suriyothai

M.L. Piyapas Bhirombhakdi (Actor), Sarunyu Wongkrachang (Actor), Chatrichalerm Yukol (Director) | Rated: Unrated | Format: DVD
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Product Description

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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

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Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Feb 11 2004
By ixta_coyotl
Format:DVD
There is no question this movie has flaws, but quite frankly I would prefer watching such flaws much more than suffering thru the miserable slop which is 98% of Hollywood films today...

This is a fascinating look at another part of the globe which most of us have not experienced beyond eating Phad Thai at the local corner chifa. The colors, the costumes, the bloodthirsty ambition, and the elephants! What amazing images are these. I was particulary enthralled with the scenes of elephant warfare and the one with the elegent river canoes thrusting into battle. And the one-eyed warrior was over the top! Even Hollywood should recognize that guy's talent. How tough was he?

For me, the only reason to not buy this right away is the hope that the longer Thai theatrical version (+45 minutes) might be even better. But I doubt its coming out any time soon, and often editing is done for a good reason (see Das Boot or Blade Runner). If you liked Lawrence of Arabia, Gandhi, Braveheart, or Elizabeth, I think you will enjoy this film. So my advice is to buy this fascinating film right now!

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4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing with several flaws Feb 2 2004
By Seth J. Frantzman
Format:DVD
This grand film of epic proportions is a landmark in the history of Asian filmmaking. Directed by a Prince and presented by the Master Francis Ford Coppola, this movie is simply extravagant. In many ways the grandeur presented here mirrors that found in RAN by Kirosawa. This extraordinary tale is of a woman who becomes queen of Thailand due to a series of palace coups and machinations that lands her pious monk husband at the throne and sends her boyhood friend Prince Piren into battle against the invading Burmese army. Full of epic battle scenes, beautiful palaces and extraordinary scenes of Asian tranquility this film conjures up a culture and a time long gone. From swashbuckling Portuguese mercenaries to stampeding armies mounted atop elephants no expense was spared. The deleted scenes lend to the grandeur.

Yet several issues remain that take away from this films greatness and call into question the many awards it has received. First the film should have been twice as long. It is an epic and the stories and the characters deserve far more developing. This leads to the second problem, which is the documentary like feeling you get since the characters don't have time to be developed much of the film has to be walked through by a narrator and every scene has to be presaged by the ever present name of the place you are viewing. Had the film gone on for four hours one would have become used to the different palaces and cities, but due to its choppy nature one feels like they are watching something less then cinematic. But regardless of these subtle issues, this film is a winner.

Seth J. Frantzman

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5.0 out of 5 stars Severely Overlooked Jan 11 2004
By S. Sommerville
Format:DVD
What a great movie! I'll admit that it was hard at times to keep the names and places straight, but the plot is interesting, complex, and it all really happened. The costumes were catchy (should be nominated for an acadamy award), the setting was realsitic, the film quality is excellent, it was shot well, the script is appropriate, the battle scenes were exciting (cannons on elephant backs!)and the acting was decent. Admitedly, this will not appeal to everyone, as it is slower-paced. But those of us who appreciate films that truly deliver a lesson in history (a piece of history that I knew next to nothing about)will enjoy this.
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