Anna got her king
Well since my last review on the big green guy was for the boys more than us girls, I thought I would find something we would like more. So I got Jenny’s help and we came up with a breath taking, beautiful movie this time. So come with me to the far east, and let meet a widowed teacher who is strong willed, and a king who is just as strong willed. When these two meet, you just know something has to give.
From the cover- “Academy Award winner Jodie Foster and international action star Chow Yun Fat bring to life the epic true story of a woman who challenged a the heart of a king and inspired the destiny of a nation. English school teacher Anna Leonowens has traveled to Siam to educate the fifty eight children of King Mongkut. If she has any preconceived notions about the East, the King has the same notions about the west. But amid the danger of growing political unrest, their respect for each other slowly turns into something else.”
If you guys ever see this come out on Blue Ray, do yourself a favor and pick it up! This is a really pretty movie.
As the movie starts out, Anna and her young son have just arrived in the harbor. She is a young widow and has her own prejudges and feeling towards other people and races, she come off as a little stuck up and closed minded at first. Very head strong as well, the first thing she does when meeting the king’s main helper; is to complain that no one was there to meet her. The people of Siam have a certain way to do things, certain traditions, and a lot of respect for each other. What is so funny here is, they call her Sir. Now they say the reason they call her that, is because only a man can stand while addressing the king’s helper. But I think the real reason was they were doing that as like a jab at her rudeness. It takes a very long time for her to start to relax a bit, even the King said one time that her dead husband must have been a very patient man. (Yeah, he went there.) Needless to say they did not see eye to eye, until she met the children.
The King has several wives, and LOTS of kids. I guess back then they wanted a lot of heirs to carry on ruling the people. With 53 kids, it’s a wonder he can keep track of them all. But you get the feeling he knows all their names and love them all the same. He comes across as a very kind and just person.
There are people that are trying to over throw him, and someone close to him that wants to take over. There are bandits that are going though the countryside causing trouble and even killing people. They have sent out his army all over, but have been unable to find them. So the king has that to worry over.
He has also seen how the British government has fought and taken over India, which is where Anna lost her husband. So he is hoping that it doesn’t happen in his own land and is wishing to learn more though her. He can see the outside world changing around him, and feels he has to change with it. That is why he wants his children to learn as much as they can about the world outside. Knowledge is power after all, and they always say to know your enemy. Should it come to that.
The third plot comes he takes on a new wife, a young girl that is in love with a peasant boy. The King is kind to her, but she is in love and can’t bear to be apart from the young boy. The boy of course feels the same way, but now they can not be together since she lives in the palace. At one point, sh shaves his head and becomes a monk, turning to that in order to forget a love he can no longer have. (This plot was so sad.)
The whole movie deals with how things in all three of these plots change and grow. Anna learns respect and even more for the king as the movie moves along. Even her son and the king’s son learn to like each other at the end of the movie. But it is her changing of her prejudging of people, while maintaining that thing that makes her a strong woman that is most impressive to me. They still fight, and at one point of the movie when they get back to the third plot; something very bad has to happen. I don’t want to give that away too much, but you can see both the contrast of the two cultures, and the struggle both her and the king go though. Both wanting to do the right thing, but both having their hands tied and unable to do anything. It’s very sad, but also brings them together.
There is another sad part, when one of the children takes ill and dies. You will want tissues for that. One of the saddest things I ever saw. But Asian people have this belief that people are reborn as something else. After the child’s death, something funny happens that makes you think of that. (Look for the tiny monkey that steals the king’s reading glasses and you will see what I mean.)
Over all I loved this movie, it was pretty, it had sad moments, moments that got you mad, and funny ones as well. The second plot had you guessing right up to the end, not knowing how it will turn out. But it was the love story that really did it for me.
Now this wasn’t a musical, I have yet to see that. But there is dancing in it, that is VERY romantic. And caused a few raised eyebrows hehe.
And I did some research like always, and yes this was a true story. There was a real Anna, you can read about here here and there was a book written about here as well.
http://www.hasekamp.net/anna.htm
What is sad to me is the fact that her story and the movies are all banned in that country now and it is against the law to show them. After all the good she did fro the country, it saddens me that they don’t have more respect for this really cool woman.
I also found you guys a trailer and a trailer for a the king and I cartoon.
http://www.filmsnmovies.com/video/13186/anna_and_the_king_trailer/
http://www.videodetective.com/titledetails.aspx?PublishedID=8144
So go search for this one guys, it is really pretty and such a great story. I just know you will like it.
Darcy
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