I am never a
movie person. But among the short list of movies I have ever watched (most of
them are book-turns-to-movies or movies starred by Matt Damon--yes I'm his
fan!), there are even shorter list of movies which I often rewatch. One of them
are Anna and the King, starring Jodi Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. I loved its
cultural background of 19th century Siam. I also loved the silent and
respectable romance of an English woman and the King of Siam, as well as the
perfect chemistry of Jodi and Yun-Fat. I learned later that it was based on the
diary of a real Anna Leonowens--an English Governess hired by King Mongkut of
Siam to teach his children (later on, his harem too). When searching for this
diary, I stumbled upon this historical novel by Margaret Landon. She re-wrote
Leonowens' diary into a more flowing story (cutting a lot of tedious
geographical and antropological entries of the original diary).
If you have
watch the movie, imagine the much savage, violent, selfish, and distrustful
King, in oppose to Yun-Fat's charismatic and charming version; then increase by
ten folds the wretched condition of the slave of a rich lady, of whom Anna has
helped to buy the freedom. Imagine also how the revengeful King would react
when his favorite concubine, Tuptim, was running away with her lover; that
instead of regretting his impotence in intervening the court verdict and
heartbrokenly but secretly crying for Tuptim's unfair death penalty like
Yun-Fat's version, the real King was ten times more cruel and revengeful in his
terrible rage. And lastly, the real King, while quite often granting Anna's
request, he was also harsh, unfair, and deceitful towards Anna--and certainly
very far away from having any sparks of romance! There... if you combine those
aspects, you'll get the rough idea of the book.
When
starting it, I have prepared myself to not expecting any romanticism of the
movie. Nevertheless I was a bit surprised to learn the terrors Anna and her
household must have endured during her stay at Siam. And my admiration grew for
her. If this was truly Anna Leonowens' account of her real life in Siam, then
she must have probably been one of the most brave women ever lived in 19th
century. How terrible and dangerous her life and work was, and all for a vague
hope that the crown prince Chulalongkorn might bring justice and brighter
future to Siam when he succeeded his father!
The only
time I did not hate King Mongkut, was near the end, in his thank you letter to
Anna, where he said: "...All that [Chulalongkorn] ever learned of good in
his life, you taught him." I think that was one thing teachers would
always like to hear.
Finally,
while the movie ends with emotional separation (the dance always makes me
cry!), the historical novel ends with a slightly hopeful future, though not as
emotional as when Yun-Fat embracing Jodie in their last dance: "It was
through the principles laid down in her teaching that he had formed the plans
by which he had transformed his kingdom."
4/5 - for
this tremendous story of an English woman.
