Few days ago, when I was "trying" to do my reports, like always, I ended up doing something else. This time.. I ran to youtube and found this old videos of The King and I that was produced half a century ago. It's about a widowed English woman who went to Siam Kingdom (Thailand at present) to teach the King's son. She ended up teaching all of his children and some of his wives and concubines.
I have watched the new version of the movie (Anna and The King) a few times before, but it was long time ago and I don't remember it well anymore. But the original version is interesting as well. I took me time to find the original movie, but then I managed it. It's a cute black & white movie, I love the children of the king, they left a big impression when they first appear. There are some differences from the plot of the story with the new one, but both are interesting. I like the King in the original version better though, maybe he looks like my old crush hahahahaha.
Something that I realized when I watched the movie is that unconsciously I was analyzing them!!! Thanks to the Multi Cultural Diversity subject at school I believe.. It's not really obvious in the original movie, maybe because it's more to the musical and drama side rather than giving a little bit more authenticity of the situations while the newer version is more to drama and action but in a more realistic side.
It's incredible how I notice things without actually want to notice it. Like the way they bow in the western society and the eastern society, like her head must never be higher than the king's and how the Thai's custom to put touch their forehead to the floor when they saw the king or no one is allowed to stand in the presence of the king.
The funny part is also when they called her 'Sir', since in their culture no woman could get a formal audience with the important people, therefore they called her 'Sir'. lol
She was also angry when the prime minister asked personal questions to her when she first arrived and she just want to get it done to the 'business' and the prime minister doesn't like it coz it is a custom to know the person personally before going down to 'business'.
The part that the son of Anna confused about why the king has so many wives were also interesting. Since in the west, they only accept monogamy while it is very common for the kings in the east to have hundreds of wives. Anna herself found it uncomfortable to answer that.
There are also lots of other topics that were in the movie such as slavery, torture of the prisoners, the degradation of women, the table manners, dancing, way of dress, cultural beliefs and other things that I don't remember now or even unnoticed by me.
Funny Quotes from The King and I (the way I remember it anyway):
King: "Oh you come to apologize"
Anna: "I'm sorry your majesty but...
King: "Do it and apologize!!"
Anna: "Your Majesty.. I.....
King: "I accept!"
Anna: "Your Majesty, nothing had been said and all the fact that...
King: "Sileeeeennceee....."
King: "I only have 10* children I know it's not much compared to the Emperor of China cause I only have 2* wives and 5* concubines. You see, I spent half of my life in the monastery and I've been trying to make it up. And oh, 10 children is coming"
King: "A girl must be.. like a blossom with honey.. for just 1 man. A man must live like honey bee... and gather all he can.. To fly from blossom to blossom.... A honeybee must be free... But blossom must not ever fly..... from bee.. to bee.. to bee.."
King: "1 2 3, 1 2 3..... something wrong. Oh I forgot and!!! 1 2 3 and 1 2 3 and.."
Anna and The King:
Prime Minister: "If this thing is going on, she would be the equal of a man"
King: "Not the equal of a man, prime minister, but the equal of the king"
I have watched the new version of the movie (Anna and The King) a few times before, but it was long time ago and I don't remember it well anymore. But the original version is interesting as well. I took me time to find the original movie, but then I managed it. It's a cute black & white movie, I love the children of the king, they left a big impression when they first appear. There are some differences from the plot of the story with the new one, but both are interesting. I like the King in the original version better though, maybe he looks like my old crush hahahahaha.
Something that I realized when I watched the movie is that unconsciously I was analyzing them!!! Thanks to the Multi Cultural Diversity subject at school I believe.. It's not really obvious in the original movie, maybe because it's more to the musical and drama side rather than giving a little bit more authenticity of the situations while the newer version is more to drama and action but in a more realistic side.
It's incredible how I notice things without actually want to notice it. Like the way they bow in the western society and the eastern society, like her head must never be higher than the king's and how the Thai's custom to put touch their forehead to the floor when they saw the king or no one is allowed to stand in the presence of the king.
The funny part is also when they called her 'Sir', since in their culture no woman could get a formal audience with the important people, therefore they called her 'Sir'. lol
She was also angry when the prime minister asked personal questions to her when she first arrived and she just want to get it done to the 'business' and the prime minister doesn't like it coz it is a custom to know the person personally before going down to 'business'.
The part that the son of Anna confused about why the king has so many wives were also interesting. Since in the west, they only accept monogamy while it is very common for the kings in the east to have hundreds of wives. Anna herself found it uncomfortable to answer that.
There are also lots of other topics that were in the movie such as slavery, torture of the prisoners, the degradation of women, the table manners, dancing, way of dress, cultural beliefs and other things that I don't remember now or even unnoticed by me.
Funny Quotes from The King and I (the way I remember it anyway):
King: "Oh you come to apologize"
Anna: "I'm sorry your majesty but...
King: "Do it and apologize!!"
Anna: "Your Majesty.. I.....
King: "I accept!"
Anna: "Your Majesty, nothing had been said and all the fact that...
King: "Sileeeeennceee....."
King: "I only have 10* children I know it's not much compared to the Emperor of China cause I only have 2* wives and 5* concubines. You see, I spent half of my life in the monastery and I've been trying to make it up. And oh, 10 children is coming"
King: "A girl must be.. like a blossom with honey.. for just 1 man. A man must live like honey bee... and gather all he can.. To fly from blossom to blossom.... A honeybee must be free... But blossom must not ever fly..... from bee.. to bee.. to bee.."
King: "1 2 3, 1 2 3..... something wrong. Oh I forgot and!!! 1 2 3 and 1 2 3 and.."
Anna and The King:
Prime Minister: "If this thing is going on, she would be the equal of a man"
King: "Not the equal of a man, prime minister, but the equal of the king"
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