Naresuan - The MOvie, Any good links - photos Options

[Zaw-Gyi]

Anyone have any good links / photos re this movie . All I know is that it's coming out in DEcember.


Is there an official website ?

[Jia-Kenmin]

Naresuan will be great

(IMG:http://cdn-83.cdn.buzznet.com/assets/users11/wisekwai/default/Naresuan--large-msg-115080650314-2.jpg)

Great story in today's Bangkok Post Real Time section by Kong Rithdee about MC Chatrichalerm Yukol's upcoming epic, now officially entitled The Legend of King Naresuan. By now the article is probably hidden inside the Post's archived wall, but it's worth seeking out.

While it can be considered a sequel of sorts of Suriyothai, since the two films deal with back-to-back periods in Thai history, the films will be different.

"Suriyothai concerns palace intrigue. Above all it's a drama," Chatrichalerm explains. "But Naresuan is more of a war film. It's about the fight for independence. The tones of the two movies will be totally different."

The buzz about Naresuan has been going at a steady ebb for the past two years while the film has been in production. Originally, it was thought the film would be a two-parter, with part one coming out on Coronation Day in May and part two coming out on Her Majesty the Queen's birthday in August. Now the release date is set for December 5, His Majesty the King's 79th birthday.

That it's taken two years to make is nothing, really, when you think back to Suriyothai, which took four years, was conceived at 8 hours long, and then had new scenes shot when the movie was re-edited by Francis Ford Coppola.

If it weren't for the December 5 release date, Than Mui would probably keep on shooting "until he drops dead", another Thai film watcher has commented. And in the Post article, the director make a point of reminding Kong that he has heart problems.

Better finish that movie.

Promotional efforts were at a high point earlier this year when live actors were hired to portray royal guards of the era for a Siamese fortress display at the Bangkok International Film Festival. The Naresuan legend also received a boost from the release of the animated feature, Khan Kluay, which was about Naresuan's war elephant. There was also a Naresuan display at Cannes. And, in this year of all-things-royal, with the 60th anniversary of HM King Bhumibol's accession to the throne, having an epic-sized movie about a king, should make the movie a hit.

The role of Naresuan the Great is played by an actual military man, Royal Thai Army Capt Wanchana Sawasdee. One of the female leads was only just recently cast: Grace Mahadumrongkul, a presenter on Thai TV Channel 5. She portrays the sister of the king, Phra Suphankallaya.

Intira Jaroenpura from Nang Nak and longtime Chatrichalerm leading man Soraphong Chatree are also in the cast.

"If you think Suriyothai was big, this one will blow you away," says "Leo" Kittikorn Leosirikul, an assistant director on Naresuan. "Everything is on a bigger scale this time - more soldiers, more elephants, more sets. It is a difficult shoot, but I think it will come out very good."

some pictures from the set

---

Oh yeah, I know I'm PUMPED for this flick. The director, Tan Mui, visited Peter Jackson's WETA studio to study the special effects they used in LOTR. This is an intriguing development. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggthumpup.gif)

[bonkdaddy]

There's going to be plenty of tears when this one comes out .. CAN'T BLOODY WAIT (I'll be in Thailand during that period too so I guess I might watch it a few times at the movies when I don't have things to do).

I wonder who plays Pra Ekathotsarot?

[Sirikittong]

THE DIVINE LORD OF SRI AYUTHAYA

(IMG:http://www.siamzone.com/movie/news/press/2004-12-11-naresuan/22.jpg)

[Jia-Kenmin]

I actually hope they release this as a complete movie, rather than splitting it into two. I don't care if it's 10 hours long.

The main centerpiece for this film will be the massive battle at Nong Sarai (a site 23 kilometers northwest of Supanburi), a thunderous and legendary clash between two titans. The importance, scale and legend of this battle goes unprecedented. 77,000 Siamese troops against 140,000 invading Burmese soldiers in a final battle for supremacy at the heart of Southeast Asia.

This post has been edited by Jia-Kenmin: Sep 23 2006, 12:19 PM

[SofaKingAwesome]

this movies looks pretty sick

[Sirikittong]

And AYUTHAYANS won. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_wink.gif)




I cannot wait till this movie comes out.

This post has been edited by Sirikittong: Sep 23 2006, 12:42 PM

[mataspeed]

Your so full of Thai Siri. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

[bonkdaddy]

There is an argument that the actual battle did not take place in Nong Sarai (because during that period of the year there are massive floodings and we know the reason King Naresuan had the opportunity to slash the Burmese crown prince was due to the dirt cloud that the forces kicked up and eventually he was surrounded), there are groups of people who argue that it happened in Pranomtuan (Kanchanaburi) because there have been weapons and human remains found to have dated back to that time exactly. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused.gif)

I want to also see the scenes when King Naresuan was in Burma and the famous c@ck fight.

This post has been edited by bonkdaddy: Sep 23 2006, 07:57 PM

[Sirikittong]

Your so full of Thai Siri. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/embarassedlaugh.gif)

Got that right. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[Zaw-Gyi]

Film Naresuan's new approach to Thai history
See "Siamese Saga" (realtime, front page)
By Jon Fernquest

Thai cuisine, decorative arts, and architecture have attracted great foreign interest with their lush visual aesthetics.

Few countries have put as much effort and care into preserving their heritage as Thailand has.

Murals in wats are painted with extreme attention to detail. The Thai style in decorative arts and architecture is well-known the world over.

With the film Suriyothai (2001), an epic recreation of Thai-Burmese history in film, Thai visual aesthetics enters the realm of cinematic art.

Suriyothai's creator MC Chatrichalerm Yukol has been working on another cinematic interpretation of history: The Legend of King Naresuan.

(IMG:http://readbangkokpost.com/images/naresuan11.jpg)

After the devastating defeat of Ayutthaya to King Bayinnaung, King Naresuan rebuilt Ayutthaya, and led an invasion into the heart of Burma. He had just passed through Chiang Mai on his way to a second invasion via the Shan States of Burma when he succumbed to a sudden sickness and died at Muang Hang in 1604.

There will certainly be a large foreign audience interested in this film. The director's philosophy of downplaying nationalism will help its popularity with foreign audiences also. MC Chatrichalerm reflects on the historical thinking that has gone into the film:

"We can't approach the story of King Naresuan with a sense of Thai nationalism, because there was no concept of a unified country in those days. Various cities made up the region in the 16th century, and King Burengnong [Burmese: Bayinnaung] of Burma conquered all these city-states under his wing. Films like Ghost Game or Mak Te might have provoked some reaction because they portrayed neighbouring countries as inferior to us. But in Naresuan, I portray Burma as a superior place to Ayutthaya. I didn't set out to make them our ultimate enemy."

Sounds like quite an enlightened and advanced view of Southeast Asian hsitory. We'll have to wait patiently in anticipation of its December release date.

Article
Siamese saga
KONG RITHDEE

After 20 months of shooting, MC Chatrichalerm Yukol is confident that 'The Legend of King Naresuan' will grace the screen on schedule at the end of this year.

The prince says he has a heart condition. He says it twice during the interview. "But the film will be finished by the end of the year," he assures us as he cuts short our chat. "Don't worry, it will be."

(IMG:http://readbangkokpost.com/images/naresuan9.jpg) (IMG:http://readbangkokpost.com/images/naresuan14.jpg) (IMG:http://readbangkokpost.com/images/naresuan8.jpg)

Hospitalised shortly after participating in the week-long celebrations of the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accession to the throne last month, MC Chatrichalerm Yukol has regained his steady gait that belies any decline in his physical health. His heart may suffer a complication, but at least it remains fixed in the right place as the filmmaker continues to roll up his sleeves and suns himself into a respectable tan on the Kanchanaburi set of his new movie, The Legend of King Naresuan. Determined to wrap things up and keep to the film's December 5 release date, Prince Chatri, better known as Than Mui, is engineering a historical pomp that's likely to surpass the grandeur of the 2001 phenomenon known as Suriyothai.

"Don't ask me how long Naresuan has been in production. I don't care to remember such trivial information," he says. Nobody seems to remember the exact moment when Than Mui, 63, started rolling the cameras either - it was 20 months ago at least. And indeed, time seems a trivial matter considering that the director spent four legendary years perfecting the lush gargantuanism of Suriyothai and that he had announced his plan to make Naresuan early in 2004.
His confidence that the film will come out later this year should stir some excitement after the local press, as well as the public, seemed to have lost interest due to production delays and ambiguity surrounding the project. Earlier this year during the Bangkok International Film Festival, a fortress was erected and actors dressed in 16th-century armour patrolled the 6th floor of Siam Paragon to whip up the buzz. Then at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Naresuan occupied a beachfront pavilion that attracted a number of foreign visitors.

All this promo blitz has been designed to sustain the momentum while shooting continues like a very long engagement. But there will be no better guarantee that enthusiasm will grip the air than a fixed release date for the film, budgeted at over 500 million baht, that will take its place as the most expensive ever made in Thailand.

"If you think Suriyothai was big, this one will blow you away," says Kittikorn Leosirikul, a director who assists Than Mui on the set of The Legend of King Naresuan. "Everything is on a bigger scale this time - more soldiers, more elephants, more sets. It is a difficult shoot, but I think it will come out very good."

It's possible to consider Naresuan a sequel to Suriyothai - they're two continuous chapters of Siamese history - though MC Chatrichalerm has a definite vision of how he won't recycle his sets and make the same movie twice. "Suriyothai concerns palace intrigue. Above all it's a drama," he explains. "But Naresuan is more of a war film. It's about the fight for independence. The tones of the two movies will be totally different."
With the spectacle of majestic elephant duels guaranteed, The Legend of King Naresuan recounts the critical episodes of Ayutthayan history wrought with mythic significance and almost-Biblical allusions. After the battle known as the War of the White Elephants in 1564, King Burengnong of Burma asks Ayutthaya to surrender the nine-year-old Prince Naresuan as a hostage (in the film, newcomer Capt Wanchana Sawasdee plays Naresuan). The young prince is shipped off to live in the Burmese capital and watches his city fall under Burmese control in 1569. Naresuan grows up in the Hongsa court with the grandson of King Burengnong, where fate charts their destinies to become arch-rivals, just like when Moses turned against the Egyptian prince with whom he grew up.

When King Burengnong dies, the vassal cities that have fallen under his rule start a campaign of resistance. Prince Naresuan is ordered by the new Burmese king to command an army to quell the insurgencies. But the prince takes this opportunity to declare the independence of his homeland by performing the historic gesture of pouring water on the ground and announcing that Ayutthaya is free.

Than Mui's movie will feature key historical moments that all Thai students have read in their textbooks - from the cockfighting match between Naresuan and a Burmese prince, which upon his victory Naresuan says metaphorically to his Burmese captors "we can bet for a country if you want"; to the phra sang daab kaab kai episode, when King Naresuan climbs the Burmese city wall clutching a sword in his mouth; and to the battle with Phraya Kriang and Phraya Kang near the Satong river as King Naresuan prepares to declare independence.
"I'm confident that the film will be finished in time because all the battle scenes have been shot," says Than Mui. "What's left to be done is the interior scenes of the Burmese palace. Only a few actors are required in each scene, so it won't take us as much time as when we did the set pieces with thousands of extras."

The difficulty lies not only in the actual production. Making a historical movie invariably prompts questions of accuracy, and making a historical movie that concerns the rivalry and antagonism against neighbouring countries risks provoking sensitive points. The Burmese, obviously, have long been treated as the default enemy in Thai cinema; our history and collective perception mean they can be easily cast as the ready-made villains - Thai audiences have been programmed to mentally accept that as a fact.

The issue is more pointed considering the recent follies of Thai films such as Ghost Game, which insensitively exploited the Khmer Rouge genocide as a pretext of its plot, and Mak Te, a football comedy that drew such heavy criticism from the Laotian ambassador that its release has been postponed indefinitely.


"When we're making a film based on history, we have to ask ourselves 'whose history?'," says Than Mui. "In researching for Naresuan, I rely mainly on the account of Crown Prince Utumporn, who went to live in Burma 150 years after the time of King Naresuan. He interviewed a lot of people and wrote a historical chapter in Burmese. I had a Burmese professor translate it for me, and we cross-checked it with other versions of history.

"We can't approach the story of King Naresuan with a sense of Thai nationalism, because there was no concept of a unified country in those days. Various cities made up the region in the 16th century, and King Burengnong of Burma conquered all these city-states under his wing. Films like Ghost Game or Mak Te might have provoked some reaction because they portrayed neighbouring countries as inferior to us. But in Naresuan, I portray Burma as a superior place to Ayutthaya. I didn't set out to make them our ultimate enemy."


The director admits, however, that there's a potentially controversial detail that may hurl the film right into the political heat: King Naresuan, trying to round up his troops, seeks the help of the Mon people and asks them to help him fight against the Burmese.

Given the ongoing tensions among the ethnic minorities in Burma, this could be interpreted as an act of incitement. "We wouldn't be happy if the Burmese made a film about Pattani," Than Mui says - and it's his darkest joke of the day. He elaborates that in the 16th century, loyalty shifted all the time, and most armies relied on mercenaries who were ready to fight for anyone who paid them. King Naresuan thus had to do everything in his power to get as many soldiers to fight for him, "but we must be careful and try to find the best way to say this," the director says.

And we'll see, hopefully, in five months' time if Naresuan will overcome the rain delay and months-long construction of the exquisite sets, as well as its director's heart condition, to grace the screen in its fullest glory and on schedule. Than Mui says he calls his film The Legend of King Naresuan because, despite the extensive research, there are still many legends surrounding the life story of this ancient king. We only hope that the production of the film itself won't go down as another long, endless legend.

(IMG:http://readbangkokpost.com/images/naresuan10.jpg) (IMG:http://readbangkokpost.com/images/naresuan12.jpg)


Reading Questions
Here are some questions to guide your reading (See answers at end):


1. Where were the outdoor battle scenes filmed?

2. How old is the film's director? Has he had health problems recently?

3. What marketing events have been staged to create buzz for the film?

4. What is the budget for the film? How does this compare to other films?

5. Are Suriyothai and Naresuan different kinds of films? Explain.

6. How are the Burmese traditionally depicted in Thai cinema?

7. What problem is there with this traditional depiction? (Note: Requires some independent thought.)

8. What recent films have caused problems in Thai foreign relations? Why?

9. What controversial episode may provoke protests from Burmese?


Answer Key:

1. Where were the outdoor battle scenes filmed?

Kanchanaburi.

2. How old is the film's director? Has he had health problems recently?

The film's director is 60 years old. He has suffered from heart disease recently and needed to be hospitalised.

3. What marketing events have been staged to create buzz for the film?

During the Bangkok International Film Festival this year "a fortress was erected and actors dressed in 16th-century armour patrolled the 6th floor of Siam Paragon."

At the Cannes Film Festival in France "Naresuan occupied a beachfront pavilion that attracted a number of foreign visitors."

4. What is the budget for the film? How does this compare to other films?

The budget is over 500 million baht. This makes the film the most expensive Thai film in history.

5. Are Suriyothai and Naresuan different kinds of films? Explain.

Yes, Suriyothai is about court intrigue and Naresuan is a war film. They are both historical dramas though.

6. How are the Burmese traditionally depicted in Thai cinema?

The Burmese are always depicted as the enemy and villains. Thai audiences "have been programmed to accept this as fact."

7. What problem is there with this traditional depiction? (Note: Requires some independent thought.)

Answer will vary here, but here is one possibility. Burma invaded Thailand hundreds of years ago. Burma is not a threat now. Why depict a country as an enemy when there is no reason to do so?

Thailand also committed military aggressions hundreds of years go against countries like Laos and Cambodia. It may be a sad truth that making war is what countries did out of habit hundreds of years ago.

8. What recent films have caused problems in Thai foreign relations? Why?

The recent Thai film The Ghost Game "insensitively exploited the Khmer Rouge genocide as a pretext for its plot."

The release of the football comedy Mak Te was postponed indefinitely due to criticism from the Lao ambassador.

As MC Chatrichalerm points out, these films have provoked a reaction "because they portrayed neighboring countries as inferio to us."

9. What controversial episode may provoke protests from Burmese?

Naresuan recruits solidiers from the Mon ethnic group to fight with him against the Burmese. As the author of the review observes: "given the ongoing tensions among the ethnic minorities in Burma, this could be interpreted as an act of incitement."

MC Chatrichalerm points out, "We wouldn't be happy if the Burmese made a film about Pattani." If the depiction is historically truthful, how could the Burmese object? During this historical period soldiers were recruited, usually forcefully, from all conquered places. Naresuan invaded Lower Burma, the Mon homeland. Burmese or Malays never invaded Pattani, at least during the period when it was part of Siam or Thailand.

http://www.readbangkokpost.com/business/20...new_approa.html

[bonkdaddy]

Good find Zaw-Gyi! CAN'T WAIT!

[Jia-Kenmin]

AGREED. Awesome find, awesome read and AWESOME pictures.

Come on DECEMBER...hurry...hurry...

add: my little cousin's best friend / classmate is in the movie and will be playing Prince Naresuan when he was 9 years old.

This post has been edited by Jia-Kenmin: Sep 24 2006, 06:25 AM

[Zaw-Gyi]

Official website


(IMG:http://www.pantip.com/cafe/chalermthai/topic/A4719069/A4719069-0.jpg)


Nothing on it yet ...


http://www.kingnaresuanmovie.com/

This post has been edited by Zaw-Gyi: Sep 28 2006, 01:18 PM

[Jia-Kenmin]

^Supreme. Thanks. Beautiful poster.

Why are you interested in this film anyway? It's a movie that has a is a story that fuels Thai nationalism and for some anti-Burmese sediments. Strikes me as a little odd that a Burman such as yourself would have interest in this film. What fuels your curiosity/interest?

[bonkdaddy]

Thanks mate .. awesome background!

[Zaw-Gyi]

^Supreme. Thanks. Beautiful poster.

Why are you interested in this film anyway? It's a movie that has a is a story that fuels Thai nationalism and for some anti-Burmese sediments. Strikes me as a little odd that a Burman such as yourself would have interest in this film. What fuels your curiosity/interest?

To be Burmese these days you have to be thick skinned and broad shouldered . We have been insignificant even in our own region for over a century now and the world on the whole does not know where Burma is , nor does it care.

It's always fascinating to see how other nations portray you. I came across Bang Rajan by chance on IMdb and bought a copy off the internet . It made interesting watching and apart from obvious inaccuracies and one dimensional portrayals it was nevertheless thoroughly enjoyable . It made me appreciate that our Eastern neighbour with whom we share a 1500 mile border still seems considerably hurt by events which took place some 250 years ago.

I have always grown up ambivalent about the Thais as our popular culture, books , films etc never depict your nation as the enemy. Burmese nationalism which is not as strong as its Thai counterpart have always portrayed either the Brits or the Japanese as the enemy . Even then this portrayal is fairly mild and most young people don't care.

The absolute worst insult I've come across used against the Thais is to call you guys spineless , materialistic or lapsed Buddhists . Again no one takes any of this to heart or uses it in any serious context. Our government's more recent attempts after the border skirmish in 2001 to create anti Thai feeling have mostly met with derision and amusement : we all know after all who the true enemy of Burma is.

Apart from that I've always been into historical epics and Asian cinema and it's superb that SE Asians are now making films which previously seemed only to be made by the likes of PRC , Hong Kong , Taiwan or japan and increasingly S Korea. Watching a Thai film is the nearest one will get to watching a well made BUrmese film .

There is no doubt that Naresuan will be a beautiful film and therefore I am looking forward to it with relish : Burmese cinema is not capable of producing anything like this on such a grand scale and anyway most youth in Burma do not seem to be interested in anything other than Korean soaps .


There you go


Bring on December !



( btw I consider myself 100% Burmese but I am only about 1/4 Burman - most people in Burma esp in the cities are mixed )

This post has been edited by Zaw-Gyi: Sep 29 2006, 03:44 AM

[bonkdaddy]

I am extremely patriotic about my Thai blood but I've never let that cloud my judgement on history, we tend to be bias and that is normal.

Although I hate certain periods of Thai history that involved Burma and their invasion, but it comes part of the parcel - although I am deeply disturbed by the way the Alaungpaya dynasty went about conducting war. But to say that Siam or khon Tai has never done that to other people/nations is a JOKE and is ludicrous. No race of people or a nation is perfect and we've all made mistakes .. that does not justify the rape and killings but it is reality.

I admire and respect king Bayinnaung deeply though both as a King and as a warrior, his influence on King Naresuan would've been immense - it would've been very interesting if these two great warriors were face to face on the field.

[Jia-Kenmin]

Myanmar Film Festival In Bangkok.

A nice read. Apparently Burma is planning their own version of a historical epic.

I've heard that Thai production is also making a mini-series about King Bayinnaung, to show him in a more personal and sympathetic way (I assume), that he was a warrior king and not the tyrant Thai-history books make him out to be. Perhaps you might wanna search more on this film.

Thai TV Turns To Burma

A Thai production partnership has announced plans to film an epic 34-part television drama about Burma’s 16th century King Bayintnaung [Burinnaung]. Modernine TV and Prommitr Production Co Ltd are working together to produce Phoo Chana Sib Tis (Conqueror of Ten Directions), which they hope will screen on Thai television in early 2007. It will be the first Thai series shot in a movie-like, high-definition format.

The 100 million baht (US $2,549,000) project will be produced by Chatri Chalermyukol, who achieved international fame with the blockbuster Suriyothai, which explored Thai/Burmese relations during the 16th century.

Based on a novel by Ja Kob, the film charts the life of King Bayintnaung, who conquered Siam and made Burma the most powerful kingdom in mainland Southeast Asia at the time.

And Sylvester Stallone is about to film Rambo IV. Guess who the bad guys will be? Yup, Burma.

This post has been edited by Jia-Kenmin: Sep 29 2006, 06:13 AM

[Zaw-Gyi]

I am extremely patriotic about my Thai blood but I've never let that cloud my judgement on history, we tend to be bias and that is normal.

Although I hate certain periods of Thai history that involved Burma and their invasion, but it comes part of the parcel - although I am deeply disturbed by the way the Alaungpaya dynasty went about conducting war. But to say that Siam or khon Tai has never done that to other people/nations is a JOKE and is ludicrous. No race of people or a nation is perfect and we've all made mistakes .. that does not justify the rape and killings but it is reality.

I admire and respect king Bayinnaung deeply though both as a King and as a warrior, his influence on King Naresuan would've been immense - it would've been very interesting if these two great warriors were face to face on the field.

I agree with you on that . A famous statement ( can't remember by whom ) declared that the King of Pegu ( Bayinnaung ) waged war like a monarch but the king of Ava ( HsinByuShin ) waged war like a robber.

Thai nationalism was nutured and engineered by Thai elite ( monarchy , aristocracy and to an extent the church ) after the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767 and after the reforming of a new dynasty . ( There are no Thai chronicles written pre 1800s which portray the Burmese as evil or demonise Bayinnaung or the annexation of 1569. )

This was quite understandable given that the two 18th ccentury Burmese field marshalls totally destroyed or plundered what was the centre of classical Thai civilisation since the 1300s . They lifted off with about 90% of the surviving population as slaves ( so in fact there are probably more Ayuthayan descendants in Burma than there are in Thailand )

This is an episode in our history that I am ashamed of but as you say this was what was done in SE Asia and ethnicity had nothing to do with it as often great atrocities were committed between neighbouring Tai states.

Bayinnaung is very different . He was regarded in his day as a very charismatic chakravartin King who allowed more or less autonomous rule of the city states within a greater empire. His charisma held the empire together . Thais to this day have mixed feelings about him ( I am also looking forward to the soap Phoo Chana Sib Tis ).

He also went to battle himself unlike in 1767 when HsinByuShin did not even leave Ava but sent his generals instead.

I have even read an abstract of Thai and Burmese scholars debating about how 'Burmese' Naresuan was . What is without doubt is that he was brought up as a Burmese Prince in the Burmese court during his formative years ( pretty much as Bayinnaung's grandson ) and did not appear show any anti Burmese sentiment until the king's death and the waning of empire that followed. The scholars pretty much agreed that Naresuan very much acted like a Burmese ruler in his energetic life of claiming city state after state as vassals of Ayuthhaya and may have had a very Burmese attitude.

He would have no doubt held his adopted grandfather in high esteem . Some scholars will even argue that "freeing" Ayutthaya was no more than internal court intrigue and not a display of nationalism which did not exist in SE Asia at the time .

Anyway good to come across someone with a balanced attitude.



(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)