Customer Reviews

Anna and the King of Siam

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the best books I have ever read is Margaret Landon's true story of Anna Leonowens, who at the age of 33, went to Siam as a governess to tutor the king's children. A widow of incredible courage and talent, her story is moving as well adventurous, and this film is a marvelous adaptation of Anna's time in that strange and foreign land, with her small son to take care of.
Landon's book of course also inspired the terrific Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and the film starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner, as well as the far less successful 1999 remake.

Rex Harrison, in his first film for an American studio is riveting as King Mongkut; it's a sensitive and insightful portrayal, with his beautiful voice and enunciation making the most of the intelligent script, and Irene Dunne is a strong and wonderful Anna. These were the days when Caucasian actors took the parts of Asians, and we have some excellent supporting parts taken by Lee J. Cobb as Prime Minister Kralahome, Linda Darnell as Tuptim, and Gale Sondergaard, who received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination as Lady Thiang.
Oscars were given for Best Art Direction, and to Leon Shamroy for his fabulous cinematography, and nominations were for score (Bernard Herrmann) and screenplay.

The excellence and charisma of its two stars and their chemistry together are great to watch, and anyone who likes Landon's book as much as I do will appreciate this film. Total running time is 128 minutes.

The stereotype of Siam (now Thailand) as somewhat of a barbaric nation is more blatant in this version than in the "King and I". Nevertheless, there was already an apparent attraction to the exotic destination and culture of Thailand in 1946. The Thai artistry of the set and the love towards the King was presented in this "clash-of-culture" story from the perspective of a European woman. In a Eurocentric way, the King became more loved as he changed towards more Western ways. His barbaric nature was also the Western creation of how cruelty and ill-mannerism should be manifested. Even the role of a King was stereotypically European King - i.e., manly, tyrannical, and loud. Yul Brynner in the King and I brought these qualities of a King (according to European ideology) to its best; thus, he was "born to play king". For those who have been to Thailand, it is almost a unanimous consent that the Thai people are some of the nicest and the complete antithesis to barbaric. The Thai people's love for their King is given out of respect - not forced. People really love their King. This applies to all the Kings of the Chakri Dynasty as all of their images are still placed near the alter of Lord Buddha in many homes. It is not surprising why the Thai people would dislike how their King was disparaged to the point of not knowing table manners. It will be interesting to see how Hollywood will portray the King in the upcoming version involving Chow Yun Fat and Jodie Foster. Keep in mind that if the King is presented with a softer image, he is not less of a King. The King to the Thais is tantamount to a compassionate deity. In contrast, the King as expected from Western viewers is almost a tyrant. This 1946 version is worth seeing when viewed with the other versions (i.e. "The King and I" and the SOON COMING "Anna and the King - filmed in Malaysia")to see how much more understanding the world have become towards the 4th King of Siam for who he really was. The audience wants to love the King, ... but as a great man in history or as another character in a Hollywood production? Foreigners are also not treated as Anna is shown in this film. Read "Katya and the Prince of Siam" which can be ordered via Amazon.com

Katya was from Russia and married one of the Prince in the past. Marriage is as close to total assimilation as can be between two cultures. Siam was in the heart of many for a long time. Maybe this film will spark an interest in Thailand so that the audience will seek the truth for themselves. Good film for that reason. Just keep your mind open.

Irene Dunne stars as a widowed single mother who is engaged to teach the numerous children of the King of Siam. Rex Harrison stars as the King, a man trying to bring Siam into the modern world and to find respect for himself and his country on the world stage. Ultimately, he comes to rely on Dunne for her support and guidance to achieve his goals, and there is an obvious feeling of attraction that develops between the two. Dunne delivers yet another solid, emotional performance as the independent woman who must learn to adapt to a new culture. Dunne was always such a pro, yet surprisingly is not as well known today as other actresses from her time. Harrison strikes me as an odd choice for the role of the King, but he grew on me as the movie progressed, and although I think he's not the best choice, he nonetheless delivers a credible performance. Gale Sondergaard, a favourite character actress of mine, is very good and quietly effective as the King's ignored first wife, looking out for the interests of her son, the heir. I don't know how much of the story is really true, but it is entertaining and a good look at another time and place in history. It's an excellent production, and even if you've seen the musical, I'm sure you'll enjoy this version, too.

Everything about this film is outstanding...The acting, the music, the sets, the costumes, the storyline, the dialogue, the pace, and practically everything else you can think of. It may appear to 'drag' at points, but don't let that stop you. I for one think this is a great deal better than the recent version with Jodie Foster, because this focuses mainly on 'Anna' and 'The King of Siam'. To start with, Irene Dunne excels as Anna Leon Owens. She is just as charming as Deborah Kerr, perhaps even better, very emotional, very moving, and knows exactly how she should be in every scene. She is probably the one who steals the entire show. Rex Harrison also does surprisingly well as the strong-willed King of Siam, considering the fact that he wasn't even Asian. He is probably even more 'emotional' than Yul Brynner, especially in the scene of his death. Lee J. Cobb well-suited the role of the headstrong Kralahome, and Gale Sondergarrd was very convincing as Lady Thaing, the neglected first wife. And last but not least is Linda Darnell, as Tuptim, the King's favourite concubine. She is nothing like the sweet, innocent, kind-hearted and loving Tuptim we find in THE KING AND I and ANNA AND THE KING(with Jodie Foster et. al). Infact, she turns out to be proud, haughty and vain, and Linda Darnell expresses all these 'qualities' very well, yet she manages to be really sympathetic during a trial, where she is not judged fairly. However, this version is much more emotional than the other two, with really sad, heartbreaking incidents, and many may not be able to cope with it. It will probably stay in your head for a very long time. For instance, two characters who survive in THE KING AND I, which is the closest version to this, die here(One is even burned at the stake, and her final cries of terror can be heard). But all in all, this is one of the best out of the many versions of ANNA AND THE KING, and THE KING AND I would never have been created, if it hadn't been for this...

Anna and The King of Siam stars one of my favorite actresses. Irene Dunne has always been a star with tons of class and in this movie you can see why she was so popular in the 30s and 40s. The movie differs from the musical stage hit The King and I, but it is, nevertheless, very enjoyable. The sets, the photography and Rex Harrison as the King are all superb.

I have seen this movie over and over again. I love it. I have been waiting for it to come out on DVD but decided not to wait any longer. When I first saw it I was a bit surprised by Rex Harrison in the lead role, but after a few moments you begin to believe he is the King of Siam. The cast is superb.....the movie is excellent.

I don't know what Hollywood was thinking when they asked 6ft. 1 Rex to play the role of the king of Siam. The king was shorter and darker, still it is great to see Rex take his native language and hack it with a broken dialect("everybody speakie English"). There is a romantic notion in the air between Anna and the King but it is always ruined by the King's temper. He wants Siam to be modern but still finds it necessary to have concubines that must worship him or die. Irene Dunne is a strong Anna who falls in love with all the kings children and tries to help Lady Tuptim, a new wife to join up with the head wife Lady Thiang(Linda Darnell who played Rex's wife in Unfaithfully YOurs). She continually butts heads with the king for a house outside the palace, even having the staff chant "there's no place like" home until the King goes nuts. They seem to get along until the King puts Tuptim to death for loving another man. This puts a major rift between Anna and the King especially when her son is later killed. Her only comfort is the eldest son Chulalonghorne who later becomes King of siam and truly modernizes the country when he tells that no man should bow. The first man to stand up is the King and previous King's aide played by Lee J Cobb. Rex is regal and pompous(expect anything less) and highlights include: the death scene, him beating his secretary of state for siginig there's no place like home, his eyeing Linda Darnell when he receives her as a gift and when he meets other foreing dignitaries at a party he thorws to show how modern he is(he sees a rather ugly women and throws lots of water in her face assuming it would improve her looks as it was custom to merely sprinkle a womans face. In fact the woman looks similar to the real Anna if you read the book and look at the illustrations.)

Interesting, surprisingly lavish black-and-white filming of the same story which later became of the basis for the musical "The King and I". Irene Dunne is, as always, warm and intelligent, and she looks charming in ruffled hoopskirts. Rex Harrison was an off-beat choice for the King, but with his lean, upright bearing, he perhaps more strongly suggests an Asian monarch than does Yul Brenner's swaggering, bare-chested bully in "The King and I". The secondary casting is strong, also, with Gale Sonnergard particularly touching in the reserved role of the King's neglected # 1 wife. And lavishly costumed Linda Darnell gets most of the plot's histrionics to play out. (She also has to tangle with a scene-stealing monkey.)

This is the rare film that actually looks better "live" than it does in still photographs, in which things appear rather stilted. The developing interplay between Dunne and Harrison is intriguing, with its hint of romantic tension, but the film really does not hang together as a drama very well, and toward the end it falls into the conventions of the "school-teacher-struggles- through-the-years" genre which Hollywood often tackled (eg., "Cheers for Miss Bishop", "Good Morning Miss Dove", et al).

It will be interesting to compare this version with Jodie Foster's upcoming remake. Recent scholarship has revealed the real-life Anna to have been something of an adventuress who fudged her credentials and overstated her impact on the King. (The cleaned-up book upon which this film is based reads like juvenile fiction, by the way. I've read it.) Likewise, the real-life Thai Monarch was a much more refined and forward-thinking leader than either of the film versions thus far would lead a viewer to believe.

The culture clash of East and West is the primary focus of this beloved Hollywood classic, based on the novel "Anna and the King of Siam" by Margaret Landon (which in turn was shaped from the diaries of the real-life Anna Leonowens), and would later form the basis for the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "The King and I".

Irene Dunne plays Anna Owens, a widowed mother who is given the position of schoolteacher to the many children of Siam's ruler King Mongkut (Rex Harrison). Her radical methods and attitudes cause disruption to the royal court, but soon Anna is a valued member of the King's inner circle.

This movie is an endless delight no matter how many times you watch it. Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison have an effortless chemistry; the prim and proper Englishwoman forced to adapt her lifestyle to suit the imperious King, and vise-versa. Linda Darnell plays the King's haughty but ultimately doomed concubine Tuptim, with Lee J. Cobb as the faithful Kralahome. Gale Sondergaard also rises to the challenging role of Lady Thiang, the head wife.

The costumes and sets are lavish--many pieces would later be recycled for "The King and I" several years later. It's a bit hard watching this movie after viewing the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical because you miss out on all those wonderful songs; but Bernard Herrmann's stirring score for ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM is full of masterly motifs and colours too.

A glossy and dramatic true-life adventure.

This sumptuous film boasts gorgeous sets along with a clever script and top-notch performances from Harrison, and particularly Dunne. Well-paced and richly rewarding.