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56 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Greatest Musicals of All Time!, June 12, 2004
Rodgers and Hammerstein's THE KING AND I (1956) is a wonderous movie musical, an incredible adaption of the Broadway musical that premiered on stage in 1951 (and has been performed tens of thousands of times since). It tells a timeless story about tradition vs. modernity, Eastern vs. Western culture and men vs. women. This story was first written as the first-hand account of Anna Leonowens' experiences in Siam in the mid-19th Century, where she had been hired by King Mongkut to teach his many children, in his hopes to push Siam into the modern age. This account was first adapted for the big screen as ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM (1946); unseen by me, it has been highly regarded in its own right, and starred Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison. THE KING AND I stars Deborah Kerr (last name pronounced "Carr") and Yul Brynner. Deborah Kerr completely embodies the strong-willed but emotionally fragile young widow Anna Leonowens; she makes Anna into a character with whom we identify and sympathize. We side with her in all disputes, from demanding that she be given her own house in which to stay as part of the original deal, to calling King Mongkut to task for enforcing double-standard sexual laws that were outdated and demeaning to women even at that time. As the equally strong-willed King Mongkut, Yul Brynner commands the screen in every scene he's in. You simply cannot look away. His King Mongkut is someone who wants to change Siam for the better, yet struggles to cling to many of the same traditions that he slowly begins to realize is partly responsible *for* holding Siam back. His heartbreak by film's end is emotionally gut-wrenching, and never fails to bring me to tears. The Russian-born, half-Mongolian Yul Brynner makes you believe he is a Siamese King; his performance is so brilliant that his transformation into this character appears to be almost effortless. And, of course, it won him a very well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor. Deborah Kerr gives a wide-ranged performance that spans all emotions throughout the course of this film. She was deservedly nominated for Best Actress, but unfortunately didn't win. This film would have given us enough meat to chew on just in the complex relationship between our two principals alone. However, it is not content with just doing that for us. It gives us two spellbinding subplots, one of the forbidden love between Tuptim (a virtually unrecognizable Rita Moreno, in a truly marvelous performance) one of King Mongkut's many wives, and Lun Tha (Carlos Rivas), and the visit by the British Ambassador Sir John Hay (Alan Mowbray) whom King Mongkut wants to impress with how civilized he, and the Kingdom of Siam, is. Also, the "play within the play"; namely, the hypnotic Siamese theater performance of Harriet Beecher Stowe's epic American tale of oppression and cruelty UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, is just so incredible that words fail me as how else to describe it. Anna's young son Louis (Rex Thompson) provides us with an effective sounding-board onto whom Anna reveals the kind of feelings about the situation that she cannot express to the King. Unfortunately, this or any other Western film treatment of this truly fascinating story continues to be banned in Thailand today, namely they feel that King Mongkut, whom I understand was one of their most beloved monarchs, is portrayed as a barbarian. I have two beefs with that sentiment: 1) King Mongkut is most decidedly *not* portrayed as a barbarian in this treatment (or in the 1999 non-musical ANNA AND THE KING, which is quite a brilliant film in its own right)---rather, he is shown to be a deeply conflicted man who agonizes at the prospect of losing centuries-old Siamese traditions, even as he expresses himself as one who wants to help his country modernize; 2) If they want to get the story right in their eyes, then where is the *Thai* version of the story? Controversies aside, this is just a splendid, gorgeous film. It has great period costumes, in both Eastern and Western traditions. It has a huge, ornate set used for the Palace. It has great music ("Getting To Know You" and "Shall We Dance" are my two favorites). And it has incredible acting from all involved, especially Brynner, Kerr and Moreno (who should have been at least nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her sensitive and delicate protrayal of Tuptim). It is a joy to revisit every now & then. Parents, please do your children a favor and *keep them away* from the HORRENDOUS 1999 animated version, insultingly called THE KING AND I. That simpleminded, stereotype-laden, lamebrained version is a complete insult to anyone of decent intelligence. Just show your kids the 1956 original; it is the only version they will ever need to see! MOST RECOMMENDED, AGES 6 & UP
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