Anna and the King (1999)

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

07 Feb 2008 04:11 PM

As I mentioned when I reviewed the Yul Brynner version of "The King and I," much of the story of Anna Leonowens and her relationship with the King of Siam was embellished. However, that doesn't keep this movie from being stunning.

Anna (Jodie Foster) was hired to teach the Crown Prince of Siam about the ways of the English, including the language. Part of the agreement was that she would have a house of her own off the palace grounds where she could raise her son, Louie, anyway she liked. After a long journey, Anna and Louie arrive in Siam, only to find no one there to greet them. They hire carriages and wend their way to the palace, only to find that there is no house waiting for them. They are given rooms in the palace and are made to wait for several days before their meeting with the king.

When they do finally meet, Anna speaks to the king (Chow Yun-Fat) about her desire for a home, but he's taken aback by her bold English ways. No one is allowed to stand upright in his presence, yet she insists on it. Little by little, they draw up some compromises, and he tells her that she will now be teaching all the children, of which there are fifty-eight with ten more on the way. She is appalled at the number of wives and concubines belonging to the king, but in his country, it's only natural.

As Anna and the king come to know each other, they become friends, and then they start to have romantic feelings for each other. They never take any action on those feelings, but they are very palpable.

Meanwhile, the king's general has plans to overthrow the throne. He kills the king's brother, takes control of the armies himself, and lays siege to the stronghold where the king and his family have sought refuge. Using their brains and a whole lot of courage, the king's family is kept safe, but not without a struggle.

I appreciated the in depth look into the beauty and the culture of the land of Siam. I did have to keep squelching my irritation at the liberties taken with the story, but, I reminded myself of artistic license. As long as you bear in mind that the film is fiction, you'll enjoy it a lot.

This film is rated PG-13 for some scenes of war and violence.

Related Blogs:

Jodie Foster: Child Star Extrordinare

Somewhere in Time

Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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