The industry for Asian action movies extends far beyond Hong Kong, Japan, and China. Case in point: “Bang Rajan,” an epic battle film from Thailand.
This is a gory action picture indeed, but it may have a political subtext. More on that later.
The setting is Siam, 1765. In a siege that has become legend in Thai history, an invading army of more than 100,000 Burmese soldiers was held off for months by a gritty band of Siamese villagers. Their town was called Bang Rajan.
This historical event comes to life with a cast of characters who owe more to movie cliches than textbooks. This is, of course, a movie, so why not?
The most charismatic of the bunch is a warrior named Chan (Jaran Ngamdee), who is enlisted by the villagers of Bang Rajan after their elder is severely wounded. They need a leader, and Chan fits the bill. He also has the greatest mustache in the movie, a wide thing that resembles the horns of the water buffalo.
As the villagers gather strength between attacks, we get to know a few of them. Especially a pair of young couples, including of course a feisty woman who insists on learning the warrior ways of the men.
There’s also a memorable drunken warrior, who spends his time between battles in a stupor. He doesn’t remember how he got to the village – he simply passed out on a wagon one night and woke up there – but now he’s ready to defend it to the death.
The Siamese defenders are dressed in rags and armed with axes. They also enlist a couple of truly stupendous buffalo in their service. The Burmese are clad in armor, ride around on elephants, and use cannons – and still they can’t find a way to defeat the natives.
One can infer a link between this story and the current situation in Southeast Asia. Burma, now called Myanmar, is once again a politically volatile place, and neighbor Thailand must feel the heat. Maybe that’s why Oliver Stone has his name attached to this movie as a “presenter”: He’s always up for a political argument.
But don’t get the wrong idea. “Bang Rajan” is an action movie, and director Thanit Jitnukul emphasizes the blood and guts. The battle scenes, which come regularly, are crowded with flying arrows and lopped-off limbs.
Most of this is orchestrated on a crude level, as is the broad-brush storytelling. But it gets its point across, which is why the phrase “crude but effective” was invented.
“Bang Rajan” HH
Crude but effective: A battle epic about a Siamese village that held off a huge and well-equipped Burmese army in 1765. The emphasis is on blood and guts, with perhaps some current political undertones. (In Thai, with English subtitles.)
Rated: Not rated; probably R for violence.
Now showing: Varsity.
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