A debate continues to rage in the Letters to the Editor columns in the Thai press over whether Anna and the King should be banned in Thailand.?(A final official announcement is expected this week.) In today's Bangkok Post, one writer observes that the government had originally refused to allow the film to be shot in Thailand.?"If there is so much concern about the accuracy of the flick, why didn't the Thai government step in as advisers and use Thais who have knowledge of history?" A second writer acknowledges that the movie makers retained a number of Thai experts "to ensure maximum realism at least in terms of scenery, costumes, deportment, etc., but probably not storyline." But he adds that the historical inaccuracies evident in the film could affect "the special bond which exists between the Thai people and the monarchy", and he comments: "Regardless of ...?how much better this update might be than the original The King and I, is it worth the cost of jeopardizing this relationship simply for the sake of having the film shown in some Bangkok cineplex?"
|
