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Since we recently watched a film where people talked about 'The King & I', we kinda need to see what all the fuss is about, so for today's Hairy Harmonies we have TWO films about Thailand (then Siam) around the reign of Mongkut, the fourth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IV. He reigned from 1851 until his death in 1868 at age 63.

The Siam Renaissance/Tawipop/ ทวิภพ (2004)

2h 23min 17secThai/French/English with hardcoded English subtitles EXCEPT for the English dialog.

This movie was the 2nd adaptation of the 1986 source novel, Thawiphop. While not a commercial success (perhaps it'd have done better if they'd cut out 1/2 hour of lingering on the star), it is noted for sparking modern interest in discussing Thai idedity. Synopsis: Maneechan, a diplomat investigating recently uncovered documents in France concerning ancient Thailand, learns the story behind them first-hand as she travels back in time through a mirror.

The King and I (1956)

2h 13min 14secEnglish with English subtitles

The 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon was based on memoirs written by Anna Leonowens, who became school teacher to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. Leonowens' stories were autobiographical, although various elements of them have been called into question. From this, we get a Rogers and Hammerstein musical! Plus, there's Deborah Kerr, Rita Moreno, and Yul Brynner! Wow!

Because these flicks are sooo long, we will be using Blorptube at 3:00pm EST/8:00pm UTC:https://blorp.bot.nu/o/visual_cuisine

... but if you skip the first 1/2 hour of Tawipop, we can sum up the start for late-comers very quickly.

It is recommended to use a vpn for blorptube and any peertube.

Matrices for blorptube:https://matrix.to/#/#visual_cuisine:matrix.org | https://matrix.to/#/#blorptube:matrix.org

Content Warnings:

The Siam RenaissanceListed but not reviewed on IMDB nor 'dogdies': https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/196838

From memory, it has: unhinged reality someone watched without knowing restraint? (made to be a 'guest') natural bodies of water

The King and ISex & Nudity: NoneViolence & Gore: MildProfanity: NoneAlcohol, Drugs & Smoking: MildFrightening & Intense Scenes: Mildfrom: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/24048someone diesmajor character diesfamily member diesparent diessomeone restrainedsomeone 'kidnapped' (concubines -- not willing?)anxiety attack

letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/film/the-siam-renaissance/https://letterboxd.com/film/the-king-and-i/

movie links:

3pm EST/8pm UTC: The Siam Renaissance: https://tankie.tube/w/uwza1PJFXAEtVTZar5LFP25:30 EST/10:30 UTC: The King and I: https://tankie.tube/w/ts17i8rDNPz5CC5A9MUSGi