The King and I

[MadamSamba]

The King and I commands a spot in the dancing movies must-see list but having just watched it again after years away, I'm saddened to realise how offensive bits of it are.

Yes, it's a beautiful movie and yes, the music was great, but (and I know I'm looking at it via modern eyes) even with this huge consideration that it's an old flick and "we have to accept it as it was then", it left a rather sad and sour taste in my mouth.

Comments like the Siamese "look so cruel" and Anna Leonowens' rather arrogant, superior attitude throughout the film really annoyed and saddened me and such a beautiful movie was really spoiled watching it as an adult.

Before you all jump down my throat, I should have preceded these comments by saying that I'm a HUGE fan of old movies and music and have seen everything ten times and generally look the other way, but even though I'm a fan, through modern eyes I found the movie insulting and that without a drop of thai blood in my body.

Anyone got any thoughts on the topic?

[salsachinita]

Anyone got any thoughts on the topic?

I am SO glad you feel this way...! I thought I was all alone on this :shock: !

I took it pretty personally because I am part Thai (but does it really matter what I am anyway?). I found it extremely insulting, and I don't care when the movie was made........

This reminded me of some personal experience years ago, when some self-righteous people from the church took their liberty to 'educate the savages (ie. us! My family as new immigrants)' :shock: :roll: :x !

Sorry, off topic again :roll: !

[pygmalion]

I love the "Shall We Dance" scene enough to look the other way (meaning, fast forward through the offensive nonsense. :lol: ) And a polka scene in a movie is hard to find.

You find that sort of stuff embedded into lots of old movies, cartoons, books, you name it -- it was generally accepted then. Of course Anna the proper English governess knew more about appropriate behavior and morality than anyone in the entire country of Siam (Thailand.) It was just a given.

Back in the day, I would have been in flames over it. Now, I'm pretty mellow and view it in context of the historical period in which the movie was made. It would have been a totally different movie if made fifteen years later. Hmm. If it had been made at all -- musicals weren't so popular then. *shrug*

[salsachinita]

Although not a musical, Hollywood did a re-make of The King & I a few years back, called 'Anna & the King'.

It is a more politically correct movie, but nothing like the old musical.....

[pygmalion]

Yes. It was all cleaned up, and ironically, I didn't like it at all. Go figure! :lol:

[MadamSamba]

Hey, Salsachinita and Pymalion...it's funny, I adore old movies, my all time favourite is The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady, but the fact is that even in the context of time, right is right and wrong is wrong and no amount of time can change that.

SalsaChinita, you're definitely not alone and you're right, it doesn't matter who you are or what your heritage...Jenn, you're right too about it not being made that way if it had been made 15 years later, but it's funny that as an adult so many things I found beautiful and enjoyed thoroughly and innocently as a child are kinda tainted when watched/listened to through adult eyes.

I remember how much I loved the Andrew Sisters' Rum and Coca Cola, until I actually "heard" the lyrics and I absolutely adored Anne of Green Gables, until I read the books and the way some people were treated.

I haven't seen Anna and the King, but a bit of "cleaning up" isn't so bad sometimes, Jenn...political correctness may be incredibly annoying at times, but often times it simply rights wrongs of the past.

Having said all that, we'll never have that era of movies again, amazing films and inspired musicals with ingenious lyrics, eloquent dialogue and lush costumes and sets. :?

[pygmalion]

True, MadamSamba. And I'm about as politically correct as they come. I'll have to PM you one day about that ...

Anyway, if I were to apply my current standards for behavior around race, gender, sexual orientation and political affilation, I'd have to stop watching old movies entirely! :shock: :lol: It's rare to find an old American movie, especially, that doesn't demean Blacks or women, for example.

Yet these old movies, songs, etc. are the building blocks of American culture, and in many cases world culture. At the very least, coming back to these things with an educated eye helps me to understand lots about the culture, but also about myself -- how I view the world, and myself in it.

There's value there, as well.