The Love Of A Wife: A Very Sad Ghost Story
Added 8/7/2006
Thailand does not have a very large pedigree when it comes to their horror films being marketed in this country; unless one can get a hold of some of the Shaw Brothers' films, many of which were filmed in Thailand. However, that is not to say that Thailand, as with many other countries, does not have its share of ghost stories. One of these is the tale of "Nang Nak." For those who are not familiar with Thailand's history, this story is a very prominent one. Moreover, this is a very sad ghost story. The scenery in the film is also a plus, and the village life where the husband Mak, and his wife Nak live gives the viewer beautiful and stunning visuals of Thailand. The fauna and flora make one feel as is if they are indeed stepping back in time into an old Thai village. I liked the film, due to the sadness the film incorporates, yet the film itself may not resonate with many other viewers. Do not expect blood and gore in this film: for it is the nuances and suggestion of horror that make this film great.
This film is based on famous Thai folklore and legend. The films narrative takes place in the 1860's: as the Thais are at war. The viewer sees in the beginning dead and dying soldiers. And it is here that the films main protagonist is introduced to the audience. His name is Mak, and he is a citizen soldier. Mak has left home to do battle with the enemy. Moreover, he has left behind his pregnant wife named Nak. I would not go so far as to say that Nak is the antagonist, as her story is a touching one that is filled with sadness. Therefore, I will just write that hers is a sad story of love which permeates the screen. When Mak is seriously wounded in battle and goes home, it is his adoring and loving wife Nak that will greet him home. But much has happened since Mak went off to do battle. [SPOILER BELOW]
Unknown to Mak, both his wife and child have died. However, when the soldier returns to his home he is unaware that anything has happened to his family as nothing seems out of place. Further, he does not know that mother and baby are really ghosts. Many people in the village warn him about what has befallen his family, including a close friend, but he refuses to listen to them. He notices that friends and fellow villagers refuse to visit him. Finally, he goes to see some Buddhist monks who in turn tell him that his wife and baby are deceased. He is told to bend over and see between his legs; then and only then will he see the truth. But he still refuses to believe anyone.
It is only when he is working in and around his hut, that he bends over and sees that the hut is decaying, the food rotted, and cobwebs covering the baby's crib that he realizes that they are indeed dead. Eventually the Buddhist monks do an exorcism ritual to rid him of the ghosts. I really liked this film, because this is a really sad ghost story, and the narrative is very well done. Nak's love was so powerful for her husband that even in death, she continued to be by his side. And this made the sadness of the film even more sad, because the wife is trying to continue this existence even though she knows she and the baby are ghosts. A really sad film, and highly recommended. [Stars: 4.5]
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Five stars
Added 3/11/2006
It's excellent.
I don't need millions of dollars in special effects and plot
twists and Bruce Willis. I wanted to see a Thai folk legend.
I wasn't disappointed. It's beautiful. The best movie I've seen to date.
16 out of 18 people found this helpful.
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"Nak! Nak! -- Who's There?"
Added 3/6/2006
*
First off, I am in agreement with many of the voices which express dissatisfaction with the fact that promotion of this film for audiences outside of Thailand all too quickly gives away what this movie is about -- in fact, prior to its release in "NTSC/Region-1" DVD format it was marketed as "GHOST WIFE" for its (unofficial) "English" title. Secondly, I was likewise disturbed that the movie itself also all too quickly gives away what this movie is about -- it shows the "wife" in question clearly dying from complications during the childbirthing process.
There was a 'somewhat' valid reason for such early revelations, though: The story told in "Nang Nak" is a VERY common legend in its native Thailand, so Thais already know what this story is about and where it leads. The problem, however, is that the vast majority of non-Thais are not familiar with this legend, so a little "discretion" would have been in order for the benefit of the 'rest of us,' as it were. And yet, even when armed with all of this advance information, there is still a story that unfolds which deserves watching.
"Nang Nak" retells the legend of Mae Nak of Phrakhanong who is pregnant when her husband, Mak, gets conscripted into combat service. When Mak barely survives and is on the verge of death as a result of his combat wounds, while most of his unit lies dead or dying on the battlefield, he is taken in and cared for by the area Buddhist temple. When Mak has made a full recovery, the high dignitary monk of the temple informs him that in order to relieve himself of his "bad karma" he should seriously give consideration to dedicating his life at that temple (perhaps the monk is aware of something that Mak is not?). Mak promises to return to the temple after he has taken care of family obligations. Without question or hesitation, the monk allows Mak to face his fate. When Mak arrives back at his canal hut he finds his devoted wife waiting there for him, carrying their infant son in her arms.
Now we already know that Nak is dead -- the dambed unofficial 'English title' of this movie told us so; the tense scene of her dying while giving birth told us so! But still, we don't lose interest in the story, for the simple fact that "Mak" is the only one who is not yet aware of the grim reality. This seems to be the real story being told by this movie -- not that everybody and their grandfather knows that Nak and her baby are dead, but that Mak himself has no knowledge of it and is completely oblivious to that fact, though it is plainly obvious to all others. So the main thrust of the movie is not so much about a "ghost wife" who is strongly devoted to her husband beyond the grave, but rather it is more precisely about how long she can keep up the deception and prevent her husband from discovering the horrible truth.
While it may not exactly be the best movie ever to come out of Thailand, it is certainly one of the better ones, and it has any number of things working in its favor, especially its beautiful-- and sometimes haunting --cinematography. (If judging this movie on its cinematic aesthetic alone, it would rate "4-1/2" stars easy!) Of all of the films made about the legend of Mae Nak, this one was by far its most successful endeavor.
Unfortunately, it is precisely because of the "early reveals" that I cannot in good conscience rate this movie with anything higher than "3-1/2" out of 5-stars. Even with a story that is widely familiar to its audience, there's still something to be said for not giving away its juiciest parts "up front."
(The legend of Mae Nak is said to be based on a "true story," though any actual evidences for its veracity seem very scant.)
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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A ghostly love tainted by fate.
Added 3/21/2004
"Nang Nak" (or "Ghost Wife") is set in the late 1860s and is based on a Thai legend of the supernatural. When war comes to Thailand, a young husband, Mak, leaves his newly pregnant wife and goes off to fulfill his duty as a soldier. A serious wound leaves Mak convalescing in Bangkok for many months, but eventually he becomes strong enough to return home. There he reunites with his devoted wife, Nak, and finally sees their infant son. However, it soon becomes evident that Nak's labor pains caused a singular transformation in her. The other villagers have come to fear Nak--and for good reason."Nang Nak" set box office records in Thailand when it was released in 1999. It even managed to outsell James Cameron's "Titanic" in that country, and it is easy to see why. Filmed among menacing rivers and lush jungles, "Nang Nak" is a visually stunning film grounded in a solid story line. From the beautiful shots of Thailand's flora and fauna to the chilling supernatural scenes (which occasionally have the slightest--and rather surprising--hint of Sam Raimi's distinctive cinematic style), director Nonzee Nimibutr immerses his audience in an enchanted world. If the film can be criticized for one thing, however, it may be said that the devotion paid to Image is too zealous. The actors chosen for the two lead roles sport close-trimmed modern hairstyles and ideal physiques, and this works against their credibility as village peasants. Also, some of the most evocative nature sequences in the film are edited too aggressively; hence these images are denied some of the power they might have achieved in the hands of, say, Werner Herzog or Terrence Malick. Even so, "Nang Nak" has plenty of power and poetry to spare. (A cultural/historical note: The unusual and rather startling blackened teeth of the villagers in the film are due to the practice of chewing beechnuts. Notice that at a certain point in the film one of these nuts is placed in a corpse's mouth as it is prepared for burial.)
8 out of 9 people found this helpful.
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Slow Moving, Romantic Thai Ghost Story
Added 12/1/2002
Nang Nak is a well known and regarded Thai folk/ghost tale. Many believe the story is true. There have been approximately 2 dozen theatrical and television films dealing with the legend over the past few decades in Thailand, but I haven't seen any of them before and was not familiar with the story. ...This is a high quality, rather arty type of film exploring a well-known Thai folk legend (that many believe is true) which will be unfamiliar to most Westerners. I had no knowledge of the legend and was able to enjoy the film, though it moved slower than I would have liked. It's a beautiful shot and edited film. The acting is adequate. I felt no burning chemistry which made the romantic elements of the film's first hour rather flat. The special effects are limited but very effective and well done. If you want something a little different, foreign, low-key but effective and chilling this one's for you. The DVD's a little
pricey but it might be difficult to find at rental outlets.Three and a half stars rounded up...
8 out of 8 people found this helpful.
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Thai version of the Alamo
Added 8/12/2009
I first saw this movie on a flight home from Thailand. Thai version of the Alamo, but alot more action. My flight ended before the movie was complete. I had to have the movie!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Dark film, good ending
Added 10/6/2008
Bang Rajan is an exciting tale of heroism on the part of ordinary people forced into extraordinary circumstances and carrying off the task of resistance to invasion better than the Thai Army apparently was able to do. My only fault with the film was the use of ambient light only, leaving most of the action virtually invisible, as the battles seem to have taken place primarily at night or in rainstorms. The final battle is watchable and most graphic. Story was easy to follow. Good use of subtitles, introduction and wrap-up. Just a few floodlights for the night scenes and this would be a truly grand film. But maybe that's not what the producer's wanted. Real war, in the dark, is no doubt chaotic.
In a way this film reminded me of the Northern Ireland drama "Bloody Sunday" where the lack of a tripod or Steadicam made the picture almost nauseating to watch. There was no excuse for that. The budget and possible need for the actors to work day jobs likely forced the producers of Bang Rajan to shoot in the dark.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Impressive Thai war film that gets extra marks for the lead characters incredible mustache(yeah, you read that right!)
Added 3/7/2008
Even the proud proclamaition of "Oliver Stone presents" across the top of the DVD wasn't enough to get the masses to check this out... it's a shame too because this is a borderline great(albeit flawed) Thai war epic based on actual historic events. The story follows the tale of a small Siamese village and it's legendary ability to repeatably withstand the invading Burmese empire. Although made with a meager budget(especially in comparison to it's American contemporaries), Bang Rajan is able to deliver in most of the areas necessary to make a war movie work. The battles are filmed well(although the fight at the begining is too dark and shaky for it's own good, thankfully this isn't a continuing trend throughout the rest of the picture) and provides enough cringe worthy moments to keep the ugly realism of war intact(arrows through necks, severed limbs, bashed heads, etc.). A strong musical score fits nicely too, and really helps propel both the action as well as the more dramatic beats. Honestly there is only one thing that holds this movie back... character development. Unfortunately nearly all of the characters are one-dimensional cardboard cutouts(i.e., the drunken warrior, the emotionless leader, the soon-to-be father) who get very little backstory(if any) and are basically the same at the end of the film as they were at their inception(except maybe dead). Don't get me wrong, you still like the characters, however; it's more because you feel for their plight and that they are shown to be good and honorable people(while the Burmese are portrayed as a souless conquering horde) rather than having any growing ties to them. There are definite moments that would have been far more poignant with more expansion of the characters. Another reviewer stated that they felt the acting wasn't up to par, which seems a tad unfair. The film is subtitled so I would argue the difficulty to judge the acting completely without being able to understand the actual delivery of the dialogue. The characters are strong and stoic(especially the leader of Bang Rajan, who it should be noted sports a killer mustache!) and are prepared to sacrifice everything for their freedom, and that comes across perfectly I thought. As Americans we've been spoiled with some truly great and epic war films, Bang Rajan isn't quite on their level BUT it's still a very good film that fans of the genre(and mustaches!) should catch at least once.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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