Beautiful Thai film that's erotically dark
Added 1/17/2008
I was quickly won over with one reviewer's perception of this film and sure enough this film was very interesting and intriguing enough for me to never leave my seat. Jan Dara opens with the eccentric statement that the film is based on the writer's first novel, and that it's not for religious people. Jan Dara is a young Thai with a traumatic background. The name "Jan Dara" is given to an infant boy whose mother died giving birth to him. The father (Santisuk Promsiri) blames the boy, actually giving him the name "Jan" the short form of a Thai word meaning "accursed."
Believe it or not, that's probably when the father was nicest to the boy. His earliest memories recall his father's sexual relationship with his childhood nanny. Branded a "bastard" by his father, Jan is later disowned and cast out of the house. Years later Jan Dara returns to seek revenge by outdoing his father's sexual conquests. The movie rapidly progresses through Jan's childhood and the physical and emotional abuse involved. Before long, Jan is a young man (Eakarat Sarsukh) who struggles with his identity and his hatred for his father.
The movie is set in an unspecified region of China in the 1920s through the late 1930s (a date is never given, but a newspaper mentions Pres., who was in office from 29 to 33). However, the outside world never affects Jan or his family. The reason the movie seems to be set there and then is that the producers needed what was a basically a feudal time, when the father was lord of his estate and could legally beat up servants and have sex with their wives.
There is a tremendous amount of sex in Jan Dara. It's not sensual lovemaking, either, just people using each other in the harshest ways. Almost everybody has sex with everybody else. Father and son share concubines (although father doesn't know it). That warning for religious people to stay away now seems like a good idea. The biggest drawback is that the story proceeds much too quickly toward the end. All of sudden people are pregnant, married or missing, and it's never shown how or why. The only member of the cast who may be known to is Christy Chung, who plays the father's main mistress. Jan Dara is a good choice for fans who has a place in there heart for the love of foreign films believe me it captures mine.
8 out of 8 people found this helpful.
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An Erotic tale that takes a Dark and Uncompromising look at Damaged Lives....
Added 1/7/2008
JAN DARA is a Thai film based on the novel "The Story of Jan Dara" by Utsana Phlengtham. Directed by Nonzee Nimibutr (Nang Nak), the film caused quite a stir in Thailand because of its illicit material. I saw this film in early 2006 and it silenced my voice for awhile, I just couldn't bring myself to review it; I believe it's because of its strong and sensitive themes. Sometimes I think there is a double standard when it comes to film-making. When European film-makers produces a film with material considered "taboo"; it is art, but if Asia makes a similar one; it would be extreme cinema. Jan Dara is not a sleazy sex film but rather an "arthouse" film with beautiful cinematography. The film gives a bleak view of Thai society in the 1930's and sexual relations during that period. The film has a category III rating (equivalent to NC-17 in the U.S.)
The tale revolves around a brutal, womanizing and abusive father who ruins Jan's life because his mother died during childbirth. His father Luang (Santisuk Promsiri) names him Jan Dara because "Janrai" means "Accursed" in the Thai Language. Luang beds almost every woman he lays his eyes on and constantly reminds Jan (Suwinit Panjamawat) that he is cursed and what is expected of him. Jan's stepsister Kaew is raised to hate him. Jan's anchor through these bleak times is his aunt Waad who becomes very close to him and his father's mistress Boonleung (Christy Chung). When his stepsister Kaew gets pregnant, Jan has to marry her as a way of vengeance. Jan Dara is poised to go on the same path as his hated father.
"Jan Dara" is a dark and moody look of damaged lives in 1930's Thailand and offers a very effective depiction of how low humanity can sink into. The film's premise is very depressing and quite frankly, Jan's father Luang is one of the most despicable characters I may have come across (in film) aside from Takeshi Kitano's character in "Blood and Bones". Much like "Blood and Bones", this film is about a very dysfunctional family but unlike "Blood and Bones", Jan Dara goes for very sensitive themes such as lots of visible sex, lesbianism, incest which are both hinted and shown. The film actually has three acts: 1) Jan's birth and childhood. His relationship with his father and aunt are explored. 2) Jan's "coming of age" as a teenager. He develops a relationship with a schoolmate he really fancies and his growing desire for love through sex. 3) The return of Jan in his father's household as an adult.
Even with its dark and depressing premise of a truly dysfunctional family, the film looks very beautiful with its polished, proficient cinematography. The set designs are great and the music is alluring. The film also has some of the strongest scenes to hit home. Also, the sex scenes are beautifully shot and looks very clean but at the same time very erotic and sexy. Actor Suwinit Panjamawat has a very strong sex scene with beautiful Christy Chung that created quite a lot of controversy. Jan was suggested to be around 15-17 years old but the young actor was actually a lot older than the role he played.
Christy Chung certainly has matured as an actress since her days as a beauty queen. Chung does a very solid performance as Boonleung, the actress had to learn to speak Thai and while she did carry a hint of Hong Kong accent, her performance is actually the one that catches the most attention. Her scenes draped in blankets and her nude scenes will forever be etched into the minds of her fans. She actually improves the stereotypical character of Boonleung. Another performance that is worth mentioning is that of actress Wipawee Charoenpura who plays Jan's aunt, Waad who develops a very close relationship with him that borders on incest.
The film does have its weaknesses. Some characters aren't well-developed and Luang's character is one-dimensional and most of the women are just caricatures. Luang's anger is expressed through having sex with lots of women in the household to anger Jan, while the feeling of being unloved births Jan's reaction to sexual intercourse, he seeks comfort in lust. I guess the characters are pretty much "black and white" characters with little shades of gray. Also, some of the other supporting actors' performances are a bit wooden and didn't seem to express the needed emotions.
Despite its faults, "JAN DARA" is a very good film. However, I have to warn everyone that the theme of the film is of such sensitive nature that only the most timid recommendation can be given. The last act of the film is so depressing and the climax is a bit disturbing. Anyone who watches this film would be well advised to have a copy of a "feel good" film or a comedy to watch after to remind yourself that life is still golden and still worth living for. "Jan Dara" is a beautiful film that uses sex to explore a person's state of being and even as a pessimistic commentary of a different society and its culture in a certain period.
RECOMMENDED (timidly) [4 Stars]
3 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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about the DVDfilm/movie Jan Dara..............
Added 5/13/2007
One of the actress on this film is found on the ST life page that showcase marie bodyline model and one of them is the actress found in Jan Dara film by the name of Zhong ........the story is basically about a thai story about a boy born and the mother is dead after giving birth to this boy and the father trwat him badly in his life for causing the mother's death and he was beaten heavily (canned) by the father for minor mistakes with cuts and blood appear on his body after been slashed with cane by the father and the father looks for more wife to marry which the boy slowly grown up to be like his father on the sex issue until one day (at almost the end of the story) make his father so angry until he fully stable and wheelcharied for massing with his new wife after the war is over. The story end as the grown up teenager took over the house to become the next owner of the house. That's all.......recoomeded to those people whom are interested in this genre of film.
Jan Dara
Review written by:
Dr, MR Franc MBBS Msc (PhD) GPS Ang Poon Kah
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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sex + tragic = art
Added 6/27/2005
What is erotic? What is tragic? Is there a difference? There are so many films that focus on sex and the seemingly inevitable disastrous outcome of having it that its remarkable anyone has anything else to say on the subject. Nonzee Nimibutr's film explores a multi-layered onion of sex, family, and above all, dysfunction. As with most foreign films, the tone is heavy and the sex seems even more seedy, depressing, and ultimately pathetic.
This might be precisely the point Nimibutr wants to make with Jan Dara, but it is difficult to give much back as a viewer. Our main character is seen growing from child to man, played by different actors and therefore, we lose our connection with him. Ultimately, its simply sad and I kept waiting for it to end.
4 out of 10 people found this helpful.
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Christy Chung is Mesmerizing!
Added 5/26/2005
I am glad I had seen this movie, because it's Christy Chung breakthrough performance, at the same time it's a very sexually disturbing film which reminded me of Juliette Binoche's Damage. I am not a fan of Christy, but it's amazing to see her transformed herself into a highly sexualized and Westernized stepmother role in this period drama that dealt with issues including abuse, abandonment, abortion, sexual perversion, and revenge in a wealthy Thai household. Also, she not only looked glamorous and beautiful, she also learnt all her lines in Thai. She gets to sleep with the adolence lead and another woman.
A few disturbing scenes in this film including the little boy witnessing his father having sex, and the scene when Christy assisted her lover to have an abortion that caused a massive of amount of bleeding.
This film is provocative, and can be overwhelming for some mainstream viewers. If you are a fan of Christy Chung, then you should not miss it.
8 out of 9 people found this helpful.
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