Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

nerowolfgal I rented this movie because I had never seen a movie set in medieval Siam (Thailand). I found the movie fascinating; the culture, the costumes, the history held me. Some of the politics went over my head on the first viewing, and being a westerner who uses things like hair and eye color to sort characters apart, it was at first difficult to tell who was who. However, I am definitely going to watch it again.Some reviews have said the acting is wooden. Some of it is, however allow for cultural differences. Also most royalty throughout history and in most countries are trained to be very self-controlled. You have to watch for clues. But how can some reviewers say the main character does nothing? In the very first minutes, Suriyothai is complaining about rules, she then goes off and talks to a man by herself(!) risking punishment. When asked to marry a man she does not love, she runs away and only her sense of duty to the people brings her back. We see her being VERY knowledgeable about court polities and the necessities of power. Later she organizes a rebellion, then rides off to battle and throws herself between the fighting kings to save her husband.I found it a very interesting movie that is well worth watching: besides how can you not love a movie where the king yells "Arm the elephants!"

jort38 Good movie with good research on background. Needs some insight on how the history of Siam has been unfolding to appreciate this movie more.Characters in the movie seems actual and believe worthy.Behavior, especially behavior on court, seems very accurate.Impressive movie.This movie hit the tops while on display in Thailand. Intention to create this movie was more to educate young Thai about their history rather than make a top movie. I think both have been achieved.

ProfessorFate I was pleasantly suprised by this film. It's a compelling tale of a nation's painful evolution, a unique mixture of murder, ambition, betrayal, duty and national pride. It has flaws - clumsy action scenes, wooden acting, confusing plot - but overall the heart and emotion of the film won me over, that and the fact that I have a soft spot for anything Thai. It's basically a Thai version of Joan of Arc, mixed with lethal doses of political scheming and battlefield mayhem. The title character is a princess who gives up the man she loves and agrees to marry into a more politically advantageous situation for her family. Suriyothai is loyal, self-less heroine who's smart enough to give her husband shrewd advise on how to improve his political standing and survive during the volatile times (mid 1500's). We watch as one King suffers a gruesome death to small pox, leaving an infant on his throne who is quickly overthrown by an ambitious prince. The new King loses his wife during childbirth, then takes another woman as his consort. It's this second wife who sets into motion the main drama of the film as she plots to kill her husband and disrupt the royal succession. All the while Thailand is fighting off rebellious provinces and staving off their aggressive neighbor, the King of Burma. The resulting parade of beheadings, poisonings, sneak-attacks and political backstabbing would put Italy's Borgias to shame. The finale features a battle against overwhelming odds with heroic sacrifices that help explain the reverence Thai people have toward their monarchy. If you can handle subtitles and love historical drama (and battles featuring elephants), then "The Legend of Suriyothai" is for you.

owen-t If you're feeling bored by the #1 or the #21 film on the weekly boxoffice reports, this flick will be something out of the ordinary. There's a great deal about Thailand and its history that is unfamiliar to me, and many of you. The look, the culture, the sounds are all a bit new. Unexpected things keep turning up on the screen. Some of them like the acting and editing take a little time to get use to, but eventually things start to look and sound familiar, especially if you know your Shakespeare and European history. This is a story of warring kingdoms, of nobles and ladies scheming and killing for power, of lovers true and false, of honor and betrayal, and a little bit of humor tossed in to lighten things up. There's plenty of dead people, but one of the most moving scenes, the execution of a young king is at first a little strange and incongrously funny. In the space of a few minutes it turns cold and terrifying without ever showing a drop of blood.Now I wonder if some Western director is going to steal the whole plot for a story that will be more familiar to Americans, something historical or maybe a science fiction trilogy.