Bang Rajan (2004)

Synopsis: Oliver Stone presents a beautiful and violent Thai film; the true story of a rural 18th century Siamese village that managed to battle an army of 100,000 invading Burmese soldiers to a standstill... Oliver Stone presents a beautiful and violent Thai film; the true story of a rural 18th century Siamese village that managed to battle an army of 100,000 invading Burmese soldiers to a standstill for five months. When Bang Rajan's fearless warrior chief (Chumporn Taephitak) is wounded in battle, the men of the village elect a mighty rogue fighter who has been making raids on Burmese supply lines, Chan (Jaran Ngamdee), to step in and guide them. Along with the village's sage Buddhist priest (Teerayuth Pratyabamrung), Chan inspires the villagers to new heights of courage. In between bouts of bloodshed there are some subplots. One concerns the wife (Bongkod Kongmalia) of one of the mightiest fighters, Nai In (Winai Kraibutr). She learns she's pregnant, and fears her husband will lose his fighting spirit if he finds out. In another, a young warrior named Muang (Atthakorn Suwannaraj) fights to impress the chief's warrior daughter (Soontree Maila-or). The camera prowls continually among the lush greenery of the Asian jungle, and the beautiful faces and bodies of its people, drawing the viewer deeply into the sense of community, time, and place. The battle scenes are intense, lengthy, and horrific. With its lush cinematography, haunting music, and ensemble of uniformly strong performances, BANG RAJAN deserves a place next to SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and BRAVEHEART in the pantheon of great historical films about war and sacrifice. [More]

Starring: Winnai Kraibutr, Jaran Ngamdee, Bin Banleurit, Teerayuth Pratyabamrung

Starring: Winnai Kraibutr, Jaran Ngamdee, Bin Banleurit, Teerayuth Pratyabamrung, Chumporn Taephitak, Atthakorn Suwannaraj, Bongkod Kongmalai, Soontree Maila-or

Director: Thanit Jitnukul

Director: Thanit Jitnukul
Screenwriter: Kongat Komsiri, Boontin Tuaykaew, Patikarn Petchmunee, Thanit Jitnukul, Sittipong Mattanavee
Producer: "Uncle" Adirek Wateela
Composer: Chatchai Pongprapaphan
Studio: Magnolia Pictures

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