Anna & the King of Siam (B+ or 3/4 stars)
10 yrs. before the classic musical, The King & I, Hollywood produced a less colorful, less musical, more dramatic version of the Anna Leonowens story, 'Anna & the King of Siam' (directed by John Cromwell). I prefer the 1956 version starring Deborah Kerr & Yul Brynner, but this film is still a well-acted, well-crafted, & elaborate (for the time, 1946) spectacle. Based on the real-life experiences of British governess Margaret Langdon, who arrived in Siam in 1862, the lead character here is named Anna Leonowens (luminous Irene Dunne), a widow who travels with her young son to the tiny, partially-"barbaric" kingdom of Siam, where she has been hired to teach the English language & Western culture to the 67(!) children sired by the great King Mongkut (Rex Harrison, in his 1st Hollywood starring role).
All too soon, however, Anna & the King of Siam lock horns over the vast differences in their ways of life. The king, himself, needs some education of his own; and Anna sees that he gets it, too {haha}. These two characters slowwwly gain a respect for one another that transcends cultural differences ... but will Anna be as successful is her teachings as she had hoped? All the while, Anna is also drawn - against her will, really - into a doomed palace romance btwn. the concubine, Tuptim (gorrrgeous Linda Darnell), & another man, which predictably ends in incendiary tragedy. Melodrama ensues involving every character, major & minor.
Whereas 1956's The King & I focused on the budding relationship btwn. Anna & the King, this non-musical version is a much more straightforward, faithful interpretation of Margaret Landon's book about Anna Leonowens. The screenplay keeps us very involved in the relationship btwn. Anna (the teacher) & the King (her pupil) without ever having it get to an overtly romantic level -- that's admirable. Irene Dunne does a stellar job as Anna Leonowens, the woman who influenced Siamese history by being such a kind, patient teacher & a loyal confidante to the stubborn "barbarian" leader. Rex Harrison is also great as our charismatic King of Siam, despite the fact that he was a Brit playing an Asian -- Hollywood did that all the time back in the day and, I'm glad that they don't anymore.
So yes, 'Anna & the King of Siam' is well-acted ... that's for sure. Along with the 2 leads, I enjoyed turns by Linda Darnell, Lee J. Cobb, Gale Sondergaard, etc. I also appreciated the script; with crisp, nervy verbal exchanges btwn. headstrong Anna & the strong-willed king. But this is also an extremely visual motion picture with great sweep & scope. The large sets (Asian temples, palaces, etc.) are as sumptuous as you imagine. Arthur Miller's black-&-white cinematography is exceptional. And the costumes range in variety from big hoop skirts to ornate Asian garb. I loved 'watching' this movie. And so, while it isn't a truly exceptional piece of work (some lags in the pacing, too tidy execution), I did enjoy this biographical drama. It just pales a bit - for me - to the glorious '56 musical version.
All too soon, however, Anna & the King of Siam lock horns over the vast differences in their ways of life. The king, himself, needs some education of his own; and Anna sees that he gets it, too {haha}. These two characters slowwwly gain a respect for one another that transcends cultural differences ... but will Anna be as successful is her teachings as she had hoped? All the while, Anna is also drawn - against her will, really - into a doomed palace romance btwn. the concubine, Tuptim (gorrrgeous Linda Darnell), & another man, which predictably ends in incendiary tragedy. Melodrama ensues involving every character, major & minor.
Whereas 1956's The King & I focused on the budding relationship btwn. Anna & the King, this non-musical version is a much more straightforward, faithful interpretation of Margaret Landon's book about Anna Leonowens. The screenplay keeps us very involved in the relationship btwn. Anna (the teacher) & the King (her pupil) without ever having it get to an overtly romantic level -- that's admirable. Irene Dunne does a stellar job as Anna Leonowens, the woman who influenced Siamese history by being such a kind, patient teacher & a loyal confidante to the stubborn "barbarian" leader. Rex Harrison is also great as our charismatic King of Siam, despite the fact that he was a Brit playing an Asian -- Hollywood did that all the time back in the day and, I'm glad that they don't anymore.
So yes, 'Anna & the King of Siam' is well-acted ... that's for sure. Along with the 2 leads, I enjoyed turns by Linda Darnell, Lee J. Cobb, Gale Sondergaard, etc. I also appreciated the script; with crisp, nervy verbal exchanges btwn. headstrong Anna & the strong-willed king. But this is also an extremely visual motion picture with great sweep & scope. The large sets (Asian temples, palaces, etc.) are as sumptuous as you imagine. Arthur Miller's black-&-white cinematography is exceptional. And the costumes range in variety from big hoop skirts to ornate Asian garb. I loved 'watching' this movie. And so, while it isn't a truly exceptional piece of work (some lags in the pacing, too tidy execution), I did enjoy this biographical drama. It just pales a bit - for me - to the glorious '56 musical version.