Review of Bang Rajan

Introduction

The world in general is rich in history, of the struggles of civilisations and epic battles. The problem for history buffs, though, is that you can never learn it all and sometimes cinema or TV comes to the rescue and gives you an insight into events that you are completely unaware of. Most Western cinema or TV concentrates on events close to home or major conflicts that most people are familiar with. What we are lacking is a general perspective on major history in far-flung corners of the earth.

Luckily for us, there are foreign filmmakers out there who are prepared to tell the stories from across the ages and if we`re lucky, we will get exposure to them. Bang Rajan is a Thai film from 2000 that is epic in scale and based on an amazing true story. Set during the Siamese War, the film centres itself on the village of Bang Rajan whose inhabitants held the invading Siamese army at bay for 5 months in 1765. Showing courage, ingenuity and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming numbers, the villagers gain reinforcements from the surrounding areas. When the leader of the village is injured in one battle, the villagers recruit a well-known vigilante to lead in his place.

As he struggles to assert his authority and prepare his small army for the coming onslaught, the villagers attempt to carry on their lives with pregnancy, burgeoning love matches and getting blind drunk high on the agenda. In a couple of displays of impetuosity and naivety, two of the main characters take rash decisions that they come to regret and must ultimately deal with the consequences of their actions.

Winning an impressive series of battles, the village of Bang Rajan is a hold-up to the invading Burmese army who come to the decision that more drastic action is needed to overwhelm the village and allow them to advance on Ayuttaya, the old Thai capital.

Video

Picture is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and is full of colour. The scenes in the village are more saturated with bright colours, while a lot of the battle scenes are more muted. The cinematography is very impressive, a lot of hand-held shots show some wobble but overall it is filmed well.

Audio

Soundtracks come in both 5.1 and DTS, the 5.1 is quite impressive as the metallic clang of claustrophobic and in-yer-face battle sounds clash around the room. The soundtrack is superb, with a mix of pure percussion and rich orchestral sweeps.

Although a dubbed track is available, as always it is best to watch this in it`s native tongue.

Features

Disc 1

Commentary by Bey Logan - the usual encyclopaedic commentary by Mr Logan with a nice dose of humour thrown in and an odd Star Trek comparison with the opposing army.

Disc 2

Split into three distinct sections:

The Players - individual interviews with three of the main stars, each just under quarter of an hour long. Two are subtitled, one not due to the actors ability to speak English; this is a mistake as some of things he says are hard to understand. What does come through is how unpretentious and naïve these actors are, two of whom had never acted before Bang Rajan. It also appears that the modest sex scene included caused quite a stir in their homeland, although Western audiences wouldn`t bat an eyelid.

The Artists - Background into the history and making of the film via the production staff. Sometimes almost too much detail provided, which makes a pleasant change. What is clear is that the on-set doctor was very busy and daily battle scene accidents meant regular trips to the local hospital.

Promotional Tools - Trailers and behind the scenes stuff. I never realised that HKL produced specially commissioned scores for their trailers and DVD menu`s, and there is a short piece here on Richard Wells and the Slovak Symphony Orchestra scoring Bang Rajan. There is also a half-hour long promotional piece that seems geared towards the American market in it`s editing, but plays up local superstition. The narrator of this piece is really bad, his intonation all over the place.

A solid set of extras (if not as slick as maybe expected), some better than others.

Conclusion

Bang Rajan is an impressive film, both in terms of the story being told and in the scale of the film. The battle scenes are most impressive with hundreds of actors at times battling with swords, axes and bows in claustrophobic and visceral scenes, blood spilled and spurting everywhere. Some of the battle scenes are set during rain and the splash of mud and water (on the camera lens too) adds further dimension to some impressive filming.

Where the film is let down somewhat is with the characterisation. Admittedly I only watched this film in it`s native language with English subtitles (which is the only way to watch foreign films in my view…), but some of the dialogue was a bit clunky and some of the situations a bit clumsy. That is forgivable though as it is set up for a thrilling if quite downbeat ending. Not being familiar with the events being shown, I wasn`t expecting the ending and that worked in it`s favour; although I should have guessed really, thinking about it.

What is more astonishing is that the producers had no experience previously in either a `swords and sandals` type of film or controlling large numbers of actors/extras. It doesn`t show one bit, and just makes me even more impressed with the end result. Comparisons with the likes of Braveheart and Gladiator are justified in terms of the quality of battle scenes.

Overall a quality release from Hong Kong Legends and Premier Asia, and a cracking first exposure for me of Thai filmmaking. Recommended.