La leyenda de Suriyothai (2001)

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The Legend of Suriyothai is a 2001 Thai historical drama film written and directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol. It depicts the story of Queen Suriyothai, who was killed in the Burmese–Siamese War of 1548 when she sacrificed herself in battle to save King Maha Chakkraphat and the kingdom.

Production

The film was financed by Queen Sirikit, who appointed royal family members to the directorial position (Chatrichalerm) and to the role of the lead actress. Chatrichalerm wrote the screenplay and directed. Kamla, his wife, designed the costumes and served as a producer.

Chatrichalerm states that The Legend of Suriyothai was originally the idea of Queen Sirikit. According to Chatrichalerm, the Queen wanted the Thai people to have a better understanding of their history and felt that a motion picture would be a good way to accomplish this. Chatrichalerm and Queen Sirikit mutually agreed to use Suriyothai as their first subject.

Documents sent to King John III of Portugal (1521–1557) from Domingos de Seixas, a mercenary in the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1524 to 1549, were consulted. The film depicts some Portuguese, and their introduction of Early Modern warfare, but the only one with a speaking part was a physician called to the deathbed of the poisoned king.

Amporn Jirattikorn argues that other motivations for the film included a fear of foreign influence after the 1997 Asian financial crisis and competition from another historical figure, the sister to King Naresuan. According to Jirattikorn, the film attempts to provide a national hero connected to the current monarchical dynasty, in contrast to other Thai films presenting events of the same era (e.g., Bang Rajan).

The film makes extensive use of historical locations across Thailand, and its large cast and high production values depict life in the 16th century in considerable detail. The battle sequences employed thousands of extras, along with hundreds of real elephants used as mobile battle platforms. Principal photography lasted three years.

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