Plae Kao
Encyclopedia
Plae Kao is a 1977
Thai
romance
-drama film
directed by Cherd Songsri
and starring Sorapong Chatree
and Nantana Ngaograjang as two peasants in rural Thailand
in a tragic, romantic relationship. The film is also known as simply The Scar.
The film was one of the biggest box-office hits in Thailand at the time. It gained international recognition at the 1981 Nantes Three Continents Festival, where it won the Golden Montgolfiere, sharing it with Eles Não Usam Black-Tie by Brazilian director Leon Hirszman. It was also voted as one of the world's 360 classic movies by the Museum of the Moving Image in London, Sight & Sound
magazine and film directors and critics worldwide in 1998. It was remade in 2002 in Thailand as Kwan-Riam.
Cherd produced the film with the idea of showing it worldwide.
"When I produced Plae Kao, I used the slogan 'We must show Thai traditional style to the world'," Cherd told the Thai website Movieseer. "This produced a great deal of negative sentiment towards the picture, because some people believe that this is not a topic to be shown on film. I am a stubborn person though, and once I set my mind to including this in my films, well it's been in every film I have ever made. The press is always asking me when I will make a contemporary film, but now, no one is asking."
, at the time nothing but rice paddies and small farming villages, Kwan and Riam are the son and daughter of rival village chiefs. They both work in the rice fields with their water buffaloes. Riam at first resists the courtship of Kwan, but Kwan, a jolly young man who sings and plays bamboo flute, is persistent. Kwan pleads with Riam, telling her he wants to die in the river if he doesn't have her love. Riam gives in to Kwan's charms and the two pledge their love for each other at a spirit shrine on an island in the river.
Riam's father disapproves of the relationship. He wants Riam to marry Joi, the son of a wealthy local nobleman. Riam's father, Joi and some other men go to confront Kwan and find him on the spirit-house island with Riam. A brief swordfight ensues, and Kwan is struck by sword wielded by Riam's older brother, Roen. The cut on the side of Kwan's head eventually becomes a noticeable scar, which Kwan says is a mark of his love for Riam.
At home, Riam is chained up in a storage shed. Her father then decides to send Riam to Bangkok
, where she will be sold into slavery as a maid for Mrs. Thongkham, a money lender who holds the deed to Riam's father's land. When the woman sees Riam's face, she is struck by Riam's resemblance for her dead daughter. Instead of being put to work as a servant, Riam is essentially adopted by the woman, who gives Riam Western
clothes and introduces her to high-class Bangkok society, including the son of a wealthy nobleman, Somchai.
Kwan grows despondent. His father urges him to enter the monkhood
to wash away his bad luck. Kwan then goes to take a drink of water, and sees blood in the drinking gourd. He then breaks down and apologizes to his father for being ungrateful, and promises to be ordained the next day "if I'm still alive".
After hearing that her mother is near death, Riam returns to the village on Somchai's boat. Riam arrives to see her mother die, and a funeral is held. Kwan comes to bid his last respects, and Riam agrees to meet him the next day at noon, on the spirit island.
The next day, Kwan sets fire to Somchai's boat, to prevent Riam from leaving without meeting him. Kwan is then hunted by Somchai, Riam's father and older brother, Roen. Somchai finds Kwan and shoots him in the chest with a pistol. The mortally wounded Kwan swims to the spirit island. Riam then jumps in after Kwan, and grabs the knife from his hands and stabs herself, dying with her true love in the river.
1977 in film
The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
Thai
Cinema of Thailand
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...
romance
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
-drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Cherd Songsri
Cherd Songsri
Cherd Songsri was a Thai film director, screenwriter and film producer. A maker of period films that sought to introduce international audiences to his vision of Thai culture, his best-known work is the 1977 romance film Plae Kao , which earned more box-office receipts than any Thai film before it...
and starring Sorapong Chatree
Sorapong Chatree
Sorapong Chatree is a Thai film actor. He has frequently starred in the films of Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol, as well as in Cherd Songsri's classic romance, Plae Kao....
and Nantana Ngaograjang as two peasants in rural Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
in a tragic, romantic relationship. The film is also known as simply The Scar.
The film was one of the biggest box-office hits in Thailand at the time. It gained international recognition at the 1981 Nantes Three Continents Festival, where it won the Golden Montgolfiere, sharing it with Eles Não Usam Black-Tie by Brazilian director Leon Hirszman. It was also voted as one of the world's 360 classic movies by the Museum of the Moving Image in London, Sight & Sound
Sight & Sound
Sight & Sound is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute .Sight & Sound was first published in 1932 and in 1934 management of the magazine was handed to the nascent BFI, which still publishes the magazine today...
magazine and film directors and critics worldwide in 1998. It was remade in 2002 in Thailand as Kwan-Riam.
Cherd produced the film with the idea of showing it worldwide.
"When I produced Plae Kao, I used the slogan 'We must show Thai traditional style to the world'," Cherd told the Thai website Movieseer. "This produced a great deal of negative sentiment towards the picture, because some people believe that this is not a topic to be shown on film. I am a stubborn person though, and once I set my mind to including this in my films, well it's been in every film I have ever made. The press is always asking me when I will make a contemporary film, but now, no one is asking."
Plot
In 1936 in rural Bang KapiBang Kapi
Bang Kapi is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bounded by other Bangkok districts : Bueng Kum, Saphan Sung, Prawet, Suan Luang, Huai Khwang, Wang Thonglang, and Lat Phrao.-History:...
, at the time nothing but rice paddies and small farming villages, Kwan and Riam are the son and daughter of rival village chiefs. They both work in the rice fields with their water buffaloes. Riam at first resists the courtship of Kwan, but Kwan, a jolly young man who sings and plays bamboo flute, is persistent. Kwan pleads with Riam, telling her he wants to die in the river if he doesn't have her love. Riam gives in to Kwan's charms and the two pledge their love for each other at a spirit shrine on an island in the river.
Riam's father disapproves of the relationship. He wants Riam to marry Joi, the son of a wealthy local nobleman. Riam's father, Joi and some other men go to confront Kwan and find him on the spirit-house island with Riam. A brief swordfight ensues, and Kwan is struck by sword wielded by Riam's older brother, Roen. The cut on the side of Kwan's head eventually becomes a noticeable scar, which Kwan says is a mark of his love for Riam.
At home, Riam is chained up in a storage shed. Her father then decides to send Riam to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, where she will be sold into slavery as a maid for Mrs. Thongkham, a money lender who holds the deed to Riam's father's land. When the woman sees Riam's face, she is struck by Riam's resemblance for her dead daughter. Instead of being put to work as a servant, Riam is essentially adopted by the woman, who gives Riam Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
clothes and introduces her to high-class Bangkok society, including the son of a wealthy nobleman, Somchai.
Kwan grows despondent. His father urges him to enter the monkhood
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
to wash away his bad luck. Kwan then goes to take a drink of water, and sees blood in the drinking gourd. He then breaks down and apologizes to his father for being ungrateful, and promises to be ordained the next day "if I'm still alive".
After hearing that her mother is near death, Riam returns to the village on Somchai's boat. Riam arrives to see her mother die, and a funeral is held. Kwan comes to bid his last respects, and Riam agrees to meet him the next day at noon, on the spirit island.
The next day, Kwan sets fire to Somchai's boat, to prevent Riam from leaving without meeting him. Kwan is then hunted by Somchai, Riam's father and older brother, Roen. Somchai finds Kwan and shoots him in the chest with a pistol. The mortally wounded Kwan swims to the spirit island. Riam then jumps in after Kwan, and grabs the knife from his hands and stabs herself, dying with her true love in the river.
Cast
- Sorapong ChatreeSorapong ChatreeSorapong Chatree is a Thai film actor. He has frequently starred in the films of Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol, as well as in Cherd Songsri's classic romance, Plae Kao....
as Kwan - Nantana Ngaograjang as Riam
- Setha SirichayaThe Impossibles (Thai band)The Impossibles was a well known Thai music or String band that was active in the 1970s.The group's hits included "O Rak Kan Nhor" , "Nai Wa Ja Jam" , "Chuen Rak" , "Thalay Mai Khoey Lap" , "Rak Chua Niran" , "Khoy Nhong" , "Nueng Nai Duang Jai" The Impossibles was a well known Thai music or...
as Joi