Anna and the King of Siam (1946)
…………………………………………………
Anna and the King of Siam Movie Review
Anna and the King of Siam is a 1946 drama film directed by John Cromwell and starring Irene Dunne, Rex Harrison and Gale Sondergaard. It’s an underrated movie.
………………………………………………….
“Now always best time“
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
In 1862, a young Englishwoman becomes royal tutor in Siam and befriends the King. Based on the titular novel, this famous story got the more iconic version in 1956 in ‘The King and I’, which is one of the best musicals of all time. This movie, thus, could not compete with that lavish, timeless production, but surprisingly it came quite close in certain respects.
A much more serious approach made for a version that is more realistic and moving. The characters are solidly developed, the drama is well executed and some scenes were actually quite touching. The dialogue is of course the highlight as many scenes where characters just talked spoke volumes about this clash of cultures and so many interesting discussions were raised.
The acting is another strong aspect here. It’s a shame that Irene Dunne wasn’t nominated for her wonderful work in the main role. Her Anna is inherently likable, charming and such an inspiring figure. She’s the heart of the picture. Gale Sondergaard was also terrific in the best supporting role of the movie. She undeniably deserved her Oscar nomination.
As for Rex Harrison, he was fine. Yes, the cast here is entirely white, which was a problem as these actors seemed very silly playing Asian characters, but when you accustom to that, you come to appreciate their performances, even that of Harrison himself. He wasn’t believable in the role, but at least he wasn’t too over-the-top and his dialogue was strong. Linda Darnell is also good, but in a rather small role.
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
Anna and the King of Siam received two Oscars – for production design and cinematography. I would say both were deserved, especially the former as the sets in this film are gorgeous and meticulously crafted. The costumes are also stunning. The score is fittingly Eastern while the directing is also solid, though the film relied extensively on dialogue and acting to carry it through the finish line.
Anna and the King of Siam is a rather underrated movie that was definitely not as strong as the much more famous King and I, but it at least came close to that version due to excellent cinematography, great costumes and terrific sets. This is a much more serious take on the story with strong dialogue and some emotional scenes as well. Though the cast being all white was cringe-worthy to witness, at least their performances were uniformly superb with Irene Dunne and Gale Sondergaard being the standouts.
My Rating – 4
Results
