Fah talai jone (2000)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Wisit Sasanatieng

Writer:

Wisit Sasanatieng (writer)

Release Date:

9 August 2001 (Singapore)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Romance

Plot:

With its loud acting style, exuberant sets and stunning shots in pastel colours, this Thai cult film is as much a parody as an homage to the Western and the romantic tearjerker.

Plot Keywords:

Shootout | Fight | Gun | Outlaw | Blood

Awards:

3 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Chartchai Ngamsan	...	Black Tiger
Suwinit Panjamawat	...	Dum (Black Tiger Youth)
Stella Malucchi	...	Rumpoey
Supakorn Kitsuwon	...	Mahesuan
Arawat Ruangvuth	...	Police Captain Kumjorn
Sombat Metanee	...	Fai
Pairoj Jaisingha	...	Phya Prasit
Naiyana Sheewanun	...	Rumpoey's maid
Kanchit Kwanpracha	...	Kamnan Dua
Chamloen Sridang	...	Sergeant Yam
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Hersh	...	Dum (voice: English version)

Directed by
Wisit Sasanatieng

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Wisit Sasanatieng		writer

Produced by
Pracha Maleenont	....	executive producer
Brian L. Marcar	....	executive producer
Bunbhot Ngamkhum	....	line producer
Nonzee Nimibutr	....	producer
Adirek Wattaleela	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Amornbhong Methakunavudh

Cinematography by
Nattawut Kittikhun

Film Editing by
Dusanee Puinongpho
Folmer Wiesinger		(recut version)

Casting by
Phasiri Panya

Production Design by
Ek Iemchuen

Art Direction by
Rach-chanon Khayannagan		(as Rutchanon Kayangnan)
Akradech Kaew Kotr

Costume Design by
Chaiwichit Somoboon

Makeup Department
Benjawan Sroi-In	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Laongkaew Saijai	....	production manager

Sound Department
Eric Strausser	....	first assistant sound remix
Dan Edelstein	....	supervising sound editor: US release (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Aichi Arts Center
• Film Bangkok
• Five Star Production Co. Ltd.

Distributors

• Alta Classics S.L. Unipersonal (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• EDKO Film (200?) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• EuropaCorp. Distribution (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Magnolia Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Miramax Films (2000-2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Nikkatsu (2002) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Sagittaire Films (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Tri-m Pictures Inc. (2002) (Japan) (theatrical)
• AV Channel (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Digital Right Pictures (200?) (Thailand) (DVD)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Madman Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Magnolia Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Pathé Distribution (2002) (UK) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Tears of the Black Tiger (International: English title)

Runtime:

110 min | UK:101 min

Country:

Thailand

Language:

Thai

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Germany:16 | Finland:K-15 | USA:Unrated | Australia:MA | France:U | Netherlands:16 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | Italy:T

Company:

Aichi Arts Center

Trivia:

The original Thai title is almost impossible to translate into English. A rough translation would be "Sky Destroys Thief" (Fah = Sky, Talai = destroy, Jone = thief). However, "fah" can also figuratively means a higher force, in this case, a noble, beautiful, righteous, and virtous woman.

Quotes:

Mahesuan: By everything sacred in this world, I, Mahesuan, swear, with the Buddha as my witness, I'll always be true and loyal to my blood brother, Dom, the Black Tiger who saved my life. If I break this oath, may his gun take my life.

Movie Connections:

References Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)

These cowboys have quite the fashion sense...

Version: Thai audio, English subtitles (by SBS)

There's something quite awesome about a movie that's advertised as a musical western that turns out to be a musical western in which the cowboys carry rocket launchers and wear very colourful shirts. Awesome.

In the rather colourful countryside of the rather colourful modern Thailand, a gang of horse-riding, machine-gun toting, Thai cowboys led the by the colourfully villainous Fai (Sombat Metanee). Dum (Chartchai Ngamsan), also known as the Black Tiger, is a member of Fai's gang, and obviously the fastest shot in all the (colourful) land. Dum is competing with fellow gangster Mahesuan the police captain Kumjorn for the affections of Rumpoey (Stella Malucchi), so naturally this leads to shootouts, exploding brains, and lots of evil laughs. How awesome.

'Tears of the Black Tiger' seems to be a combination of elements from 'Once Upon a Time in the West' and the 'The Quick and the Dead', only with a lot more comedy and melodrama. And colour. At times it may resemble 'Once Upon a Time in the the West', and then go into Sam Raimi mode during an action sequence, and then go into long scenes developing the melodramatic and colourful love story. Have I mentioned the colour yet? This one colourful movie, and will often induce a visual overload of pinkness. Is that even a word?

'Tears of the Black Tiger' can go from melodramatic romance scenes, to the cheap violence that you might expect from Sam Raim or an early Peter Jackson movie (read: 'exploding heads') very quickly. I'm pretty sure this film could set a record in that department. Its a funny movie, and the action scenes are generally very exciting. I'm also convinced that the creators of this film took on a bet to discover just how much of the colour pink can be displayed in one movie. I never knew pink-shirted cowboys could be so tough.

'Tears of the Black Tiger' is generally entertaining. I thought it was a little long, but I think most people should enjoy this - 8/10