Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)

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.

Director:

Wisit Sasanatieng

Writer:

Wisit Sasanatieng

Stars:

Chartchai Ngamsan, Stella Malucchi, Supakorn Kitsuwon

4 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Credited 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 Shewanan	...	Rumpoey's maid (as Naiyana Sheewanun)
Kanchit Kwanpracha	...	Kamnan Dua
Chamloen Sridang	...	Sergeant Yam
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nicole Dionne	...	Rumpoey (voice)
Philip Hersh	...	Dum (voice)
Ray Quiroga	...	Mahasuan

Storyline

In the countryside of Thailand, a gang of outlaws makes the region unsafe. Among them is the handsome gun hero Dum, who became unwillingly involved in the bandit life. Handsome Dum made a promise to his upper-crust lover Rumpoey: despite the class difference, they will get married. When the moment of reunion arrives, Dum gets involved in a fire fight and cannot possibly reach Rumpoey in time. She is desperate: her father has married her off to a policeman. The taciturn Dum, called the 'Black Tiger' by his co-conspirators, has however not forgotten Rumpoey. He does everything in his power to reach her, but fate gets in the way: his gang leader suspects him of treachery and his blood brother turns into his greatest enemy. Will the two lovers ever meet up? This urgent question propels the melodrama forward, supported by exciting music, spectacular shootouts and heroic duels.

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Plot Keywords:

spaghetti western | blood | thailand | outlaw | gun | 

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

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 mean a higher force, in this case, a noble, beautiful, righteous and virtuous woman.

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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.

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Connections

References Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

User Reviews

Thais show Hollywood how to make Westerns

There has always been something rather absurd about the cult of the Hollywood western. The spaghetti Westerns of thirty years ago gave new life to a tired genre - and now we have the first Thai Western, a big improvement on Hollywood's efforts.

Wisit Sananatieng's film is wonderful entertainment. It takes the Western conventions and pushes them to the edge of parody. The gunfights are exciting, the film's central poor-boy/rich-girl love story is genuinely moving, and the harmonica-playing hero comes straight from the classic Gene Autry tradition.

To cap it all, the film is shot in the most marvellous saturated colours, so that it is at times breath-takingly beautiful. And some features unknown in Westerns - such as the lake with lotus blossoms, the pagoda and the rainy season - add to the film's visual beauty. In short, a film not to be missed.

Details

Official Sites:

only in french

Country:

Thailand

Language:

Thai

Release Date:

9 August 2001 (Singapore)

Also Known As:

Tears of the Black Tiger

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,954, 14 January 2007

Gross USA:

$75,234

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$138,172

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 81 min (USA) (Miramax)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1