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IMDbPro

Tawipop

  • 20042004
  • 2h 21m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
160
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
120,509
52,272
Tawipop (2004)
DramaRomance
A mirror joins two worlds, modern-day Bangkok and Bangkok under Rama IV, together. Maneechan, a diplomat investigating recently uncovered documents in France concerning ancient Thailand, lea... Read allA mirror joins two worlds, modern-day Bangkok and Bangkok under Rama IV, together. Maneechan, a diplomat investigating recently uncovered documents in France concerning ancient Thailand, learns the story behind them first-hand as she travels back in time through the mirror.A mirror joins two worlds, modern-day Bangkok and Bangkok under Rama IV, together. Maneechan, a diplomat investigating recently uncovered documents in France concerning ancient Thailand, learns the story behind them first-hand as she travels back in time through the mirror.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
160
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
120,509
52,272
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Surapong Pinijkhar
    • Writers
      • Poraminthra Krouethong(screenplay)
      • Surapong Pinijkhar(screenplay)
      • Tamayanti(novel "Tawipop")
    • Stars
      • Florence Faivre
      • Stephane Lambert
      • Vanchart Chunsri
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Surapong Pinijkhar
    • Writers
      • Poraminthra Krouethong(screenplay)
      • Surapong Pinijkhar(screenplay)
      • Tamayanti(novel "Tawipop")
    • Stars
      • Florence Faivre
      • Stephane Lambert
      • Vanchart Chunsri
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 1 nomination

    Photos6

    Siam Renaissance - Tawipop screening at Thai Film Archive, November 2018
    Stephane Lambert
    http://www.imdb.me/stephanelambert
    Florence Faivre in Tawipop (2004)
    Tawipop (2004)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Florence Faivre
    Florence Faivre
    • Maneechan
    • (as Florence Vanida F.)
    Stephane Lambert
    Stephane Lambert
    • François Xavier
    Vanchart Chunsri
    Pisek Intrakanchit
    Roland Neveu
    • The French Consul
    Davorin Nikolavcic
    • French Officer
    Rangsiroj Panpeng
    Nirut Sirichanya
    Nirut Sirichanya
    Peeruth Tulananada
    Philip Wilson
    • British Diplomat
    • Director
      • Surapong Pinijkhar
    • Writers
      • Poraminthra Krouethong(screenplay)
      • Surapong Pinijkhar(screenplay)
      • Tamayanti(novel "Tawipop")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The title means "Two Worlds".
    • Connections
      Referenced in Drag Race Thailand: Beloved Thai Movies (2018)

    User reviews1

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    Planet of the Frogs
    The Siam Renaissance is difficult to classify. It's about a woman who travels back in time from Bangkok of 2003 to the capital in the 1850s, during the time of King Mongkut - Rama IV. So it could be science fiction. But there are no flashing lights or swirling trips through the vortex for this woman, played by Thai-French actress Florence Vanida. Her time shifts just happen. One minute she's there, in her bedroom in a house in Thonburi, the next she's back in the old days, wearing a silk sarong of the period.

    It could also be a love story, as the character, Maneejan, gradually falls in love with a young, shirtless official in the Rama IV administration. And basically, I guess, this it what it is - based on a famous Thai historical romance novel, Tawipob.

    The story actually opens in Paris, where Maneejan works for the Thai Consulate. She has something or other to do with studying a trunk of letters and other artifacts from the Rama IV area that surround a strange incident. A French diplomat recorded the appearance of a strange Thai woman who could speak English and French and fortold of incredible events, such as the US being the strongest country in the world, man going to the moon and that all Thais would be educated in reading and writing. She then heads home to Bangkok, ostensibly to further study these materials. To do so, she must consult with a Thai university history professor - a man who happens to be her father.

    She stays at her mother's house (her mother and father are separated, adding an unneeded bit of soap-opera melodrama to this situation), and then the time-shifting begins. Each time there's the shift, she disappears from one era and reappears in the other, causing much running around and screaming by the supporting characters in each time zone.

    At first, she lands in the house of an English doctor, Dr Bradley (a real character, he brought the first printing press to Thailand), and is cared for by the doctor and his English wife. They are among a handful foreign actors in this Thai film who do their best to not appear too stiff or confused as they make their way through this period film.

    Manee is brought to the attention of the palace officials, who are suspicious of her. She is thought to be insane, or she could be a spy. This is a politically turbulent time for Thailand, as Britain and France are fighting for territory in the region. Both have sought to colonize Thailand, but have reached a compromise that Thailand would simply be a "buffer" between French Indo-China and Britain's India and Burma. Thailand comes up with the short end of the deal, losing land to both empires. In the film, the palace is under stress because a British warship is in the harbor and it's carrying Lord Bowring, who wants to wear his sword in the presence of the King.

    So the palace guys think Maneejan is a spy. Or maybe she's just in insane. They don't believe her when she says the USA is the powerful country on earth and that it has sent men to the moon. They really don't believe her when she says that all Thais will be able to read and write, although they "only read six lines a year". I'm not sure what that means, but it got a good laugh from the audience. She also says Thais will be westernized, wearing Western clothes, eating Western foods, thinking Western thoughts.

    "We are more accepting of the Westerners than we are of ourselves," she tells the handsome young palace dude. This is one of the more profound statements of the film, as it reflects on where Thailand is today. Not only did it lose land and influence in the region to the British and French, it lost its cultural identity, as Thais today embrace anything Western but relatively little that is truly Thai. Even the country's name has changed, from Siam to Thailand.

    "Do we still have our King?" the palace guy asks, to which Maneejan replies, "It's the only thing that we keep as ours."

    That earlier quote had me thinking during the rest of the film. And it was a good thing, too, what with the mess of melodrama, syrupy soundtrack music and wooden acting by the Thai and Western performers. I had trouble even going to see this film, as I knew it was directed by Surapong Pinitka, who last directed The Silk Knot, a dully abysmal television miniseries about the strange disappearance of the silk exporter, Jim Thompson.

    A passing reference was made to Anna Leownens, the famous Anna of The King and I and Anna and the King - films that are banned in Thailand because they make light of the Throne. I half expected Maneejan to run into Anna in her time travels, and they very well could have met, since Anna was present in the court of King Mongkut.

    Besides the humor in the film (like when Maneejam is ridiculed for her "unclear Thai" - the actress had only learned Thai for the purpose of making the film) - there was a nice plot twist reminiscent of The Planet of the Apes. All that is needed would be Charlton Heston, jumping down off his horse and pounding the sand.
    helpful•9
    8
    • wisekwai
    • Apr 9, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 27, 2004 (Thailand)
    • Country of origin
      • Thailand
    • Languages
      • Thai
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • The Siam Renaissance
    • Production companies
      • A.G. Entertainment
      • BEC-TERO Entertainment
      • Tai Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $155,500
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 21 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital EX

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