Thailand: Never Formally Colonized Thailand was never formally - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Neo-Colonialism in The King and I: An Analysis of Hegemony through Aural and Visual Representation

By Natalie Tantisirirat

Thailand: Never Formally Colonized

• Thailand was never

formally colonized by a Western power → strong pride point

• Maintained

independence, but lost some territory

• Rapid modernization

Photo: Map of Colonial empires early 20th century

King Mongkut

• Ruled Siam from 1851-1868
• Was a Buddhist Monk for a

long period

• Significantly older than Anna

Leonowens → 27 Years her Senior

• Brought in era of

modernization in Thailand

• BUT still promoted Thai

culture and traditions

Photo: King Mongkut (Rama IV) Website: https://searchinginhistory.blogspot.com/2014/12/mo ngkut-modernizing-king-of-siam.html Photo: King Mongkut in monastic robes Website: https://kingandiolney.wordpress.com/historical-c

• ntext/king-mongkut/

Modernization in Thailand

• King Chulalongkorn
• Intensely performative diplomatic relations
• Siwilai and postcolonial hybridity in Thailand

Photo: King Chulalongkorn on the cover of Le Petit Journal. Website: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/king-chulalongkorn-siam.html

King Bhumibol Adulyadej

• Great supporter of the

arts

• Avid musician himself
• Really respected

throughout Thailand

• Reverence for the King,

a modern construct?

• King Bhumibol Adulyadej

as the exception

Photo: King Bhumibol playing the saxophone Website: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7f/57/65/7f57650eb596 5f6d128d15cf37f3170f.jpg Photo: King Bhumibol playing in a swing jazz band with Benny Goodman Website: http://www.interlude.hk/front/bhumibol-adulyadej-monarch-swing/ Photo: King Bhumibol playing a trumpet on a boat Website: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/ forum/thread1141234/pg1

The “Big Bad” Ban

• Lèse-majesté
• The King and I: banned

indefinitely

• By: Prime Minister
• Inaccurate representation of

the Thai monarchy

• Abolitionist themes
• Juxtaposition of Western and

Asian (other) culture

• Romantic relationship as

exceptionally disrespectful

Photo: The King and I Film Musical Promotional Poster Website: http://www.moviepostershop.com/the-king-and-i-movie-poster-1956

Who is Anna Leonowens?

• Born in India, troubled childhood
• Royal Governess from 1862-1867
• Claimed a lot of social change that
• ccurred in Siam was because of her
• Feminist, writer, and auto-biographer?

Hollywood Anna (Deborah Kerr) Actual Anna (Anna Harriette Leonowens)

Photo: Deborah Kerr as Anna Leonowens, The King and I (1956) Website: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049408/ mediaviewer/rm1189614592

Photo (Left): Young Anna Leonowens Website:https://www.headstuff.org/history/anna-leonowens-the-chameleon-of-siam/ Photo (Right): Older Anna Leonowens Website: https://kingandiolney.wordpress.com/historical-context/anna-leonowens/

“Shall we Dance?” and the King’s Lack of... Dance Skills

“Shall we Dance” (Performed by Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr)

“Shall we Dance” (Performed by Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr)

Moves

• King’s lack of ‘dance knowledge’
• Childish mannerisms, clumsy steps,

boorish

• Anna is leading the dance
• Role of Anna as an ‘educator’
• Anna leads the singing as well
• King → short phrases, 1-2-3

Photo: Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner in The King and I (1956), dance sequence for “Shall we Dance” Website: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-King-and-I-film-1956

Tuptim and “The Small House of Uncle Thomas”

Photo: Rita Moreno as Tuptim in The King and I (1956), holding a copy

• f Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Website: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-king-and-i-rita-moreno-1955- tm--everett.html

…But That Was 60 Years Ago?

Actually no! Misrepresentation of culture and hegemonic tendencies are alive and well

Photo: Waterfall: The Musical Promotional Poster for Pasadena Playhouse Website: https://pantip.com/topic/34393145 Photo: Playbill for The King and I musical Website: http://www.playbill.com/prod uction/the-king-and-i-vivian-be aumont-theater-vault-0000014 073

The Revival of The King and I

WHERE ARE THE THAI PEOPLE?!

Photo: Promotional Photo of the cast of The King and I (2015) Website: https://liachang.wordpress.com/20 15/03/21/vanity-fair-ken-watanabe- kelli-ohara-jon-viktor-corpuz-and-m

• re-of-lincoln-centers-revival-of-the
• king-and-i/

Maybe there’s Thai People Involved now?

• Cast and production

crew lacks a single person with Thai Heritage

• “To re-create the

historical dress from the Kingdom of Siam, costume designer Catherine Zuber traveled all the way to Queens.” - Vanity Fair

• Individually went

through and googled all names on the playbill (believe me, it was long)

Inaccuracies that Could’ve Easily Been Fixed

How to incorrectly bow in Thai culture King Mongkut changed palace dress rules in 1952 (10-11 years BEFORE Anna)

Sheer unlikeliness of the situation and placement of Buddha

Waterfall the Musical

• Based on the Thai novel, Behind the Painting but GREATLY changed
• U.S. Musical Adaptation changes the race of main female protagonist
• Eerily similar to The King and I
• Dance styles, costume details, singing performance

Photo: Emily Padgett and Bie Sukrit in Waterfall: The Musical Website: http://variety.com/2015/legit/r eviews/waterfall-review-musical

• pasadena-playhouse-12015173

95/

Behind the Painting By Sri burapha

• AKA Kulap Saipradit
• Famous !
• Khang Lang Phap (1937)
• Main protagonists were

BOTH Thai

• Brings up topics such

as: rapid modernity in Thailand, relations with Japan, values in Thai culture

Photo: Sri Burapha, Thai Novelist Website: http://www.sarakadee.com/feature/2001/06/sri_burapha_en.htm

Suthasinee Buddinan (Thai) Emily Padgett (Not Thai)

Photo: Waterfall: The Musical Promotional Poster for Pasadena Playhouse Website: https://pantip.com/topic/34393145 Photo: Khang Lang Phap (ขางหลังภาพ) the Musical Promotional Poster Website: https://pantip.com/topic/32483547

“No One Will Know”

That Lavender Dress!

Photo: “Shall we Dance” Dance Sequence with Kelli O’Hara and Ken Watanabe, The King and I Musical c. 2016 Website: https://www.lovetheatre.com/tickets/5494/The-King-And-I

Photo: Emily Padgett and Bie Sukrit in Waterfall: The Musical at the Pasadena Playhouse Website: https://www.gettyimages.com/event/the-pasadena-playhouse-presents-waterfall-opening

• night-performance-557922381#/actress-emily-padgett-and-actor-bie-sukrit-perform-durin

g-the-opening-picture-id476349624