The King and I (1956)

I went to this movie as a little kid with my grandfather. It was my grandfather's attempt at providing me with some culture. I don't really have any memories beyond going to the movie with my grandfather, but I decided to re-watch the 1956 movie to see what I thought of it now.

First off, I'm fascinated by Buddhism, and how it's represented in the media. This movie seems like a self congratulatory bit of colonialist propaganda. I might have to read the novel or Anna Leonowens' memoirs, and see the updated versions. Of course the 1956 movie won 9 Oscars and was banned in Thailand. I could see how the people from there might not have appreciated the self congratulatory attitude of the movie.

It can be quite a shock when you realize people don't see you the way you see yourself. I would suggest that harmonizing these two things is one of the goals of psychotherapy. Realizing the impact you have on others. Not being beyond this feedback is a crucial skill in life, not to be bypassed. Not needing to have such inflated sense of self is quite important. And yet he is the king and seen as a representation of the state. Dismissing the movie as too self congratulatory might be a bit premature, but I'll keep that in mind anyway.

The music of course is amazing. In a way I love the family drama. Children forget the ceremony and just want to hug their father. The cultural conversation is fascinating. It must have blown my mind to see this movie, I don't think I really came to appreciate culture until quite late in life, in my 40's.

I feel this is very important dialogue with tradition and secularizing forces at play in current American society. In my religion Buddhism there is a big debate about how much secularizing there is to be, and whether that isn't just a colonial and racist idea.

I feel the situation where the King is asked how does he not know everything. Children and perhaps minions and subjects project their unknowns onto leaders, and they must find certainty where followers don't feel it. That is why great leaders can say such preposterous things and adopt such obviously untrue stances--maybe. "In Puzzlement" is a great song about epistemology.

For some reason I never connected the idea of epistemology to system of power than want to you to not know things.

Of course that leads to the question of slavery. How can you get people to give up slaves if they don't want to give up their slaves and they have power.

In so many ways I think my grandfather acted like the King of Siam. In a way very strong and forceful, and in another way completely fragile.

The Buddhism is rudimentary. Monks walk by. He prays to the Buddha in a weird version of what westerners must think is saluting and chanting to the Buddha.

All versions:

Anna and the King of Siam (1946 film)
The King and I (1951 stage musical)
The King and I (1956 film musical)
Anna and the King (1972 TV series)
The King and I (1999 animated film musical)
Anna and the King (1999 film)
Anna and the King of Siam (novel) 1944
The English Governess at the Siamese Court (1870) and Romance of the Harem (1872) by Anna Leonowens

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