The King and I

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Stephen C Success in 2 hours and 13 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/05/25 Full Review Mike P Epic musical about the love/hate relationship between Anna Leonowens; who was the hired teacher and consul for King Mongkut of Siam; and the king himself; in the 1960s at the tale end of his reign. The play is a musicalization and dramatization of Leonowens' own published journals; based on her own real-life experiences as a member of King Mongkut's court in the 1860s. Leonowens was hired to teach Mongkut's many children, (he famously had 39 sons, 43 daughters and 36 wives). She was also brought in because Mongkut had a stated desire to "modernize" his court; and bring a calming British influence into his own regime; (to fight the prevailing notion that he was a "barbarian" amongst Westerners). The musical follows Anna's numerous ongoing interactions and consultations with the king for the decade she was in Siam; their discussions about culture; their debates about human rights and priorities and customs; their fights about her living situation and the various power plays that went on between them; as well as the unstated love affair that was going on between them... Both Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner are absolutely brilliant in these performances; particularly Brynner, who won an Oscar for his performance. But fiesty Kerr is no slouch either and she proves his perfect foil in this romance/battle of the wits. Is the play hackneyed with stereotype and racist colonial tropes?.... Yes! Is it entertaining, brilliantly acted; and very moving as well?... Yes! Not to mention the direction by musical empresario Walter Lang is sumptuous and breathtaking; and the music by Rodgers and Hammerstein is just classic, tear-jerking stuff. To quote the song "Something Wonderful": "He will not always say, what you would have him say; but now and then he'll do, something wonderful!" The same goes for the show; which ofcourse has many cringe moments; but now and then it is wonderful. The part that hasn't dated is this depiction of two strong personalities; coming together and forming a friendship; and coming to understandings about how to improve society in some small way and learn from eachother. The heavy-handed colonial missionary subtext be damned... This is still the story of a real life fascinating friendship between two fascinating people. Perfectly played by two brilliant actors. And in that sense it's definitely still worth watching. Not to mention the brilliant classic musical numbers like "Getting to Know You"; "Something Wonderful" and "Shall we Dance". Highly Recommended! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/18/23 Full Review Audience Member As I said, I really like this film-musical, as I like most all Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. Rodger's music is sublime and catchy in all the right ways, invoking thoughtful and sophisticated influences of Asian music. The problem, however, lies in the portrayal of Mongkut, who although driven to bring modernism and education to Siam for the sake of his subjects, is really little more than a funny speech inflection. Nevertheless, the striving for common ground between the Eastern and Western values serves to enlighten both Mongkut and Anna in unexpected ways, with both learning to respect and love each other. In fact, I would argue that it is only with the blending of cultures that the characters truly learn who they are. It is a story from a less politically correct, more innocent time, but a good deal of enjoyment can still be garnered. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review steve d The performances are strong but the story is ridiculous and ignores history. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review William L Beautiful sets and a dedication to visual splendor certainly elevate the film and preserve the feeling of stage presence, but it can hardly be argued that most of the individual tracks clear the bar to be labeled true classics. Brynner's breakout performance is energetic, entertaining, and still highly watchable, but the film overall has aged poorly from a social perspective, and I believe that the legacy of the King and I has likely suffered as a result when compared to more palatable fare, and will likely continue to do so. Even judging it as a production of its time, I believe it to be an enjoyable and opulent (if narratively simple) production, but not much beyond that. Much of the pacing is erratic, such as the deviation into the rendition of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which plays a narrative role but could have been effectively completed in a far shorter period without removing the audience from the story for such a prolonged period. (3/5) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/05/21 Full Review joel h Getting to know The King and I is a wonderful experience. Yul Brynner is unforgettable as the king of Siam, and Deborah Kerr is able to stand toe-to-toe (or head-to-head) with his every move. With its lavish sets, elaborate costumes, and amusing songs, this musical has an undeniable charm, even if it may feel foreign or dated to some. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The King and I

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