''The King Maker'' (
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
: กบฎท้าวศรีสุดาจันทร์, or ''The Rebellion of Queen Sudachan'', is a 2005 Thai
historical drama film
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...
set during the
Ayutthaya kingdom
The Ayutthaya Kingdom (; th, อยุธยา, , IAST: or , ) was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. The Ayutthaya Kingdom is conside ...
. With a storyline that shares many similarities to 2001's ''
The Legend of Suriyothai
''The Legend of Suriyothai'' ( th, สุริโยไท, italics=yes) is a 2001 Thai film directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol, which portrays the life of Queen Suriyothai, who is regarded by Thai people as the "great feminist". It records the cl ...
'', ''The King Maker's'' plot focuses on a
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
mercenary
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
(
Gary Stretch
Gary Stretch (born 4 November 1965) is a British actor, model, and former boxing champion. During his boxing career, Stretch won 29 of his 31 fights, 20 of those by KO. He became the WBC International Super Welterweight Champion.
In his modelli ...
) in the service of the Siamese court. Produced by
David Winters, it was the first English-language Thai film production since the 1941 film, ''
King of the White Elephant'', produced by
Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Banomyong ( th, ปรีดี พนมยงค์, , ; 11 May 1900 – 2 May 1983), also known by his noble title Luang Praditmanutham ( th, หลวงประดิษฐ์มนูธรรม) was a Thai politician and professo ...
. This was also the first Thai film sold to a "Major film studio".
Plot
The story opens with
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
soldier Fernando de Gama in a shipwreck. He finds some wreckage to float on and washes up on the coast of
Siam
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 mi ...
. After almost being eaten by a
crocodile
Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...
, he is captured by
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
slave traders and taken to
Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to:
* Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767
** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom
* Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locally ...
. Released from his bonds to be put on the auction block, he promptly knocks down his captors and leads them on a chase throughout the ancient city.
Eventually, he is brought under control, but not before he is captured the attention of a Eurasian beauty, Maria, who buys him his freedom back. After recovering from his recapture, Maria brings Fernando to meet her father, Phillippe. Fernando immediately recognizes Phillippe as the man who killed Fernando's father many years ago, whom Fernando has been seeking on a lifetime quest for revenge.
But there are bigger battles to be fought. Fernando and his Portuguese compatriots are pressed into the service of
King Chairacha, who has to go into battle. It is a multi-national taskforce, not only including Portuguese mercenaries, but also samurai warriors (likely Christians expelled from Japan). In battle, Fernando bonds with a Thai warrior named Tong. They distinguish themselves by saving the King from an assassination attempt and are appointed his personal bodyguards.
Queen Sudachan, a former royal
consort __NOTOC__
Consort may refer to:
Music
* "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses''
* Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles
* Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...
who schemed her way into becoming queen, is behind the assassination plot. Because it failed, she calls on Don Phillippe for help. Phillippe in turn enlists a scar-faced
ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
to kill the king. This plan is also thwarted by Fernando, Tong and other Siamese troops. After the assassins are killed in the king's bedroom, King Chairacha assigns Tong and Fernando the task of seeking out whoever is behind this scheme.
Recognizing one of the dead assassins as the scar-faced ninja he had seen Phillippe talking with earlier that night, Fernando confronts Phillippe. They fight, and Phillippe is killed by Tong. Meanwhile, the queen resorts to black magic to poison the king. She also must kill her own son,
Prince Yodfa (who is next in line for the throne), to clear the way for her boyfriend
Worawongsathirat
Worawongsathirat ( th, วรวงศาธิราช, ) was a usurper in the Ayutthaya Kingdom, ruling for only 42 days in 1548 before being assassinated. Siamese chronicles relate that Worawongsathirat attainted the crown — his kingship i ...
. This she achieves by hiring a spear-wielding African warrior.
Succeeding in her plot, Fernando and Tong are then framed for the deaths and made to fight each other in a death duel for Queen Sudachan, her new king, and the crowd's amusement. Tong's family and Maria's life are threatened, and Tong throws an axe at Worawongsathirat, slaying him. Moments before the queen kills Tong and Fernando in revenge, King Chairacha's brother
Maha Chakkraphat
Maha Chakkraphat ( th, มหาจักรพรรดิ, ; lit.: 'The Great Emperor'; 1509 – 1569) was king of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1548 to 1564 and 1568 to 1569. Originally called Prince Thianracha, or Prince Tien, he was put on the t ...
arrives. Having deduced on his own that the queen is behind the king and prince's deaths, he arrests the queen and releases our heroes and their loved ones. In an ending text, it is stated that news of these events were heard by the king of Burma, and that the story's impression of disarray is what caused the
Burmese invasion and the eventual decline and destruction of Ayutthaya.
Cast
*
Gary Stretch
Gary Stretch (born 4 November 1965) is a British actor, model, and former boxing champion. During his boxing career, Stretch won 29 of his 31 fights, 20 of those by KO. He became the WBC International Super Welterweight Champion.
In his modelli ...
as Fernando De Gama
*
John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor best known for portraying Sallah in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise and Gimli in ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. His other roles include Michael Malone in the 1993 series ''The Untoucha ...
as Phillippe
*
Cindy Burbridge
Cynthia Carmen Burbridge-Bishop ( th, ซินเธีย คาร์เมน เบอร์บริดจ์-บิชอพ; born December 30, 1978) or Sirinya Burbridge ( th, สิรินยา เบอร์บริดจ์), is ...
as Maria
*Yossavadee Hassadeevichit as Queen
Si Sudachan
Nang Phraya Maeyuhua Sri Sudachan ( th, นางพระยาแม่หัวศรีสุดาจันทร์; early 1500s – 1548 in Ayutthaya) was a queen of Ayutthaya by marriage to King Chairacha of Ayutthaya. At his death, betw ...
*
Dom Hetrakul
Dom Hetrakul ( th, ดอม เหตระกูล; ; June 18, 1974 in Bangkok, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of ...
as Tong
*
Nirut Sirijanya as King
Chairacha
Chairachathirat ( th, ไชยราชาธิราช, ), or ''Chai'' reigned 1534–1546 as King of the Ayutthaya kingdom of Siam. His reign was remarkable for the influx of Portuguese traders, mercenaries, and early Modern warfare technol ...
*
Charlie Trairat
Charlie Trairat Potjes ( th, ชาลี ไตรรัตน์ ปอทเจส; born January 19, 1993) also known as Nak, is a Thai actor and singer. He gained stardom through ''Fan Chan'', which was Thailand's highest-grossing film in 2 ...
as Prince
Yodfa
Yotfa ( th, ยอดฟ้า) or Kaeofa ( th, แก้วฟ้า) was the 14th Ayutthayan king from the Suphannaphum Dynasty (c. 1536 – 10 June 1548)
Yotfa was a son of King Chairachathirat () and his consort Lady Si Suda Chan (). He rei ...
*
Akara Amarttayakul
Akara Amarttayakul ( th, อัครา อมาตยกุล, born Puttichai Amarttayakul th, พุฒิชัย อมาตยกุล; April 19, 1974), nicknamed Gof, is a Thai actor, model and singer. He made is film debut in Euthan ...
as
Phan Bud Sri Thep
*Byron Bishop as Scar-Face Ninja
Language issues
* All the dialogue was recorded in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
. However, when the movie was screened commercially in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, the parts where
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
characters were interacting with other Thais were dubbed in
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
.
Awards
The film received two nominations at the Thailand National Film Association Awards, best supporting actress for Cindy Burbridge and best art direction.
References
External links
*
Chalermthai Thai synopsis and galleryBangkok Post article via Paknam Forum
{{DEFAULTSORT:King Maker, The
2005 films
2000s adventure drama films
Sahamongkol Film International films
Thai historical films
Thai-language films
Action International Pictures films
Historical epic films
2005 drama films
2000s English-language films
Thai drama films