The story of British teacher Anna Leonowens and her sojourn to the court of 19th century Siam has proved irresistible to many generations--as book, movie, or Broadway show. Arguably the most beloved version of the story is the 1946 Fox film Anna and the King of Siam, an elegant and bittersweet drama. Irene Dunne plays the widow Anna, who arrives in Siam in 1862 with her young son in tow. Her ostensible job, to teach the many children of the polygamous King (Rex Harrison, in his first Hollywood picture), soon broadens into an unofficial court advisor. The most amusing sequences in the first half of the picture are the battles of manners between feisty Anna and the intellectually curious but tradition-bound king--a battle that engenders great mutual respect. John Farrow directed, with his customary sympathy for the female heroine and eye for handsome spaces (the film won Oscars for art direction and Arthur Miller's cinematography). The main Asian characters are played by white actors, with Lee J. Cobb especially startling as the prime minister. The affecting story leaves no doubt to why Rodgers and Hammerstein saw the future musical The King and I in the material, and indeed you may find yourself humming "Getting to Know You" or "Something Wonderful" beneath certain scenes. It was remade in 1999 with Jodie Foster as Anna and the King, with more cultural correctness but less charm. --Robert Horton
What's a director to do? Andy Tennant's previous film was the highly enjoyable Cinderella romance Ever After, which vanished from theaters and became a video hit. Then Tennant made this gorgeous, nonmusical version of Anna and the King in 1999, and once again felt the sting of box-office failure. Both films deserved better, and this Anna is certain to eventually find the appreciative audience that eluded it in theaters. In many ways, this delightful costume romance transcends the latter-day quaintness of The King and I to offer a more lavish and rewarding version of the story of Anna Leonowens, based on her diaries and first told in Margaret Landon's 1944 novel. In an otherwise admirable performance (although many felt her miscast), Jodie Foster struggles with her Victorian accent as Anna, the grieving widow who arrives in Siam in 1860 with her young son. Having accepted a post as tutor for the many children of the polygamous King Mongkut (Chow Yun-Fat), Anna finds herself drawn to the progressive monarch, whose passions swirl in a turbulent political climate. If the chemistry isn't entirely there, this culture clash still has plenty of regal charm, and Luciana Arrighi's production design is appropriately magnificent. Humor and politics are given equal measure, and Chow Yun-Fat is arguably the most endearing king to date--powerful yet tender, forceful but anguished by the heavier burdens of leadership. Bai Ling's intense performance as the tragic lover Tuptim adds emotional depth to one of the most underrated films of 1999. --Jeff Shannon More...
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