Gay schoolboy Krit (Prakasit Horwannapakorn - pictured right) is in love with his straight classmate Vin (Napong Viriyasomboon).
They hang out together, go to temples and one day hike into the forest with two girl friends
to see the spectacular Pachang Waterfall.
And that's the whole plot of this short, elegaic film where time flows like the waters of the river the boys follow,
sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes swirling back.
Against the idyllic setting of undisturbed forest and crumbling temples,
Krit woos his would-be lover and prays to the Buddha to help him. Vin, however, is
afraid of being seen as gay yet is unwilling to reject his friend.
Down the River was directed by 23 year old Anucha Boonyawatana as his final year project at Chulalongkorn University. "I want to present an idea about the old Thai way of life that was very focused on the Buddhist
teaching of letting things go. Today old values like this do not make sense for most
Thai people anymore." In addition, Anucha adds that he made the film to respect Buddhism, the one religion that does not say that to be gay is a sin.
In this, his first film, the audience can forgive the occasionally amateurish dialogue. For Occidental audiences the
Buddhist ideas will resonate intellectually rather than emotionally. But the story, while verging on the ideal, is never
less than believable, with Krit's frustration expressed as petulance and Vin's confusion at odds with his wish to lead
his own life.
Although shown in several film festivals and the winner of several awards, Down the River has not to my
knowledge been released to cinemas anywhere in the world. I watched a 52 minute version on VCD; 30 minute and
77 minute versions may also exist.
marks out of 10:
social interest: 6
gay interest: 6
film quality: 6
No IMDb entry
film website
No wikipedia entry
Arthouse director Apichatpong Weerasethakul is an acquired taste - and even if you have the acquired the taste, if you are
not in the mood for his moody offerings, you will not be satisfied. But when your mood and his artistry come together, the
impact can be stunning.
I have seen four of his films - laughed at Iron Pussy
, been entranced by Syndromes and a Century,
was bored by Blissfully Yours and profoundly irritated by Tropical Malady...
Somewhere in Thailand, in a small town on the edge
of the country, career soldier Keng
meets and woos country boy Tong. No passionate kisses, no sex, little talk.
So far, so good. A gentle portrait of gentle people getting to know and like
each other. A bit slow for some of us, but hey, let's take savour the moment.
The two get closer. Then one nighttime Tong takes his leave of Keng and
walks away into the darkness. That is the last clear view we have of the young farmer.
In the next scene Keng is preparing for the hunt. We have, without warning,
entered a parallel world where Keng is the Soldier and Tong a shape-shifting ghost glimpsed through
the jungle. An old Thai legend has come to life and the rest of the movie
consists of the Soldier pursuing - or is it pursued by? - the fearsome spirit.
I wanted to like this film - whose Thai title Strange Animal describes it better
than the English version - I really did. But the day I saw it I was not ready
for Apichatpong's oblique style with its long drifting scenes, inconclusive
conversations - although there's very little speech in this film - and
irresolute endings. I left the cinema feeling cheated. Others, perhaps more
sensitive or intelligent than I, were entranced.
So, be prepared. And if you want an easier introduction to Apichatpong's
work, start with
The Thai film poster The US DVD cover. Keng and Tong also appear in the picture at the top.
Syndromes and a Century. This 2007 film is
no more commercial than the others - a slow-moving portrait of
life in two very different hospitals, but it is his most
mature work so far. No gay interest, but it engrossed me and it offers a slight frisson from the fact that
his portrayal of monks as ordinary people with human foibles led to those
scenes being censored in Thailand.
