"THE THING" IS THE WINNER

My poll 28 ended with four votes. Thank you very much for everyone who participated in it. Here is the result:

THESE GREAT FILMS/THINGS GIVE ME THE SAME KIND OF STRANGE FEELINGS. WHICH ONES DO YOU LIKE?

1.THE THING (2008, Fari Tesprateep, Thailand)

It got 2 votes, or 50 %.


2.THE CASTLE (1997, Michael Haneke, Austria)
+DEAD 1+ (2007, Ko & Edge Co., Japanese play)
+GROB (FRAME) (2001, Nat Rittarom, Thailand)
+WELCOME TO NOTHING (2008, Noppan Boonyai, Thai play)
+WOMAN IN THE DUNES (1964, Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japan)

Each of them got 1 vote, or 25 %.


7.ABSENCE (Peter Handke, novel)
+THE BEAUTIFUL WASHING MACHINE (2004, James Lee, Malaysia)
+LE COMPLEXE DE THENARDIER (2002, Jean-Michel Ribes, French play)
+CHICKEN SMILE (2005, Tossapol Boonsinsukh, Thailand)
+CUBE (1997, Vincenzo Natali, Canada)
+THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972, Luis Bunuel, France)
+HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY (2004, Lu Chunsheng, China)
+THE IMPRINT (1975, Jacques Cardon, French animation)
+PERFECT BALANCE? (2007, Parinya Janpengpen, Thailand)
+THE RETURN (2008, Baek Kyoung-suk, Korean play)
+SHATTER ROOM NO. 0 (2008, Teerawat Mulvilai + Jarunun Phantachat, Thai play)
+SIDA? (2005, Santiphap Inkong-ngam, Thailand)
+WAITING FOR G.D. (2008, Damkerng Thitapiyasak, Thai play)
+YASUJIRO’S JOURNEY (2004, Faozan Rizal, Indonesia)

Each of them got 0 vote.


--I agree with Thisisgis’ comment in his blog that THE THING may be about a girl who worries too much about Thai political news, and learns to stop worrying about it

Before I read Thisisgis’ comment, I liked THE THING very much, though I didn’t understand the film at all. But after I read his comment and began to understand this film, I’m not sure if I like this film as much as before, because now I may not be able to identify myself totally to the character in this film.

I also worry very much about Thai political news. I think I can identify myself to the heroine in the early part of this film. The more I read about Thai political news, the more I wan to die. I, too, have to learn to stop worrying too much about it.

But I’m not sure if I can do like the heroine in the ending part of this film—being able to smile, and stop worrying about it. I wish I could do something like that.

The reasons why I cannot stop worrying about current Thai political news include:

1.Some current Thai problems concern freedom of expression. With this lack of freedom of expression, I always feel I’m in danger. Hey, I’m afraid even to specify here about this problem.


2.Somehow I can’t help feeling depressed when I read some Thai comments in some political webboards that people who think differently should move away from Thailand. I wish I could move away from all these people. Actually, I wish I shouldn’t have been born at all.


3.I think I can be able to smile, and stop worrying about these Thai political problems only when I am rich enough and be able to fly away from Thailand anytime I want to.


Because of all these reasons, I now think I love the style and the execution of the THE THING very much, though I think the content of this film may not totally correspond to my life.

I think the film which may correspond to my life more than THE THING is KON NAK LOKE (2008, Polpat Yanrat, Seree Lachonabot, A+). In this film, we saw many characters who have different serious problems in their own lives. Moreover, they are also affected badly by the political problems in Thailand. This film corresponds to what I feel. I feel I have too many problems in my life already—health, financial, psychological problems, etc. As if that isn’t enough, I am affected by the political problems in Thailand, too. These problems include having to avoid expressing anything which can be deemed unlawful.

Though I may prefer the content of KON NAK LOKE to the content of THE THING, I think the style and execution of KON NAK LOKE are very good, but not as great as THE THING.