Tropical Malady
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| Tropical Malady | |
|---|---|
 The Thai film poster. |
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| Directed by | Apichatpong Weerasethakul |
| Produced by | Charles de Meaux Alex Moebius |
| Written by | Apichatpong Weerasethakul |
| Starring | Sakda Kaewbuadee Banlop Lomnoi |
| Cinematography | Jarin Pengpanitch Vichit Tanapanitch Jean-Louis Vialard |
| Editing by | Lee Chatametikool and Jacopo Quadrie |
| Distributed by | TIFA Kick the Machine Anna Sanders Films |
| Release date(s) |  June 24, 2004 |
| Running time | 125 min. |
| Country | Thailand |
| Language | Thai |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Tropical Malady (Thai: สัตว์ประหลาด or Sud pralad) is a 2004 Thai romance and psychological drama film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul and produced by Fabrica. It is a film in two segments – the first part a romance story about two homosexual men, and the second a mysterious tale about a soldier lost in the woods, bedeviled by the spirit of a shaman. It won a Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
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[edit] Synopsis
Keng, a young soldier, is assigned to a post in a small city in rural Thailand. The troops' main duties, it seems, is to investigate the mysterious slaying of cattle at local farms.
While in the field one day, Keng meets Tong. Later, Keng sees Tong riding in a truck in town. The two men have made a connection and embark on a romance, taking trips in the countryside.
Then one night, the country boy wanders off into the dark. The film's narrative abruptly shifts to a different story, about a soldier sent alone into the woods to find a lost villager.
In the woods, the soldier encounters the spirit of a tiger shaman, who taunts and bedevils the soldier, causing him to run through the woods and become lost and islolated himself.
[edit] Cast
- Banlop Lomnoi as Keng/Soldier
- Sakda Kaewbuadee as Tong/Shaman
[edit] Festivals and awards
- 2004 Cannes Film Festival - Jury Prize
- 2004 São Paulo International Film Festival - Critics Award
- 2005 Indianapolis International Film Festival - Special Jury Prize for Directing
[edit] Reception
At the press screening at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, several audience members left before the film was over and some of those who stayed until the end booed the film. The film received generally poor reviews from such industry journals as Variety and Hollywood Reporter, but then won the Jury Prize from the jury headed by Quentin Tarantino and has been generally met with favorable reviews since then.[1]
In Thailand, the film screened for just 10 days at the Siam Theatre. [2]
[edit] References
- ^ Tropical Malady elicits boos and bewilderment, Rotten Tomatoes journal entry, May 19, 2004, cites Reuters (retrieved July 19, 2006).
- ^ Pfaff, Tim (July 9, 2005). "Out of the jungle and onto the big screen -- cult film from Thailand travels to U.S.", San Francisco Chronicle (retrieved August 4, 2006).
