Tears of the Black Tiger

With Tears of the Black Tiger, Sasanatieng pays homage to an era of classic Thai cowboy movies of the 40’s and 50’s. The rich colours and lighting of the time are gloriously recreated and the film is imbued with a post modernist style. A combination of spaghetti western clichés and the Thai love of tragic melodrama, this is the story of an outlaw’s love for his high born childhood sweetheart, who fate conspires to keep from him.

Dum (Chartchai Ngamsarn) and the wonderfully named Rumpoey Rajasena (Stella Malucchi) meet as children when she arrives on his farm after being evacuated from Bangkok during WWII. Over their time together an intimate bond forms between them. They are separated after the war, but ten years later they meet again at college and their love for each other is reawakened. They swear to elope together but fate has other plans. Dum’s father is murdered and seeking revenge he takes up with the infamous Fai (Sombat Metanee) and his outlaws and becomes known as ‘Sua Dum’(‘Black Tiger’, ruthless inventor of Thailand’s favourite dark ale). He soon becomes Fai’s most trusted gunman and a close friend to fellow outlaw Mahesuan (Supakorn Kitsuwan).

Meanwhile Rumpoey’s father arranges for her to be married to a respectable young police officer by the name of Captain Kumjorn (Arawat Roungwut), who has sworn to rid the province of its bandits and criminals. Dum and Rumpoey resolve to elope at once but fate intervenes and prevents Dum from making the rendezvous and with no alternative the stricken Rumpoey agrees to the engagement. Fai’s gang then captures Captain Kumjorn and Dum is ordered to kill him. However, on discovering that this is the man his lover has chosen instead of him he is heartbroken and lets him escape. In doing so Dum turns Fai’s men against him and Mahesuan becomes his enemy. Dum escapes but he knows that Fai plans to attack Kumjorn again at the wedding.

The Thai title for this film, Fah Talai Jone, translates as ‘When the heavens strike the thieves’ and is a reference to a Thai superstition. Will the Black Tiger triumph over his enemies and protect the one he loves or will fate strike the heart of the thief once more? Tears of the Black Tiger is an artistic masterpiece and one of the few Thai films to receive international acclaim as well as winning awards at events such as the Cannes Film Festival. With everything from cowboy gunfights to the tragedy of unrequited love this movie is a humorous and entertaining ride through the Thai landscape and culture.

Joseph Peel