This was my 6th Thai film - and I'm sorry to say I've seen 5 better ones! The only thing "intriguing" about the film is WHY it won a Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Since the French think that Jerry Lewis is a comic genius, I've long since given up trying to understand THEIR aesthetic. I'll relate the film to mine: While it's true that Southeast Asian film is just now dealing with the issue of homosexuality; and while it's true that Thai cinema is just emerging and probably needs encouragement - this film is a discombobulated mess.
The underlying psycho-political message is more than a little disturbing, too. To the extent that the Tiger stands for Desire - the message is either kill the Desire or the Desire will consume/kill you.
And thus the portrayal of the soldier's desire is conflicting. While in the first half of the film he seems to know exactly who/what he wants - in the second half of the film he is lost & confused, frightened by his Desire.
And there were simply too many "throw away" scenes - such as going into the cave with the weird Sister - and going to the Mall with the weird Sisters - and "meaningful glances" exchanged by both the solider and the boy and young women along the way - all of which give you a taste of urban Thailand - but towards what end? And the interplay of countryside ("traditional") versus urban ("modern") Thailand is messy, too.
If traditional values teach that such Desire is a bestial trap - it's pretty hard to see the urban "jungle" as offering any particular alternative "escape" in this film.
The underlying psycho-political message is more than a little disturbing, too. To the extent that the Tiger stands for Desire - the message is either kill the Desire or the Desire will consume/kill you.
And thus the portrayal of the soldier's desire is conflicting. While in the first half of the film he seems to know exactly who/what he wants - in the second half of the film he is lost & confused, frightened by his Desire.
And there were simply too many "throw away" scenes - such as going into the cave with the weird Sister - and going to the Mall with the weird Sisters - and "meaningful glances" exchanged by both the solider and the boy and young women along the way - all of which give you a taste of urban Thailand - but towards what end? And the interplay of countryside ("traditional") versus urban ("modern") Thailand is messy, too.
If traditional values teach that such Desire is a bestial trap - it's pretty hard to see the urban "jungle" as offering any particular alternative "escape" in this film.