Fuehrer - CAPS #2 - Anna and the King

     The Preceding video is the trailer for the movie Anna and the King which came out in 1999. The movie is about the King of Siam and a widowed schoolteacher from England, Anna Leonowens. The movie takes place during the 1860s. I choose this movie not only because it had several cultural patterns that I could explore, but it is also loosely based on actual events, which make it all the more interesting. The three patterns that I found most compelling in Anna and the King were ethnicity/nationality, gender/sex, and class. The patterns in this movie are demonstrated in an extraordinary tale of East meets West.
     In the movie all three of these cultural interactions seemed to intermixed and play off one another. As soon as Anna meets the Prime Minister, Chao Phya Kralahome, it is apparent that there is a difference between how Siamese and English people view sex and gender.

Anna - "Can you please explain to me why you call me 'sir'?"

Translator - "Women do not stand in the presence of His Excellency."

This very short exchange between Anna and the translator demonstrates that the Siamese do not view men and women as being equal, rather they believe that women are second rate and should bow to men and do as they are told. During the exchange between Anna and the Prime Minister we also get a glimpse into the ethnicity of the Siamese people.

Anna - "Can you please convey to His Excellency that my purpose here is as tutor to the king's eldest son, that is is not necessary to ask any more personal questions." "Please."

Prime Minister - "In Siam, sir, it is custom to first ask questions of personal nature to be polite."

Anna - "Mr. Prime Minister, I meant no disrespect."

Ethnicity is derived from the cultural traditions of a people, in Siam, at the time, it was a cultural custom to ask personal questions. This was seen as polite gesture to the Siamese, and as getting too personal with someone you just met to Anna. 

     One thing that I found very interesting in the movie was Anna's seemingly unwillingness to let go of her own ethnicity even as a guest in another country. I think this feeds into the stereotype of English as being "snobby or snotty." 

Anna - "Don't bother unpacking, Moonshee. It's only for one night. We shall all be settled to our satisfaction, or we'll be leaving as soon as possible." "In the morning i shall go directly to the King. A monarch who refuses to keep his word is uncivilized, unenlightened, and frankly, ungrateful. There are principles at steak here. Having a proper British household with some privacy is one of them."

This little monologue by Anna shows that while she is in a foreign land and part of another culture she is unwilling to give up some of the luxuries she is used to being from England. She believes that no matter where she is she is entitled to have a "proper English household." 

     Differences between how Anna and the Siamese view gender and class become very apparent when Anna first meets the King. She is given instructions about the traditions of the Siamese when presented to the King.

Prime Minister - "When presented to His Majesty, you and son will remember to touch forehead to floor."

Anna - "Your Excellency, although we have become better acquainted with your customs, we have certainly not forgotten our own."

Prime Minister - "Then how will you greet him?"

Anna - "With the utmost respect."

Before meeting the King, Anna believes that she should only have to adhere to her own customs regardless of those of the Siamese. At this time most people were not accustomed to travelling to such diverse countries, or being exposed to cultures based on a different idea of what it means to be polite and honorable. This lead to many moments such as when the Anna meets the King. Before Anna meets the King it would appear that she will not get the chance, but Anna finds this unacceptable. 

Prime Minister - "It appears sir must wait to meet His Majesty another day."

Anna - "No, I do not think so. Come along.

At a time when is not, according to Siamese tradition, approach the king Anna does just that. During this time she demonstates great bravery and undermines the tradition of the Siamese this shows a lack of respect to them, though I should assume that from Anna's point of view she was and even greater disrespect for being kept waiting three weeks to meet the king and then almost missing the chance. During this first meeting the king will admire her boldness, but scold her for her irritating superior attitude, that he finds most unbeautiful. Upon meeting the king's children Anna is shocked to find out that she will not only be teaching the eldest son, but all 58 of the king's children. I'm sure it must have been shocking for Anna to find out that the king had not only 58 children, but 28 wives. Anna comes from a culture that believes marriage should consist of one man and one women. I found it very interesting and kind of humorous that the king thought Anna was surprised that he did not have as many kids as the emperor of China, that shows a key difference in how the two cultures view family and what is considered to be part of a family. 

     There are many other differences between the groups as the movie progresses, however, they do come to understand and accept each other, and even grow closer as individuals.
Reference
Tennant, Andy(Director), and Meerson, Steve (Writer), Anna and the King, 1999(Motion Picture)