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Specifications: - Region 1 - Run time: approx. 147 min. - Subtitles: English, Spanish - Scene selection: static - Package: Keep case
Video Features:
Audio Features: - English: Dolby Digital 5.1 - English: Dolby Surround - French: Dolby Surround
Bonus Materials: -
Commentary by director Andy -
"Behind The Scenes" television -
Seven deleted and extended scenes - Theatrical trailer -
"How Can I Not Love You" music
Theatrical Release: 1999 DVD Release: 10/31/00 Review Date: 11/13/00
List price: $ 26.98 On-line price: $ 18.89 Pre-order price was: $ 18.89
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| Anna
and the King Special Edition |
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Starring:
Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat,
Director: Andy Tennant
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for war and execution violence) Genre: Romance - Drama Studio: 20th
Century Fox (Fox Home Entertainment) |
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Movie: B+ Video: A- Audio: B+ Extras: B+
Summary:
"Anna and the
King" is a beautiful re-make of a classic true story.
tography make this a very compelling movie.
Both fans of this timeless
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The Story
Jodie Foster stars as Anna Leonowens and Chow Yun-Fat plays the King of Siam in this re-make of a classic true story. Anna is a widow English schoolteacher who comes to Siam to educate King Mongkut's 58 children in English, science and literature of the Western world. Immediately upon her arrival, she is challenged by the ways of Siam. And upon her (self) introduction to the King, he becomes challenged by her ways of the West. But out of mutual respect, they gain an understanding for one another and become more open to the other's culture and perspective of the world. In the classroom, Anna warms up to the children and eventually manages to overcome their resistance to her Western teaching and educates them in Western literature and values.
All the while, the world around Siam is crumbling under political turmoil. King Mongkut must use his worldly understanding of politics to lead his country through this period of political disorder and to keep his family safe from harm. With help from Anna, he throws a party for English nobles and diplomats (a first for Siam) in the hopes of maintaining peace with neighboring countries. I'll leave it at that so you can enjoy the movie.
Although there are more family-oriented versions of the story, namely the original 1956 "The King and I" and the recent 1999 animation version of "The King and I", "Anna and the King" adds a new political twist to the story line. In doing so, there are scenes of war-time violence and an execution. These scenes are what gave this version an MPAA rating of "PG-13". (It is only suitable for older children and with parental guidance.)
"Anna and the King" is reminiscent of large epic productions. The costumes are exquisite and elegant, and the locations and sets are magnificent and grandiose. Both Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat gave excellent performances. Fans of this timeless classic and those uninitiated will definitely want to see this beautiful and elaborate re-make.
In the audio commentary, director Andy Tennant tells about the making of this epic picture and the numerous obstacles they had to overcome during their on-location shoots in Malaysia. Among other topics, the "Behind-the-Scenes" television special talks about the elaborate production design and costumes. A 7.5-acre set was built in Malaysia to replicate the King's palace, which turns out to be one of the largest sets ever built for a movie! Equally impressive are the detailed 5,000 costumes that were fabricated just for this production. I watched in awe as the featurette tells about the elaborate production, the sets, and the costumes. Wow, a true epic picture.
There are seven (the box mentions only six) deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary by Andy Tennant: "Prologue", "Epilogue", "Noviciation Ceremony", "Croquet Game" (extended scene), "See The White Elephant", "Anna Leaving House", "Rice Fields" (extended). The first two deleted scenes are most notable as they offer additional insights to the characters. In addition to the theatrical trailer, a music video entitled "How Can I Not Love You" is performed by Joy Enriquez. A beautiful voice.
Video & Audio
The image quality of this anamorphic widescreen DVD is very good. The colors are accurate and saturated, paying tribute to the breathtaking and visually stunning cinematography. Shadow detail is good. The Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound is well balanced and effective. The dialogue is clear and the engaging musical score beautifully enhances the mood of the movie.
Recommendation
In this re-make of a classic true story, "Anna and the King" introduces some new twists and together with wonderful performances and a spectacular production, this movie is definitely worth viewing. If you enjoy romantic, sweeping epic dramas, this movie should bring tears to your eyes and warmth to your heart. Fans of this classic story and sweeping epics will want to add this DVD to their collection.
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