LOVE breaks the CHAIN

Love truly knows no boundaries.

In fact, true love is esteemed, not in the king's relationships to her 100 wives and concubines, but between a reluctant concubine named Tuptim and the peasant named Balat she truly adores.

When an unwilling new concubine, Tuptim, is brought into the palace, it is implied that the king sleeps with her, though we see nothing but her worries over giving herself to a man she doesn't feel affection for which helps create a case that the sexual act is a cherished gift that should be solely set aside for an affectionate, monogamous relationship.

Tuptim is not happy inside the harem, living with the king and the royal family. She wishes for her freedom, to live peacefully with the one she loved.

Balat, Tuptim’s fiance, is brokenhearted when Tuptim was taken away from him and brought into the palace to become one of the king’s concubines. Because of his disappointment, he joined the monastery and bowed to become a priest.

Though, Balat and Tuptim are walls apart, they still send secret letters to each other by the help of Anna. Sending letters inside the palace is forbidden.

When Tuptim found out that Balat entered the monastery, she sneaked away from the palace and disguised herself as one of Balat’s fellow priests, just to be near and to see him in secret. Balat didn’t know about her plan to leave the palace, and did not recognize her.

The King and the authorities learned about what Lady Tuptim did. According to the bylaws, no concubines should have other man other than the king, otherwise they will be penalized. This is Lady Tuptim’s case. She broke the rules. They castigated and brought her to court for being guilty. Balat was also brought into court. He was accused for being the other man of Tuptim. And the two were punished and sentenced to death.

The two lovers were exposed to the public. The Siamese people labeled them as traitors of their country. Both of them are beheaded in front of many people.

Tuptim make her own decisions and ready herself to take responsibilities for her actions.

It is a true testimony of how their eternal love for each other can draw out all the way to the edict’s horizon of Siam. Their love for each other conquers over all.

The two chained hearts are now free from Siam’s rulings.

They proved that love is without limits, it means that everything is possible. Everyone has the right to be happy, just like anybody else, even if your happiness is different in the opinion of others.

Love for others.

It is emphasized also in the story. This love is accentuated when Anna rescues a caned servant from her mean master. Anna paid for the bond servant’s freedom. She didn’t think that she’ll break the system that exists in Siam. She stands up for what she consider is right.

To act humanely with no regard to Siam’s custom is Anna’s challenge to those who are in power. Though she is aware of this rim between slaves and authorities, her love and pity for servants does win through. Her sympathy to those people in lower class breaks the boundary of slavery.

For Anna, the chain of slavery shall be broken.

And these are the kinds of love that got our attention. The everlasting love shown by Tuptim and Balat and love for fellow shown by Anna.

The Chronicles of Siam

The exotic place of Siam has a rich way of life based on what we perceived in the film. Many of the ancient customs give Siam its unique identity; there are astonishing royal palace, wonderful temples, stunning dragon-headed royal barge, processions, Buddha’s images and lively trading in the haven of Siam.

Siam is a bunged nation with social caste rigidity and dependence on slavery under the iron hand of Monarchy. Slaves are treated as slaves and if they want to be freed, they must pay their master what their cost is.

The man’s authority and superiority is governing the whole Siam in the presence of a ruler, paternal monarch called the KING. In the film, the king wants to modernize his country to keep it safe from the threat of colonialism, thus the king’s decision will prevail over the land of Siam. Every time the king will pass a place, everyone should kneel or bow down before him. The paternal monarch is well-loved and deeply respected. Who dares to stand in the King’s presence and to stand up to him verbally through direct opposition and unsolicited opinions will be chastised or it will cause his or her death. Death! Those who go against the king will be punished and beheaded in front of the Siamese people. Also those who will defy Siam’s convention shall put to death.

Also, the king can marry many women as he wants. Concubines are the term for them. The concubine is taken away from her family to be one of the favorite sex slaves and then she will be exposed to the public. When a new girl is brought into the palace, it is implied that the king sleeps with her, though we see nothing but her anxiety over giving herself to a man she doesn't love which helps make a case that the sexual act is a precious gift that should be exclusively reserved for the king.

The king believes to reincarnation. When the king’s favorite daughter, Princess Fa-Ying, who has spirit of the playful monkeys, died because of cholera, his world turns up-side down. After mourning because of his daughter’s death and moving to a new life, King finds that one of the monkeys in the royal garden has "borrowed" his glasses, as his daughter used to do, he is comforted by his belief in reincarnation and the idea that Fa-Ying may be reborn as one of her beloved animals.

No ordinary Siamese can enter the majestic, forbidden place called the HAREM except the royal family including the noble children, wives and concubines of the king. Common people are constricted to cross the threshold of the fortress.

In the film, it is viewed that women in Siam has a struggle for independence and recognition in a male dominated world, a need that becomes even more challenged in Siam’s royal palace where women have virtually no status outside of the family role. Nobody eventually claims her place as the King’s equal.

Based on the film, it is clear that Buddhism is highly dynamic and vibrant. It is an important agent of change not only in the Royal family itself but also in other aspects of Siamese life. The King leads his children, wives, concubines and servants in a prayer.

Buddhism appears throughout the film, though it is never promoted as any better or more reliable than any other religion. The king prays to Buddha. A Buddhist priest will offer his life to Buddha by settling himself inside a monastery, like what Lady Tuptim’s true love, Balat, did.

And these are the different traditions and customs of Siam we observed as presented in the film.