Such cross-cultural adventures by women were almost unheard of back then. Not surprisingly, Leonowens' book on the subject became a best seller. In a word, costumes. You can't dismiss Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat, of course. Indeed, the more familiar you are with the old musical, the more difficult it is to watch this new edition without hearing the missing melodies.
Familiar elements dominate.
Anna prefers English textbooks to ancient legends, and this doesn't sit well with his royal highness. She made the mistake of falling for a commoner, and in Siam this is simply not permitted. There are a few fresh touches. The international suspense element results in a visually stimulating invasion-battle sequence, for example. And Chow, as the shrewd, charismatic autocrat, helps us forget the bald, bare-chested cartoon of a king that Brynner burned into our collective memory.