Director Andy Tennant makes full use of the Prince's position, as a short voice-over tells us how the future ruler was influenced by his father and the foreign woman who touched their lives. Randall Duk Kim is perfectly cast as General Alak, a soldier and indefatigable politician, his grimaces and pronouncements memorable. Another star of this film is the costumes. Remarkable Victorian dresses adorn Anna and the Siamese women during the banquet staged to impress English visitors. Further, the colorful native garb is wonderfully designed.
Similar applause goes to the set decoration, such an important aspect in a period drama.
In this film we can trace the ideas upon which much of Western civilization was founded - especially the emergence of the importance of the individual, and the realization that love is the food without which the human soul starves. It's ironic that the king of the Siamese Empire, whose most trusted general hates imperialistic influences, ends up admitting that he can understand how a man could love just one woman, a way of life widespread in the West. The few scenes of violence remind us of the differences inherent in cultures distant in both miles and time. Viewers 10 and over will enjoy the action and learn from the history. Bj rn Erik Hundland .