User:Aitantv/Uncle Boonmee, Apichatpong
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Single channel film, stereo sound, 01:54:00 duration. Kick the Machine, Thailand.
- The film, which explores themes of reincarnation, centers on the last days in the life of its title character, who is played by Thanapat Saisaymar. Together with his loved ones—including the spirit of his dead wife, Huay, and his lost son, Boonsong, who has returned in a non-human form—Boonmee explores his past lives as he contemplates the reasons for his illness.
- Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was inspired by the 1983 book A Man Who Can Recall His Past Lives by Buddhist abbot Phra Sripariyattiweti. The film is the final installment in a multi-platform art project by Apichatpong Weerasethakul called "Primitive". It premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or, becoming the first Thai film to do so.
dinner scene - monkey host ghost
- outside under a warm hanging table lamp - sits Tong, Uncle Boomee, Aunty Jen - the sound of grasshoppers - single long takes with a static camera - after some mundane conversation - "Will you be comfortable in your bedroom?" "These chilli noodles are delicious" - aunty Huay appears, sister of Jen the wife of Uncle Boonmee, at first transparent -
- a monkey-man appears with beedy red eyes - Uncle Boonmee: "Jaai, is that you?" - the family turn to look towards camera - "Who are you?" "Boonsong", the monster replies. Boonsong is the spirit of the son of a Boonmee and Jen - now at the table is a monkey ghost and a ghost. "There are many outside now", explains Boonsong, "spirits and hungry animals like me" - Boonsong disappeared six years after Huay died - Boonsong found this strange monkey creature in the mountains when he was practicing "the art of photography" using Huay's camera - he eventually mated with a monkey ghost and left the world behind
- There are stakes - Uncle Boonmee has to settle his estate his farm -
- Jaai arrives, nephew of Uncle Boonmee, confused by Boonsong, the mokey ghost at the table - he will clean uncle Boonmee's kidneys -
the cave - at the opening of a dark cave - Uncle Boonmee "What's wrong with my eyes? They are oepn but i can't see a thing. Or are my eyes closed?" - Jen Maybe you need time for your eyes to adjust to the dark.- Boonmee "This cave... It's like a womb, isn't it? I was born here in a life I can't recall. I only know that I was born here. I don't know if I was a human or an animal, a woman or a man."
- the dark entrance to a cave - subtle natural light - a monkey ghost appears with the luminous red eyes -
- cut to exterior shot of dark blue misty forest, many monkey ghosts staring back - the red beedy eyes fixed on the camera