Message from Clay Dube

[clay dube]

Teachers in the Torrance 2005 forum have been talking about the film The King and I. It's a popular film and one that we might take up here as well. It seems to me that (ignoring its historical accuracy for a moment), there are a few topics stimulated by the film that teachers and students might find interesting.

1. The interesting role played by Western tutors in Asia the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are books and films that might be drawn upon, not only The King and I, but also The Last Emperor for China (Reginald Johnston). Another interesting story is that of Elizabeth Gray Vining who died in 1999 at 97. She tutored the current emperor of Japan for 4 years and wrote Windows for the Crown Prince about it.

What does it mean that these countries imported teachers for future rulers? Of our own future presidents, what international training have they received? [Remember how Bill Clinton's time at Oxford actually made some suspicious of him -- in part because of his anti-war activities and in part because of his "not inhaling" while there. Clearly the candidate who speaks fluent Spanish will be attractive to a growing segment of the electorate. Some see Russian-speaking Condi Rice as a potential candidate, though only a few folks have been able to successfully run for the presidency without having been elected to others offices - think Hoover and Eisenhower, both wartime heroes.] In an increasingly global age, can we be content with monolingual and monocultural leaders? Or is it possible that only leaders such as those can be trusted to put American interests first?

2. The King and I offers cultural clash, gender issues, and the hint of romance. One might also compare the Yul Brenner/Deborah Kerr version (1956) with the more recent Chow Yun Fat/Jodie Foster version (Anna and the King of Siam (1999). One could also track down the Rex Harrison version (1946) and a Warner Brothers cartoon version.

Why has the story of Anna Leonowens so interested movie makers?

Here are a few links that may be helpful:
Dialogworks - ideas for teachers
http://www.dialogueworks.co.uk/newswise/months/nov/siamj.html

World Royalty - outline history of King Mongkut
http://www.royalty.nu/Asia/Thailand/Mongkut.html

Amazon - take a look at the customer reviews of the Chow/Foster version.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00003CWLF/002-6441553-5048814?v=glance&n=130&v=glance