Bangkok Love Story Of The Gay Kind

There’s a world out there in Bangkok you may not be too aware of. The world of lesbians and gays, a world of taboos and clichés. With Bangkok Love Story “the boldest Thai gay movie to date” has recently been released. Directed by Poj Arnon, the Thai flick is a gay romantic crime action drama. The story of a man who falls in love with a gunman who is assigned to kill him.

Quite a challenge to produce such a movie in such a society. We don’t want to dwell upon the sociological relevance of the movie, but when Bangkok Love Story was in preproduction in 2006, the Royal Thai Police raised objections to the script, which originally depicted a policeman falling in love with the assassin.

Both lead actors, Chaiwat Thongsang and Ratanabanrang Tosawat, are heterosexual. Chaiwat said he took the role because he wanted the “challenge” and to “become famous”. Ratanabanrang simply stated playing a gay man “is an honor.” Playing in a film, it has to be said, that is praised for being a departure from the genre which generally features coarsely stereotyped katoey transvestite caricatures ridiculing themselves.

Chaiwat said he had hoped camera angles could be used so he could avoid having to kiss his co-star, but director Poj Arnon insisted the kisses must be real. “It was totally disgusting at first, but we kind of got used to it after awhile,” Chaiwat said. Ratanabanrang said he had to imagine he was kissing his girlfriend. “Actually, we acted so well, that my girlfriend got paranoid.”

Both actors acknowledged that the film would be compared to Brokeback Mountain, but Ratanabanrang noted that Poj Arnon had the idea for Bangkok Love Story long before Brokeback had been adapted into a film.

Wrote a reviewer: “We went to opening night at the Esplanade in Bangkok. A pretty good attendance of mostly youngish Thai males. It’s basically the Thai urban version of Brokeback Mountain with more melodrama and lots of guns and shooting.

The central character is a hit man taking care of his mother and brother who have Aids. He falls in love with a married man that he was suppose to kill. They hide out together on a roof top with a nice view of the Skytrain and make love in the rain. They both have issues with being gay and work out them over time and some typical Thai shoot-em-up scenes and kick ass.

The photography was excellent, the movie was well made technically. Very nice views of Bangkok. For a change, a Thai movie portraying gays as men and not flamboyant stereotypes should be applauded. It lags at times and gets typically overly dramatic, but recommend it.”

Ready to shed some tears? Get a hankie and watch the trailer:







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April 17, 2008 | Filed Under Books & Movies, Culture & Arts, Nightlife & Entertainment, Truly Bangkok 

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