Synopsis

A pastoral love story between a young man and woman. The first half of 〈Mon-rak Transistor〉 is filled with lyrical scenes of Thailand’s pristine landscapes which present themselves as a blessed paradise. This paradise turns into a nightmare when Pan joins the army, leaving the pregnant Sadaw behind. Pan wins second place in the military song contest, which inspires him to become a deserter and head for Bangkok to become a singer. Clearly, 〈Mon-rak Transistor〉 is a film about the conflicts between the countryside and the city. Exploited and miserable, Pan’s downfall in the big city is depicted through the dark images of the night in contrast to the bright images of his life in the countryside. When Pan finally makes it on stage, he wins the enthusiastic approval of the crowd. But his happiness is short-lived when he ends up murdering his gay boss, who attempts to seduce him. The rich landscapes and the musical-like scenes enhance the conventional but insightful narrative that explores the extreme clash between tradition and modernity in contemporary Thailand. (Lee Sang-yong)

Director

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  • Pen-ek Ratanaruang
  • Born in 1962, Pen-ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is well known for his arthouse film <Last Life in the Universe> and is regarded as one of the leading figures in the Thai film industry, along with Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. His debut film, <Fun Bar Karaoke> (1997), premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and was screened at multiple film festivals worldwide. His third feature film, <Mon-rak Transistor>, was first introduced at the Directors' Fortnight of the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.