Saving Private Tootsie
Director: Kittikorn Liasirikun
Starring: Sorrapong Chatree, Putthichai AmartTayakul,
Seri Wongmontha, Ornnapa Krissadee, "Som-O" Yonratee Komglong, Dr. Seri Wongmonta
Running Time: 96 minutes
Year: 2003
One of the more unique aspects
about Thai film that may strike many Westerners as odd or possibly even perverse
is the presence of transgender characters in many of their films. One of
Thailand’s biggest international hits was a film called “Iron Ladies” that
is about a team of transsexual/transvestite volleyball players. Its sequel
was released in 2003 along with two other films that featured stories around
these types of characters – “Beautiful Boxer” which is based on a true story
of a transsexual kickboxer who is very popular in Thailand and this film,
Saving Private Tootsie. Even in many of their other films, there are often
transgender characters thrown into the mix – often as comedic relief. In
Thailand this group of people are generally referred to as Katoeys or Lady
Boys.
The film initially strikes
you as a basic “gay” comedy with loads of catty remarks and the characters
being referred to – often by themselves – as fags, ferries, queens, queers
and daisies – but as the film progresses it surprisingly turns into a fairly
tense action driven plot with a nice emotional impact. Perhaps it may seem
a bit clichéd and contrived as it knocks you over the head with the
message that these people are human too, but it does it very well within
the confines of a good solid story that keeps your interest till the very
end.
A Thai commercial plane
goes down just inside the border of Burma and while most of the passengers
are saved and rounded up for return to Thailand, a small group of five of
them had run into the forest when they heard gunfire and become lost. This
group is a spectrum of transgendered males – from a basic gay man (played
by Dr. Seri, a famous gay spokesman in Thailand) to a snippy transvestite
(Tongtong Mokjok) to a young transsexual (Yonratee Komglong) only halfway
through the transformation (i.e. enhanced breasts but still with penis) to
an older bitter transsexual who considers herself a complete woman now.
The other side of the border
of Burma is not a good place to be – it is in a constant state of warfare
between the Thais, the Burmese, the local tribes and drug smugglers – it
is part of the infamous Golden Triangle. They are captured by the Tai Yai,
a militant tribal group, who accuses them of being a “gay tribal group that
plays with their assholes”. To which one of them replies, “We ferries must
eat men, mustn’t we”. The film begins turning serious though when the Tai
Yai attempt to turn them over to a small covert contingent of Thai soldiers
who have come to bring them back. The handover turns into a shoot out when
the Burmese show up and the Tai Yai think the Thais have betrayed them. When
the Thai government decides not to send in a helicopter to pick them up,
it turns into a dangerous and often deadly trek back to the border with land
mines and combat fire to contend with. There is also a fair amount of animosity
between the Thai soldiers and the gays that brings them to the edge of disaster.
One of the soldiers is played by one of my favorite Thai character actors
(Monrak Transistor, Last Life in the Universe, Crazy Cops) – and I finally
was able to figure out his name – Ampon Ratanawong.
The literal translation
of the Thai title of this film is “Pink Camouflaged Battling” and one has
to guess that the choice of the English title was a play on the American
films, “Saving Private Ryan” and "Tootsie". The remake rights have been picked
up by the U.S. company, Distant Horizon. As a note – a few of the songs in
the soundtrack are from a Thai group called Carabao. They are one of my favorite
groups – known for their political songs and great guitar driven tunes –
and their CDs are available through the Internet. I am not sure but the actor
who plays the chief of the Tai Yai may be the lead singer and writer of the
group. The actress/actor Yonratee Komglong who plays the young very feminant
transsexual has apparently become quite the celebrity and poster "girl" because
of this film and will be appearing in other films - there is one shot of
her that I have to admit reminded me of Joey Wong in Swordsman II!
My rating for this film:
7.0