After arriving in Siam, Anna soon finds that she has entered a completely different world and has great difficulty with the Siamese way of doing things. Indeed, she believes that the English way is the only way. She refuses to bow down at the king's feet, but instead of being angered by this, it seems he is enchanted. He admires her courage, and she admires his vision, and gradually they begin to understand each other. The way the film explores their relationship is one of its strengths, and this paves the way for some moving scenes in which the two actors really shine.
Anna and The King is an epic in every way. Using the most elaborate sets built since Cleopatra, the film brings new life to an old tale. It is a visual masterpiece which is not afraid to take its time, lingering on each scene to allow us to savour the exotic beauty of each location. Unlike previous films, it concentrates more on the political climate of the time. In those days, the British Empire extended as far as Burma, and this adds further complication to the plot which unfortunately I was unable to fully understand since it was conducted mostly in Siamese and the subtitles were, of course, in Finnish.
This is a beautifully made film which will probably not be to everyone's taste. Some will find it boring because of the subject matter, its length, and the fact that there's very little 'exciting' action. But if you're in the mood for some stunning photography and superb acting, I'd recommend Anna and The King.