Anna and the King Page #2

l am pleased to meet you.

This is my son, Louis.

Must not forget head wife.

The Lady Thiang.

lt is my pleasure that you help

make her a fine scholar also.

Lady Thiang.

Welcome, mem teacher.

Prince

Thongkon Yai.

Prince Suk Sawat.

Princess Kannika Kaeo.

And Princess Fa-Ying.

l'm not princess. l'm monkey.

My deepest apologies.

l study her in English myself.

Well, Your Majesty,

l am most flattered by your welcome.

And l find the opportunity

to be in a school an exciting one.

Such devotion to progress

is to be commended.

Reform is vital for my country's survival.

As tiny feet change, so too will Siam.

But being in a country

with so many unique customs,

if l am to raise my son to be like his father,

which l very much hope he will be,

then l must feel free

to follow our own traditions.

As a father, l understand.

Good. Then His Majesty will appreciate why

having a home outside the palace walls

is of such great importance to us.

A home which had been promised

but so far has not been provided.

lt is my pleasure that you live in the palace.

But it is not mine, Your Majesty.

You do not set conditions

of your employment.

And you shall obey!

May l respectfully remind His Majesty

that l am not his servant but his guest!

A guest who is paid.

Education begins tomorrow.

He sounds absolutely dreadful, ifyou ask me.

He did unnerve me, l must say.

Moonshee, why does

the king have so many wives?

That is an excellent question

for your mother.

Mother?

l heard you, Louis.

Well, Siam is a monarchy

just like England.

And one way that a royal family

maintains its control

in the face ofwar and disease

is to have as many children as possible.

So he needs a lot ofwives

to take care ofthem?

A keen observation, darling.

Time for bed. Come and give us a kiss.

Does he love all ofthem?

ln a way.

Like you loved Father?

Things are very different here, Louis.

Even love.

Go on. Offto bed.

Mother, why doesn't Queen Victoria

have a lot of husbands?

Good night, Louis.

l will never forget you... never.

My heart is yours, Tuptim.

l will always love you.

...always, Tuptim.

Remember!

l will never forget you.

Presenting royal school, sir.

ls anything wrong, sir?

No. Nothing at all, Lady Thiang.

Louis, that will be your desk.

Yes. Well, l suppose class is now in session.

Sit down.

Greetings, Mem Leonowens.

My father wish to give sir this

to put on path of good teaching.

Well, l shall certainly

bear that in mind, Your Highness.

May l compliment you on your English?

Siam - population six million,

spreading across 49 bountiful provinces,

from Burma in west to Cambodia in east,

presided over by King Maha Mongkut,

Lord of Life, whose strength

and power reach everywhere.

Not in my house, they don't.

Son ofteacher is forgetting l am son of king.

Son ofteacher couldn't care less.

You will sit somewhere else!

l will not!

Louis, remember what l told you.

l'm sorry, Mother. But he started it.

ln my country, man never tell woman

he is sorry about anything... ever.

lf you had father, you would know that.

You don't have a father! You have a map!

Louis!

- lt's forbidden to touch royalty!

- l didn't! l shovedyou!

Get one ofyour slaves to shove me back!

Get off me!

Let me through. Excuse me.

Stop it, Louis. That's enough!

The nobleman, Thak Chaloemtiarana,

Siam's most prosperous tea merchant,

pledges eternal loyalty and wishes to present

his most beautiful daughter, Tuptim,

for His Majesty's royal favor.

What has happened here?

The British boy

pushed Chulalongkorn, Your Majesty.

Why?

Prince insult memory of boy's father.

Finished.

You may go home.

Aren't you coming?

Not until Prince Chulalongkorn

finishes his task.

l'm sorry, Lady Thiang,

but supper will have to wait.

The prince has not yet been dismissed.

His Majesty King Mongkut

afraid schoolteacher

might get hungry during long night ahead.

He send food... for one.

Why does my father humble me?

He wants what's best for you.

For the moment, that includes me.

Why?

Most people do not see the world as it is.

They see it as they are.

And a good king needs a broader view.

Stay here, Your Highness.

What is that smell?!

She has been chained outside for six weeks.

All because she tried to buy her freedom.

Mem Leonowens, Jao Jom Manda Ung

is daughter of very influential family.

Yes. And when La-Ore offered her the money,

she took it. Her mistress took it.

Then she accused her of ingratitude

and chained her like an animal

where the prince and l found her.

Heir to throne must never be involved

in issue of bondservant.

lt will resolve itself in time.

Like my house?

You are learning.

Who would hang women and children?

They were Burmese.

So you've said.

But the puppet who leads Burma

has British strings.

Why would the lmperialists

use such covert tactics?

Because a war with one's neighbors

brings the British to the rescue.

Men like you, Alak, were not built

for so much peace and prosperity.

Peace makes men soft, Your Majesty.

The English define Burma as

a ''British Protectorate''.

Vietnam and Cambodia are known

throughout the world as

''French lndochina''.

What will they call Siam?

l have been doing much thinking,

mem teacher,

on why some in this life are masters,

like Jao Jom Manda Ung,

and others slaves.

That is something you need

to ask your father, Your Highness.

But you are teacher.

Teach.

This American woman - Harriet Beecher

Stowe - asked the same question.

Perhaps you should read her and then

we might continue our discussion.

A woman?

Yes.

Uncle Tom's Cabin.

l shall read it at once, mem.

You're trembling...

Do not fear, blessed one.

His Majesty is a kind and generous lover.

Come along, Louis!

Quickly. We don't want to be late for school.

Were you not commanded

to leave slave issue alone?

Your Excellency, l'm fully prepared

to obey His Majesty's commands

within the obligation of my duties.

Beyond that, l promise no obedience.

You will follow.

She tricked me!

She broke into my home,

set my servant free,

then came to me with an offer

to buy her and made payment!

La-Ore purchased her freedom once,

and l believe, had l given

this woman my ring first,

she would have taken it

and continued to hold La-Ore captive.

King's commitment to noble families

must not be compromised.

ln your letter confirming my employment,

you said you wanted Siam to take its place

among the nations ofthe modern world.

You spoke of building

something greater than yourself.

A country where no man is above the law.

Which is why l chose to come here.

Schoolteacher has outstanding memory.

l want my slave returned

and punishment ofthis insolent English

who dares stand before the Lord of Life!

Kralahome...

lf you would please honor

Jao Jom Manda Ung

with an explanation ofthe law.

Regretfully, l must inform you

that bondservants have the right,

by law, to buy their own freedom.

And what if every slave in my service

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote