Tears of the Black Tiger | DVD Review

The spaghetti western, once home on the range to actors like Rex Harrison and Lex Barker, nearly wasn’t – until they met Clint. In 1963 a burgeoning director named Sergio Leone was given $200,000, a load of old stock footage, and told to make a western. The result is branded in the annals of film history – Per un Pugno di Dollari — A Fistful of Dollars. Soon every investor from Europe to the back lots was clamoring to revitalize the western. The horse was put to pasture by the mid-1970’s, but it wasn’t until 2005 and Brokeback Mountain that the horse was believed finally shot. Enter writer/director Wisit Sasanatieng, riding high in the saddle to revise the old style. “Fah talai jone – Tears of the Black Tiger”. The Thai film was an instant cult hit, riding into the market like “Shanghai Noon” on acid. Sasanatieng shows homage to the greats that came before him with the flair of Leone and the violence of Sam Raimi.

When Dum, a young peasant boy, falls in love with Rampoey, they vow that, whatever happens, they will one day be together. Ten years on Dum (voice over by Philip Hersh), is the notorious gang-member ‘Sua Dum – Black Tiger’ (Chartchai Ngamsan). When he is commanded to execute police captain Kumjorn (Arawat Ruangvuth) who has one last request that Dum explain to his fiancé how he died. Dum realizes that Kumjorn’s fiancé is, in fact, Rumpoey. Will love win through? Or will the heavens strike the heart of the Thief one final time?

The film is billed as a musical western, and on that it delivers, in spades. The costuming is over the top with color that deliberately sets it apart from its forefathers in American and Italian cinema, but the musical numbers are rousing and enjoyable. The film plays with Leone style, plodding through the standardized plot of a B-western, but suddenly switches gears to a Raimi-esque blood and guts show. The cowboys carry ‘might powerful weapons’, including – ready – rocket launchers. Sasanatieng obviously places his tongue firmly in his cheek with this project, but the influence of, and reference to, western films is unmistakable.

“Tears” is Sasanatieng’s first attempt at helming, originally released in 2000, and is to date his only award nominated/winning project. It was nominated for 3 Grand Prix awards and appropriately won the Dragons and Tigers Award at Vancouver. Following “Tears”, the director took a few years off before coming back with “Citizen Dog” and “The Unseeable” in 2004 and 2006 respectively. He is currently working on a project in Singapore entitled “Armful”, which is in pre-production.


“Tears of the Black Tiger” has been previously released on DVD, but the new uncut version offers a true look at Sasanatieng’s work, including his ability to tie up the loose ends left writhing on the cutting room floor in the previous version. Presented in Thai, the DVD offers the options of an English dub (for that truly spoof feel), or English subtitles. The extras are interesting, but don’t really add anything to the work.

“Tears of the Black Tiger” is Sasanatieng’s experiment in film technique…EVERY film technique. He dips his brush over and over, painting the screen like a Warhol abstract. It is a classic in the sense that John Water’s films are classic, “Rocky Horror” is classic, and “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” are all classics. The major difference is that I would watch Waters, Rocky and Priscilla over and over. Once is enough for “Tears”. Walk, don’t run, to your keyboard and add “Tears of the Black Tiger” to your Netflix or Blockbuster queue sit back and laugh. Then mail it back in the morning.

Movie rating – 3

Disc Rating – 1