On Location with King Naresuan

ON LOCATION WITH KING NARESUAN

BY ANTONIO PINERA AND GREG PEEK

The taxi deposits me at the casting center for Naresuan 3 on the outskirts of Bangkok. It is 3 am. A young Thai dude named Eddie, who studied at Washington State greets me. A minivan awaits to transport us to Kanchanaburi for a two day film shoot. Eddie organizes the background players who are to be Portugese soldiers. They are a good bunch of guys. Many nationalities comprised the players; French, Iranian, American, and Lebonese. My role is Phraya Khung, a Portugese mercenary who enlists soldiers to fight for the Siamese.
It is dawn when we arrive on location at Kanchanaburi. The great independent film producer Sam Spiegel shot the classic movie, The Bridge On the River Kwai here in 1957. He possessed garrulous honesty and a capricious sence of humor. Three of Spiegel’s films, On the Waterfront, (1954), The Bridge on the River Kwai, (1957) and Lawerence of Arabia (1962) won best picture Oscars. Once asked why nobody made mfilms for a million dollars anymore, Spiegel replied “How can you steal a million on a million dollar budget?”
The Siamese sun rides high in the sky. The soldiers are dressed in period costumes from 400 years ago by the wardrobe department. I am attiered as a Portugese gone native in Thai garb of the period. I am led to make-up where the artistes apply a beard and wig fashioned into a ponytail. Transformation is complete. I gaze in the mirror  and see the poor man’s Akim Tamiroff. After breakfast we are instructed to be on stand-by on the set.
Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol, or Tan Mui, hails from a family of cineastes. His parents were co-founders of LAVO Motion Pictures.  The director is tall and distinguished with silver hair and glasses. Tan Mui attended UCLA film school, his classmates were Francis Ford Coppola and Roman Polanski.
He sits behind the monitor as we enter the set. The set is a magnificent piece of architecture. The interior motif is burgandy and gold.  The king’s gold throne is elevated above the heads of the players at the front of the mise-en-scene.  The Prince is seated on a luxurious palanquin in front. The nobles sit behind on claret velvet cushions next to red and gold tables with exquisite tea sets. The sides of the royal and court has gold candleabra with the supporting platforms in the form of naga snakes. The story depicts king Naresuan’s military and leardership skillsand expansion of the Siamese kingdom.  The project has estimated budget of 700 ,million baht making it the most expensive Thai film ever made.
The director of photography makes preceise and meticulous adjustments before every shot. He is a stolid Tuetonic bloke who takes great pride in his craft. The director signals for action. A crane with a camera man astride zooms in for a closeup of king Naresuan. Mr Yukol consults the monitor before each shot as he developes the scene. The DOP assembles the dolly for a tracking shot. The lighting is artfully prepared. The director signals for action. The cameras roll. The actors create a perfect take, the background players all applaud.
The shoot begins at 6 am and concludes at 9:30pm. We are ferried by minivan to the R and S hotel on the outskirts of town. I run into Dom Hetrakul in the lobby. Dom is one of the most popular actors in Thailand and a bit of a sex symbol. I had the pleasure of working with Dom on the Kingmaker, produced by David Winters. Dom is conversing with several gorgeous starlets at the front desk. Dom will shortly appear in the movie Bangkok Adrenaline, to be released in 2008, directed by Ray Huber and featuring Greg Peek as “Bulldog.”
I cruise the restaurant cum karaoke bar and wolf a cheeseburger and beer. It is nearly midnight. I crash out into a coma and am awakened at 5 am by khun Tip. She orders me to be ready in the lobby at 6 am.
The sun is rising as we arrive at the old army base that serves as the site for the shoot. Make-up artistes are transforming me once more into Akim Tamiroff, the character actor from days of yore who specialized in playing ethnics. Dom Hetrakul is having his make-up done. Dom informs me he is now the sole distributor of Triumph motorcyles in Thailand. Dom has got it going on.
We are told to be on standby. The actors assemble for interior shots. The placement has been shifted about, some actors now occupy the platforms in front of the candleabra. I am shifted from my palenquin to third row center. The director consults his video monitor and gives direction to an actor portraying a Japanese emmisary. The shots are rolling in good fashion. The DOP strides about arranging the lighting with great authority. One shot takes nearly ninety minutes to properly light. His work is fastidious, he is a perfectionist. The Director arranges a shot with a crane high above the king’s throne. Mr. Yukol calls for action. There is silence on the set. The crane and cameraman manuever like a praying mantis. As the king delivers his dialog. The Director is well pleased. It has been a good shoot. We are off early at sunset.
As I depart I thank Mr. Yukol for having me aboard. He is gracious and generous in the tradition of great filmmakers. The actors roll to wardrobe and make-up and change into our street clothes. We are taken by minivan to an office where we are paid. Eddie awaits us. A van drives up to fetch us. The Portugese men of war and I jam into the minivan for the long ride back to Bangkok.