Siftings
Bangkok Dangerous as Morality Play: A film review
There is something to be said about a movie that wants to be a Morality Play, where Good triumphs over Evil in an unexpected, breath-taking way. Back in Europe of the Middle Ages, morality plays were shown along with other theatre forms like the Miracle and Mystery Plays which the Catholic Church encouraged to promote Christian virtues. These last two were plays centered on the Life, Works and Passion of Jesus Christ. Mounted on open stages at street corners, they invited the onlookers to stop and be involved in the sufferings and eventual Godhood of Christ, and thus attain salvation for their souls. But the Morality Plays were about ordinary people and how they can be saved. The most famous of these was "Everyman", which essays the temptations and triumphs of every man in his passage through the world. Of course the hero is Everyman/ Every Man.
In the film I am reviewing here, Everyman is the hero portrayed by Academy Awards winner Nicholas Cage. Supported by a competent cast of Thai actors, actresses and crew, Cage, with his usual depth of insight, delivers a riveting performance as an assassin-for- hire named, simply, Joe, who makes no distinctions between his client and victims. Cold and calculating in his efficiency, he goes by his 4 rules: 1) Don't ask questions. 2) Don't take interest in anyone outside of your work. 3) Leave no traces. 4) Know when to get out. He gets data of his assignments through a courier who collects a briefcase from a designated point.
But Joe is human: he makes the first mistake by taking a personal interest in his Thai assistant-courier Kong. Having broken first ice, he makes the next mistake by falling for a young deaf-mute druggist who is sweet and innocent. In a crucial park scene where Joe and the Thai girl are ambushed by a couple of assassins out to kill Joe while the girl's back is turned, Joe disarms both his enemies and shoots them dead. Of this the girl is unaware, until she feels the wetness of the blood spattered on her back, and turns around to find the dead bodies at her feet. The redness of the blood against the whiteness of the blouse is stark symbol of the violence that her innocence would be subjected to if she gets involved with Joe. She recoils from him in horror. Joe understands and accepts the rejection. In the end, Joe saves Kong and his girlfriend from the lair of the syndicate boss who had hired him for his last "job" but which Joe did not accomplish because Kong had insisted that the target was a "good man", a popular politician beloved and trusted by the people. When Kong stops Joe before the final showdown to ask why he will not escape but will go back to destroy the syndicate and its boss Surat, asking "Bad?", Joe answers simply: "Very bad." Here, Joe attains hero status, aligning himself with the Good.
In a climax that is totally unexpected, with the Bangkok police closing in on the car he is driving towards the gate, Joe the hero puts the bad man's high-caliber gun to his head with the bad man's head aligned to his, and pulls the trigger! Both die in a tremendous explosion of firepower that can only be cleansing: cleansing because at this point, the hero erstwhile anti-hero metes out the wrathful punishment of the gods on himself and his antagonist. Death to both evildoers. But in this last act and in the eyes of Kong, death is also martyrdom for the late assassin; for in his death, Good triumphs. Like in a morality play.
This ending was so staggering that I could only sit there, stunned and profoundly stirred. After all is said and done, Good triumphs over Evil in this modern morality play.
As Good should triumph anywhere, everywhere – we wish! Especially in this country of bad, very bad politicians!