Don't shed tears as 'Black Tiger' growls
Joe Nguyen, editor
April 6, 2007

Nothing says “I love you” quite like breaking a man’s flute.

In "Tears of the Black Tiger," director Wisit Sasanatieng pays homage to classic spaghetti Westerns such as "Once Upon a Time in the West." Although the story is cheesy and predictable, its vibrant colors and elaborate, blood-filled action scenes create 90 minutes of pure entertainment.

Before growing up to become the renowned gunslinger known as the Black Tiger, Dum (Chartchai Ngamsan) was a young peasant. After Rumpoey (Stella Malucchi), a daughter from a wealthy family, destroys his flute, the two kids venture to a gazebo at the end of a lake. Disaster strikes and they become separated. A decade later the two meet again, and repressed feelings emerge to the surface.

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures They can smell a pig from a mile away. Chartchai Ngamsan and Supakorn Kitsuwon in "Tears of a Black Tiger."

Most cowboy movies generally take place during the late 1800s or perhaps the early 1900s. But with "Black Tiger’s" rocket launchers and assault rifles, the time period appears to be post-World War II. Western purists may take offense at the odd time frame, but what’s cooler than a cowboy blowing everything up with a highly destructive weapon strapped over his shoulder?

Sasanatieng’s use of oversaturated colors creates Technicolor-like visuals. It’s like watching "The Wizard of Oz" if the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow were cowboys and the flying monkeys were the police. This technique works well in producing a dated style that lends to the film’s rustic aesthetics.

The film’s biggest strength is its over-the-top action sequences. People bust through doors, wreak havoc and kill everything in sight. In one scene, two opposing sides continue to one-up each other with their bigger and badder weaponry. The blood and brains that fly about in the ensuing gun battle would bring a grin to even Quentin Tarantino’s face.

The actual plot of the movie is nothing innovative. It’s a straightforward cowboy flick that explores love, betrayal and jealousy. But it’s not "Black Tiger’s" plot that makes the film enjoyable to watch. Rather, it’s the stimulating visuals and absurd actions that carry the movie.

In a time when Westerns rarely appear on the big screen, "Tears of the Black Tiger" is an entertaining and fun flashback to the days when the law of the land was ruled by the quickest hand.

Joe gives "Tears of the Black Tiger":

Joe Nguyen is the editor in chief for AsiaXpress.com. You can contact Joe via e-mail at Joe@asiaxpress.com.