The King and I

Length: 133 Minutes

I've seen this one.

Is it loyal to the book? I have not read the books. It is worth noting that even though it appears to be loyal to the books... well the books probably definitely aren't loyal to history.

Best character: Hmmm... I love the King, flawed as he is. He has a very different sort of redemption story than one often finds in a movie, etc., etc., etc.

But is it art? It's a musical! I love big Broadway style musicals and this one comes from the masters Rodgers and Hammerstein! I'm sure you've heard some of them in your life, if you haven't it is never too late! However, only one song truely stands out in a can't-get-it-out-of-my-head sort of way:

Major Flaws: Let me tell you a story history. It is about a wonderful white woman who bravely moved to another country (one where people are not white). She saw that they had horrible not-white ways and set forth to change that... That may be an over simplification, but the sentiment is certainly there, and it was the '50s so they didn't really bother trying to hide it, unlike the remakes that have occurred. But, in a way, it's the honesty that makes it watchable. It is a gorgeous film and, while watching, it can be hard to not get swept up in the story.