"Tears of the Black Tiger" is a stylistic hybrid that brings together the cinematic excesses of Douglas Sirk and Sergio Leone, with a smattering of Quentin Tarrentino. The storyline and dialogue are strictly from hunger, but the voice-over narration can be hauntingly beautiful. It involves a poor boy who falls in love with the governor's daughter. They are separated in childhood and then reunited as adults. In the meantime, the girl has become engaged to a policeman, and the boy has linked up with a band of outlaws and is now known as the Black Tiger. His male-bonding with one of the outlaws is reminiscent of the Monty Clift/Arthur Kennedy relationship in "Red River." It's all very clichéd and yet strikingly original (I half expected a Brokeback angle). The music is folkish, the colors pastel, and the violence over the top. But somehow it makes an impression; this is a film that will continue to haunt me.

Parody/homage/ pastiche/(take your pick) film thats a send up of romance movies and Italian westerns. so over the top you'll wonder if there ever was a top, this is one wild ride, even by Thai movie standards.With blood and gore and painted backgrounds mixing with real locations and a very deliberate sense of reality this film is either going to strike you as a master piece or a piece of cow flop. I'm somewhere in the middle-leaning towards the dislike camp. The problem for me its so artificial I that I was watching the wheels and gears whir instead of watching the story unfold. I also am not really in love with the idea that this is almost two hours long. Overwhelmed with the artifice I turned it off a good clip in. The reaction is not really unexpected since I have a real love hate relations hip with the Thai film industry where I find I either lover or hate the films, there is no rhyme or reason other than I dislike most Thai horror films I stumble upon on my own.Is Black Tiger worth seeing (or should that be trying?)? Hell yea. There is nothing like it for shaking the dust from the notion of all movies are the same. There is nothing like this I've ever seen in the west and very few in the east.

No matter what title you want to issue it, this giddy western (eastern?) from Thailand is one to seek out if you like your entertainment loopy & left of centre. The film seems to have several over lapping plots, and probably twice as many sub plots. Don't let this throw you from having a fun time (just don't approach this with the same seriousness as you would approach a Merchant/Ivory production). The film features a top notch crackerjack cast of Thai actors (none of which I've ever heard of,but anyone with a knowledge of Thai cinema will probably go gog-ma-gog over their personal favourites). I especially admired the visual texture of the film, employing a palate of over saturated colour, giving it a look of classic Technicolor (as Hollywood & Europe used in the 1940's,until the old IB Technicolor process was pretty much phased out in the late 1970's). If you like your soundtrack music on the schmaltzy side, the music in this film will be right up your alley (if you've ever heard Thai pop music,you'll know exactly what I mean). Check your IQ at the door, sit back,relax & bask in (just under)two hours of Asian cinematic goofiness (i.e. have fun).

My experience with movies from Thailand have mostly been in the form of Tony Jaa and several movies by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (Last Life in the Universe, 6ixtynin9, and Transistor Love Story). Most people would probably just recognize the former and thus miss out on some unique creations. One such creation is Tears of the Black Tiger. To sum this movie up in one sentence : A Love Triangle, with the protagonist being a good guy by nature, but becoming bad by circumstance.It is hard to describe or categorize this movie, because it crosses over so many categories. At its core it is mainly a western, but not a "realistic" western (for example, Open Range or Unforgiven). Think more of an early John Wayne kind of western, but stylized to the nth degree (like in a spaghetti western) and taking place in Thailand. It is part homage and seemingly part parody of the stereotypical behavior in a western. I am not sure if the satire is intentional but it is definitely in the style of the classic western, albeit on 10 cups coffee. It is also anachronistic, as there are cars available yet most use horses. There is gun play, like in a western, but the addition of sub-machine guns and rocket launchers to the mix is what makes it parodic (along with the over-the-top acting and romantic melodrama).The movie uses stunning natural vistas along with theatrical-like set pieces, full screen closeups, contrasting vivid color, exaggerated facial expressions, unique camera angles, unexpected non-period weaponry and over-the-top acting. There is also a musical element to the movie. The soundtrack is mostly sung, but is quite catchy. You may find yourself humming or tapping your feet/finger. The above fore-mentioned elements is where this movie excels. The action sequences are violent and stylized (a nice touch with the gravity-defying blood). It is the what makes this movie unique and was gives it life. The romantic melodrama is the part that drags this movie down. At 110 minutes running time, it is at least 20 minutes too long. Most of that is monotonous, sappy, melodramatic and out-dated material related to the unrequited love story. For similarities, think of the "melodrama" of lets say, Gone with the Wind. Sex is implied after a sunset hug. For me, two people deeply in love with each other that never kiss, does not make any sense nor seem like normal behavior. This might be normal for a movie made in 1930, but it is very, very dated in the 21st century. I do realize that the director was going for the homage to a period movie, however, he focuses too much on it. A little less focus on the "love story" would have made this movie a bit more enjoyable. After watching 1/2 a dozen or so Thai movies, I have realized one thing. Thai is not a very romantic sounding language. It particularly sounds worse when whining or screaming. It sounds more like Klingon than anything else. So if you can imaging Klingons doing a Romeo and Juliet parody, then you can pretty much imaging what the love story will sound like here.Tony Jaa has taught me that a movie can be meaningless, convoluted to the point of incomprehensible, full of terrible acting and still be incredible enjoyable. If I am in a movie and I notice that my ass hurts or is numb, it means I am not engrossed into what is happening on the screen. That is unfortunately what happens during the non-action sequences of this movie. The love story drags you kicking and screaming from the nirvana of the action. I still recommend at least one viewing of this movie (I have seen it twice), although you may want to have some sort of medicine on hand. Also feel free to add your own dialog during the long, long, long dialog sequences, as the original may induce some sort of violent seizures.