This is one of the movies that made me fall in love with classic films as well as literature and history. That's a lot to pile on to one film, but there you have it. Impeccable casting, costume and set design, and the musical pieces are some of R&H's finest. Without giving up the grand finale, the story is part fairy tale, part morality tale, with vivid splashes of color from both the Eastern and Western worlds. Along with the radiant halls of the castle come some of the shocks of the cultural adjustments between Eastern and Western cultural (and ethical) norms. (I can't say more without giving up the major plot points. Check the movie out. A remarkable classic!)

A musical that tries to breach cultural clashes works pretty well. It's my understanding that due to respect for the King of Siam (Thailand), there was a lot of furor over this stage musical and the movie. Yul Brynner is a strong king with all his children idolizing him. He bullies his way around, sort of like Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music." Once again, a woman comes into the picture and tames the big guy. Of course, since the king is held in such high esteem, countrymen might find his behavior unsettling. Of course, it's a love story, and those are generally dominated by Western ideals. Brynner steals every scene and Deborah Kerr is pretty and intense and a match for him intellectually. The list of songs is wonderful as Kerr charms her charges. Great dance sequences and rhythms dominate.

It's 1862 Siam. Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) and her son Louis arrive in Bangkok. She's a strong-willed English lady who lost her husband. She's been hired to teach English to the children of King Mongkut (Yul Brynner). Prince Chulalongkorn is the oldest of the students. Kralahome is the Prime Minister. Tuptim (Rita Moreno) is a gift to the King from Burma although she's in love with Lun Tha. Lady Thiang is the head wife. The King is looking to modernize. Kralahome warns him of encroaching English imperialism. England sends Ambassador John Hay and his aide Sir Edward Ramsay who turns out to be Anna's former love.The colorful set designs and costumes are amazingly beautiful. They are grand and really pops on the screen. There are some classic songs like 'Getting to Know You'. This is a big lavish production. Yul Brynner is utterly memorable although his singing is nothing to write home about. He would win the Oscar along with the music, costumes, and set designs.

Nothing to dislike here. THE KING AND I is a sumptuous screen staging of a stage musical, replete with exotic locations and vivid song-and-dance numbers to keep the pace running along smoothly. It's a film that's bolstered by a fine pair of central performances from the perfectly-matched Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner, two actors who bring empathy, wit and warmth to their parts as governess and king respectively.Brynner in particular is one of those actors who's so memorable that I'll watch a film based on his presence alone. He's in his element here as the vain, arrogant, fey, funny and deeply human King of Siam, his energy helping bring the movie to life. Kerr is the emotional heart who holds it all together.The songs are fine and the moments of theatre are particularly good; the restaging of UNCLE TOM'S CABIN is, in particular, the highlight of the movie for me. But it's just one highlight in a movie that's full of them. Yes, some of the supporting performances are weak and often the theatrical roots of the production are all too evident, but for the most part this is great stuff.