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TEARS OF THE BLACK TIGER takes a journey back to a lost past – the heroic years of Thai genre cinema, when influences from Hollywood and everywhere else were subsumed into rollicking Thai melodramas for an audience of avid fans. Sasanatieng’s film is a brilliant pastiche of vanished themes, styles and characters, almost all of them easily recognizable as variants on the prototypes from other popular cinemas. But the film’s project is not simply nostalgic. Sasanatieng uses the tricks and tropes of film style from the 1960’s- iris shots, wipes, obvious back-projection – but combines them with a startling, modernist approach to color and storytelling. The result is not only unique in Thai cinema but also an entirely new way of looking at genre entertainment.
TEARS OF THE BLACK TIGER offers nostalgia as future shock.
When Dum, a young peasant boy, falls in love with Rumpoey, the daughter of a wealthy family, they vow that, whatever happens, they will one day be together. When they meet again ten years later, their rekindled passion is thwarted by the murder of Dum’s father by outlaws and by Rumpoey’s betrothal to a smooth-talking police captain. Dum soon transforms himself into the gunslinging bandit, “Black Tiger,” in order to infiltrate the gang who murdered his father. Fate will reunite the lovers one more time, but will they be able to continue their romance? Or will tragedy strike again?
 
Writer/Director...Wisit Sasanatieng
Producer...Nonzee Nimibutr
Line Producer...Bunbhot Ngamkhum
Executive Producers...Pracha Maleenont
Brian L. Marcar
Adirek Wattaleela
Cinematographer...Nattawut Kittikhun
Production Designer...Ek Iemchuen
Art Direction...Akradech Keaw Kotr
Rutchanon Kayangnan
Film Editor...Dusanee Puinongpho
Seua Dum (‘Black Tiger’)...Chartchai Ngamsan
Rumpoey...Stella Malucchi
Mahasuan...Supakorn Kitsuwon
Police Captain Kumjorn...Arawat Ruangvuth
Fai...Sombati Medhanee
Phya Prasit...Pairoj Jaisingha
Rumploey’s Maid...Naiyana Shiwanun
Kamnan Dua, Dum’s Father...Kanchit Kwanpracha
Sgt. Yam...Chamloen Sridang
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“A DELIRIUM-INDUCING JAW-DROPPER! Is it possible to evoke this movie without invoking two dozen exclamation points?” – David Edelstein, New York Magazine
“A SUPER-DUPER META-MOVIE! A delightfully unabashed affair that’s electrifying from frame one.” – Nathan Lee, Village Voice
“A CINEMATIC SUGAR RUSH. A joyful, exuberantly stylized hybrid of family saga, crime thriller, soap opera and Western adventure.” - Richard Brody, New Yorker
“AN AUDACIOUS, EYE-POPPING DEBUT.” – David Fear, Time Out New York
“SO RETRO IT’S CUTTING EDGE. It’s all trippy, kicky, cheesy, delirious fun.” – Jay Carr, AM New York
“IT’S A VISUAL RIOT. A joyfully, ingeniously convoluted thrill ride.” Simon Dumenco, Very Short List
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