Rashomon effect

Hot stars take on a classic

By Tatat Bunnag
Photographs by Varuth Hirunyatheb and
courtesy of Sahamongkol Film International

Hitting cinemas this week is the highly anticipated Umong Pha Muang (The Outrage), directed by a renowned filmmaker ML Bhandevanop Devakula (Mom Noi).

The Outrage is an epic adaptation of Rashomon, a classic 1950 film by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. It has been made to commemorate the 100th birthday of the late MR Kukrit Pramoj, who translated the original film into Thai.

Set during the Lanna period 500 years ago, The Outrage is a crime mystery story involving a warrior, a monk, a bandit and a beautiful princess, told from several different points of view.

Starring in The Outrage are superstars Ananda Everingham (29) and Mario Maurer (22), who play the warrior and the young monk respectively.

Student Weekly recently caught up with Ananda and Mario for an exclusive interview about the making of The Outrage.

Student Weekly: How did you both become involved in this project?

Mario: I was invited by Mom Noi and I accepted it right away. I knew that this movie was going to be something special.

Ananda: Mom Noi directed my first movie, and we've always talked about working on another project together. Mom Noi had the idea to remake Rashomon about 10 years ago, but the project was postponed until recently.

Student Weekly: Ananda, is it true that you were originally chosen to play the part of the young monk?

Ananda: I was going to play that part when the film was first planned 10 years ago. I was 18 at the time, but now I'm too old to play the monk. Mom Noi asked me to play the part of the warrior instead.

Student Weekly: Are you guys fans of the original Kurosawa film?

Ananda: I first saw Rashomon when I was a kid, and Kurosawa is one of my favourite film directors. He's a legend and an icon for people interested in cinema.

The Outrage is slightly different from Rashomon. It has the same characters and plot, but the way the story has been interpreted is quite different.

Student Weekly: Mario, this is your first time acting in an epic drama. How did you prepare for the role?

Mario: It was tough for me. As everybody knows, I've mostly acted in teen romantic comedies. In The Outrage, I played a monk who lived 500 years ago, and I had no idea what life was really like back then. Mom Noi taught me a lot during the filming.

Student Weekly: Did you really shave your head for the film?

Mario: No.

Ananda: He wasn't man enough to really shave his head! [Laughs.]

Mario: I had a lot of modelling jobs and I was also filming TV drama at the same time, so I couldn't do it.

Student Weekly: How did you guys feel working together for the first time?

Mario: I felt honoured. Ananda is one of my heroes and I grew up watching his movies. But he teased me a lot during the filming!

Ananda: I have to admit that I didn't like Mario much at first. [Laughs.] It wasn't anything personal, but I only knew him from his teen idol image. But once I started to work with him, I realised that he's serious about his work and he puts in a lot of effort. I was quite impressed.

Student Weekly: What is the most interesting thing about The Outrage?

Mario: It's a great film and I'm really proud to be part of it. There are lots of philosophical and moral lessons in the movie. All of the dialogue is meaningful and very beautiful.

Ananda: It's a remake of a classic movie, so the story is already great. The film teaches you that nothing is certain in this world, and that you can't always tell the difference between truth and lies. It's a film leaves you with questions to ask and things to think about.