Bangkok Love Story

I’ve heard about it but nothing prepared me for the most tragic gay film I’ve ever seen. Bangkok Love Story. Mek (Rattanaballang Tohssawat) seized (the film’s in Thai language so forgive me if parts of my humble summary raises your brows)  a police officer, Iht (Chaiwat Thongsaeng). The latter has knowledge of the assassination of the “General”. Mek, being  an assassin himself, was asked by the perpetrators to chase Iht and ultimately kill him afterwards. But he disobeyed his bosses when he discovered that not only was Iht innocent he was a good (looking) guy. Mek was shot in his shoulder as he tried to save Iht from his gang. 

Iht took care of badly-hit Mek in a secluded rooftop bunk in downtown Bangkok. The story went on to tell of the harrowing home-life of Mek. His abusive stepfather infected both his brother and mother with AIDS. Mek apparently has no other means of supporting his family financially aside from being a hired killer.

In that little bunk both Mek and Iht found an undeniable bond. Mek tried to shun the feeling he has for Iht in account of what has happened to his family. But as you will learn from this movie - You can deny love but you can’t deny longing. I’m not one for dishing out spoilers. All I can say that this movie is simply beautiful. It will linger on you like Jollibee hamburgers. You may find a buncha cliches here and there but just give the movie a chance to grow on you. 

One weak point of the movie is it tried to discuss alot of issues. Prostitution, poverty, abuse, AIDS, suicide amongst other socio-political issues in very melodramatic lines. The script needed some revisions. Good thing the movie wasn’t all words. The gloomy cinematography and ingenious camera shots saved the film. 

It’s available in youtube. Go watch it. It’s gonna hurt you in the heart a little. You might even say that the movie is just hard on itself. The director and writer admits that it’s a tragedy but get beyond that, or better yet embrace it, only then will the essence of the movie unravel before of you. I cried the hardest in the last scene. Ayan naiiyak na naman ako. WAAAAAAAAAA!

A host of things I picked up from Poj Arnon’s film.

1. AIDS is not always a self-inflicted sickness. I’m happy that the director highlighted this because even to this moment were we boast of the internet, many are still ignorant not only as to how people contract it but also how a PWA (persons with AIDS) must be dealt with humanely. It’s time that the world erase the stigma it has for AIDS and focus more on how spread the knowledge about it.
2. Life is a tragedy. Unless we realize this we will not grow. Personally I thought that the Bangkok Love is not purely fictional certain poignant bits from the film are happening as I’m writing this post to somebody somewhere.
3. I’m happy that this movie highlighted the emotion of the protagonists for each other. Many gay themed films hide in the guise of art and the “indie genre”. Sadly most of them paint a bad image of the gay community with how they develop their story. I believe that a cinephile can see eroticism and passion even if they don’t see a throbbing dick. It’s time that the world see us in a respected light. (With that being said, there’s no frontal nudity in this movie.)
4. If you love someone don’t wait out too long to make it known.