Metro Australia — January 2018

(WallPaper) #1

66 •Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM


7KH W\SLFDO URDG PRYLH ĺQGV SURIXQGLW\ LQ WKH TXRWLGLDQ GUDZ
ing together apparently unrelated encounters into an overarch
LQJ HSLSKDQLF WDSHVWU\ ,WpV WHPSWLQJ WR VR FDWHJRULVH .LUVWHQ
Tan’s/NO XD   ZKLFK IROORZV WKH MRXUQH\ RI PLGGOHDJHG
architect Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroh) and his childhood
IULHQG D IXOO\JURZQ ,QGLDQ HOHSKDQW QDPHG 3RSH\H DFURVV
Thailand. While Thana and Popeye’s journey hit the familiar
narrative beats of the road movie, however, Tan’s screenplay
resolutely resists romanticising the open road.
That’s not to suggest/NO XDavoids the contemplative
rhythm found in the greats of its genre. To my eye, it most
FORVHO\ UHVHPEOHV t LQ ERWK WRQH DQG QDUUDWLYH t 'DYLG /\QFKpV
gentle3GD 2SQ@HFGS 2SNQX   MXVW WUDGH WKH ROG ULGHRQ
PRZHU IRU DQ ROG HOHSKDQW DQG 0LGZHVW $PHULFD IRU QRUWK
HDVWHUQ 7KDLODQG 7KH ĺOPV VKDUH WKH VDPH VHGDWH SDFH WKH
VDPH XQGHUFXUUHQW RI VXUUHDOLVP WKH VDPH GHĺDQFH RI D QHDW
narrative, while nonetheless coalescing into something coher
HQW $V LQ /\QFKpV ĺOP 7DQ IUDPHV KHU SURWDJRQLVWpV MRXUQH\
DV DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ IRU KLP WR UHĻHFW RQ KLV OLIH t WKH URDG EHIRUH
him, and the road stretching into the distance./NO XDposits
that the meanings we impose on our personal histories are just
as impermanent as the lines drawn on this road: fading into
oblivion, or replaced by fresh white paint after we’re gone.

Hero’s journey


:KHQ ZH ĺUVW PHHW 7KDQD KHpV XQGHUJRLQJ D PLGOLIH FULVLV
RI VRUWV 2ND\ WKDWpV QRW HQWLUHO\ WUXH t WKH ĺOP EHĺWWLQJ LWV
loosely nonlinear structure, opens on the open road as Thana
and Popeye commence their long journey – but, certainly, the
seed of the story comes from its protagonist’s increasing dis
satisfaction with his life.
7KDQD DSSHDUV RQ D PRUQLQJ FKDW VKRZ WR GLVFXVV WKH LP
SHQGLQJ GHPROLWLRQ RI *DUGHQLD 6TXDUH D %DQJNRN KLJKULVH
WKDW KH GHVLJQHG DV KLV oĺUVW SURMHFW DV NH\ DUFKLWHFWp IRU WKH
6WDU 'HVLJQ $VVHPEO\ ĺUP 1RZ WKDW KH KDV WR ZRUN DORQJVLGH
WKH FRPSDQ\pV QHZ \RXQJ &(2 KLV GLVFRPIRUW DW WKH HUDVXUH
of his legacy is palpable. ‘We were young and idealistic then,’
says Thana, while his boss nonchalantly observes that ‘the old
has to make way for the new’.
7KLQJV DUH QR PRUH ZHOFRPLQJ DW KRPH 2XU DJHLQJ DUFKL
WHFW OLYHV LQ DQ H[SDQVLYH PRGHUQ KRXVH EXW GHVSLWH VXFK
opulent surrounds, the atmosphere between him and his wife,
%R 3HQSDN 6LULNXO  LV WKRURXJKO\ IURVW\ 7KH ĺOPpV ĺUVW DFW
serves to emphasise Thana’s increasing irrelevance, whether
DW ZRUN t ZKHUH KH GLVFRYHUV D FULWLFDO PHHWLQJ KDV EHHQ FRP
pleted without his presence – or at home, where he stumbles
upon a vibrator barely concealed among his wife’s things.
This is a portrait of a man whose success has brought him
QR VDWLVIDFWLRQ
(QWHU 3RSH\H 7KDQD ĺUVW VSRWV WKH HOHSKDQW EHGHFNHG LQ
FRORXUIXO VKHHWV DV KHpV GULYHQ DZD\ IURP WKH WHOHYLVLRQ VWXGLR
KH ODWHU UHWXUQV WR ĺQG WKH FUHDWXUH ZKLFK KH LGHQWLĺHV DV KLV
childhood ‘pet’ when it responds to an old song they once
shared. After buying Popeye – now named ‘Chang Beer’ –
IURP KLV RZQHU RXU SURWDJRQLVW GHFLGHV WR VHW RII IRU KLV KRPH
WRZQ RI /RHL )RU 7KDQD WKH HOHSKDQW DQG WRZQ DOLNH UHSUHVHQW
the nostalgic promise of abandoned youth, the possibilities
WKDW ĺOOHG KLV KHDG DV D \RXQJ DUFKLWHFW t SRVVLELOLWLHVWKDWQRZ
seem to be decaying before his very eyes.
Tan and director of photography Chananun Chotrungroj de
pict Popeye with a soft, wistful gaze. The elephant is presented
DVDQLFRQtPHPRUDEO\FDSWXUHGLQWKHĻHHWLQJUHĻHFWLRQRI

D SXGGOH KDORHG E\ %DQJNRNpV QLJKWWLPH QHRQ OLJKWV t EXW
also shot with a sympathetic lens that evokes a distinctive
SHUVRQDOLW\ 7KDWpV GHOLEHUDWH DV 7DQ QRWHV LQ WKH ĺOPpV SUHVV
kit: ‘I wanted the elephant to be something that was true to
P\ FKDUDFWHUpV OLIH ,W ZDV GHĺQLWHO\ QRW JRLQJ WR EH DQ H[
RWLF 'LVQH\ HOHSKDQW SODFHG LQ WKHUH IRU FRORXUp^1 This intent
LV UHLQIRUFHG E\ GLUHFWRULDO FKRLFHV WKDW UHIXVH WR REMHFWLI\ WKH
elephant – Popeye is not merely a symbol of Thana’s youth,
EXW D FKDUDFWHU LQ KLV RZQ ULJKW^2
Thana and Popeye’s subsequent journey is framed as a
quest for meaning, a path into Thana’s past that interrogates
his future. This is all implicit – the architect explains the pur
SRVH RI KLV WULS WR QRRQH t EXW LWpV FOHDU WKDW WKH LPPLQHQW GH
VWUXFWLRQ RI KLV KLJKULVH FUHDWLRQ KDV SURPSWHG ELJ TXHVWLRQV
UHODWLQJ WR OHJDF\ DQG PHPRU\ 7KDQD PD\ EH WUDYHOOLQJ WR /RHL
WR UHOLYH KLV PHPRULHV RI D VLPSOHU WLPHRUSHUKDSVWR}VHHKRZ
(or if) he is remembered there.

Helpers on the path


Memory is integral to/NO XD
6LJQLĺFDQWO\ KRZHYHU IRU WKH
EXON RI LWV UXQQLQJ WLPH WKH ĺOP FDUHIXOO\ DYRLGV H[DPLQLQJ
Thana’s recollections in any great detail. He doesn’t regale
those he meets on his journey with stories of his past, nor are
ZH WUHDWHG WR ĻDVKEDFNV RI KLV FKLOGKRRG XQWLO TXLWH ODWH LQ WKH
SLHFH :KHQ WKH\ DUULYH WKHVH ĻDVKEDFNV FHQWUH RQ 3RSH\H
the discovery of the young elephant after Thana’s mother’s
death (while an episode of the/NODXDcartoon plays on televi
VLRQ  DQG \RXQJ 7KDQD DQG 3RSH\H IUROLFNLQJ LQ D /RHL ODNH
It’s clear that, in part, this is a formal strategy used to keep
WKH DXGLHQFHpV IRFXV RQ WKH SUHVHQW %\ UHGXFLQJ WKH HPSKD
VLV RQ ZKHUH 7KDQD LV JRLQJ ZH DWWHQG WR WKH SDUWLFXODUV RI KLV
encounters on the road – again aided by Tan and Chotrungroj’s
humanistic camerawork – rather than anticipating the destina
tion. But it also suggests an act of denial on Thana’s part: he

xxxx

For Thana, the elephant and town
alike represent the nostalgic promise
of abandoned youth, the possibilities
that filled his head as a young architect


  • possibilities that now seem to be
    decaying before his very eyes.

Free download pdf