NANG NAK

1999

Directed by Nonzee Nimibutr

A.K.A. Hell hath no fury like a woman in love

Plot The setting, Thailand (nee Siam), Hundreds of years ago. Mak, a young man, is drafted to fight in his country's war, leaving behind Nak, his pregnant wife. While away in battle, Nak mopes in her hut, crying her eyes out in lonliness. Then she gets a visit from a door-knocking spider, apparently an ancient Thai mythological omen of death. Apparently a true omen at that, as it seems that Nak is dying in labor, as her midwife and her cronies steal her stuff. And these are the TRUSTED midwives. Later, Mak returns home to find his wife waiting for him, cradling their son. This may seem obviously eerie, but lets not forget that Mak doesn't know his wife died or that he's being greeted by a ghost. To him, it's just a return to his happy family. Everything falls back into normalcy for the jungle family, save that suddenly Nak seems clingier than ever. Almost annoyingly so. Slowly, by night, the graverobbers that wronged Nak are mysteriously killed. Meanwhile, some of Mak's old friends become enemies to him, when they start trying to tell him that Nak in fact died. A monk in town tries to convince Mak that the others are telling him the truth. Then some of his friends start disappearing suspiciously. The monk advises he look at his household in a traditional Thai way to see spirits. That would be looking between your own legs. Why that path opens up the ghost world is anyone's guess. The rumors start getting to Mak, and one night, on a whim, he decides to finally look between his legs at his home. He's shocked to see that yes, his family are indeed dead, and his hut is in fact in shambles, instead of being the nice, proper tree house it's supposed to be. It's all true, and Mak is at a loss for what to do. He takes shelter in the local monastary. Unfortunately, Nak is a tougher ghost than that, and some monks praying is hardly enough to stop her from getting to her man. Can anything get between Nak and her husband, or will Mak be forever haunted by this spirit?

Rating I give Nang Nak: Four Rotting, Shambling Corpses out of Five Nang Nak is supposedly an ancient folk tale in Thailand, and it has been adapted to film several times, usually to the detriment of the story. In one version, Mak wishes to remarry, and Nak does all she can to prevent it. Nimibutr, meanwhile, uses the story to explore the rich culture and the jungle environment that are lacking from Thailand today. During the scenes in Mak and Nak's hut, you almost feel hot just watching. The claustrophobia and humidity of the environment never leave the mise en scene. Nak is a fierce spirt, not to be underestimated. Nimibutr reportedly traveled from temple to temple, seeking to put Nak's spirit at ease prior to shooting the film, to avoid her wrath in production. Also, if you don't feel pain when you hear actress Intira Jaroenpura cry out as Nak for her beloved Mak, then you are a heartless soul.

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