My wife has trouble telling who the good guys are in foreign movies

[Gecko123]

Years ago, I was watching a John Wayne movie with my wife. The wagon train was encircled. Arrows were flying thick and furious. I noticed every time an Indian got shot off his horse, my wife would clench her fist slightly. To my horror, I realized that she was rooting against the Indians.  After the movie ended, I tried to explain that the Indians were the good guys. 'The white man was trying to steal their land and exterminate them, and they were just trying to defend their way of life,' I explained. "Think of them as 'the Thai people'", I said.

 

Another time, I had to explain to her that that the little girl hiding in the attic was the good guy. Not the guys running around with machine guns trying to find her, even though, admittedly, they had very spiffy black uniforms.

 

Or that the people on the bridge with the 'We Shall Overcome' signs were the good guys, not the billy club wielding state troopers on horseback.

 

Or that you're not supposed to be rooting that the runaway slave in 'Durango Unchained' or '12 Years a Slave' will get caught. Yes, I understand, honey, why you might think the guys dressed up in white hoods and sheets are sanook, but, trust me, they're not nice people.

 

I've started to realize that a Thai who is unfamiliar with the historical and cultural context in which a Western movie is set, can very easily miss the message of the movie. I hope people will take the time to explain the historical and cultural background behind movies so Thai people don't draw the wrong conclusions from foreign movies. Make sure your Thai loved ones know who the "good" or "Thai" person in the movie is.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Gecko123

[roo860]

Years ago, I was watching a John Wayne movie with my wife. The wagon train was encircled. Arrows were flying thick and furious. I noticed every time an Indian got shot off his horse, my wife would clench her fist slightly. To my horror, I realized that she was rooting against the Indians.  After the movie ended, I tried to explain that the Indians were the good guys. 'The white man was trying to steal their land and exterminate them, and they were just trying to defend their way of life,' I explained. "Think of them as 'the Thai people'", I said.
 


Another time, I had to explain to her that that the little girl hiding in the attic was the good guy. Not the guys running around with machine guns trying to find her, even though, admittedly, they had very spiffy black uniforms.

 
Or that the people on the bridge with the 'We Shall Overcome' signs were the good guys, not the billy club wielding state troopers on horsebacks.


 
Or that you're not supposed to be rooting the runaway slave in 'Durango Unchained' or '12 Years a Slave' will get caught. Yes, I understand, honey, why you might think the guys dressed up in white hoods and sheets are sanook, but, trust me, they're not nice people.


 
I've started to realize that a Thai who is unfamiliar with the historical and cultural context in which a Western movie is set, it can very easy to miss the message of the movie. I hope people will take the time to explain the historical and cultural background behind movies so Thai people don't draw the wrong conclusions from movies. Make sure your Thai loved ones know who the "good" or "Thai" person in the movie is.

Probably by the time I'd explained it the film would have finished, my wife's favourite series was Spartacus, loved it.

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[Odysseus123]

I always rooted against the injuns..

 

And usually the Americans make it so easy.

 

Guys in white hats-goodies

black hats-baddies..

 

Headband,bad body odour,attitude and an M79 grenade launcher-deranged Vietnam War veteran with a bad wisdom tooth..

[CharlieH]

If there is no drum roll, whistle and cymbal clash it wont get the wifes attention at all !

[lovelomsak]

Watched Avatar with the wife last week. 

  After it was over I ask her if she understood the movie she replied no. She could figure out what the show was about.

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, lovelomsak said:

Watched Avatar with the wife last week. 

  After it was over I ask her if she understood the movie she replied no. She could figure out what the show was about.

Entirely understandable,

Not enough ghosts, bells, whistles and staff slapping in it.

[H1w4yR1da]

"Years ago, I was watching a John Wayne movie with my wife. The wagon train was encircled. Arrows were flying thick and furious. I noticed every time an Indian got shot off his horse, my wife would clench her fist slightly. To my horror, I realized that she was rooting against the Indians.  After the movie ended, I tried to explain that the Indians were the good guys. 'The white man was trying to steal their land and exterminate them, and they were just trying to defend their way of life,' I explained. "Think of them as 'the Thai people'", I said."

Most ridiculous explanation and comparison I've read in a while. I take it you're a liberal.

[CharlieH]

    OP, sorry I refuse to believe "John Wayne" was EVER a bad guy, just not possible.????

[RichardColeman]

Be fair, she's living in a country where an army overthrew the government and claim to be the good guys while having their snouts in troughs and doing nothing for most Thais other than delaying elections. With 'good guys'  like that, no wonder she is confused !

 

By the way , my wife (thai - and a school teacher) had never heard of 9/11 !

[KC 71]

Thai Movies,guy with deep. Voice- Man of Stature/0r baddie.
High squeeky voice- usually a baddy also.
Medium voice/quietly spoken-usually the handsome hero ! [emoji2]


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[david555]

Strange.... I have the same problem here in Pattaya ….watching around ... 

[KC 71]

Comedies and trans- it gets even more comlicated


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[Essex Reject]

Are you that bored?

[tutsiwarrior]

 

my wife watched James Dean in Rebel without a cause some years ago and was convinced that he was a good guy and it was quite obvious that she was in love with him...

 

she didn't believe me when I said that he was killed in a car accident 60 years ago...

 

 

 

[Damrongsak]

36 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said:

my wife watched James Dean in Rebel without a cause some years ago and was convinced that he was a good guy and it was quite obvious that she was in love with him...

 

she didn't believe me when I said that he was killed in a car accident 60 years ago...

Shw her this.

 

 

[tutsiwarrior]

1 hour ago, Damrongsak said:

Shw her this.

 

 

 

well, recklessness was always part of his appeal...he was a major acting talent and with Giant and East of Eden you knew that he was going places...

 

one of the original icons of youth rebellion...he was always a good guy...my wife was a conservative farm girl from Suphanburi and she could see that...but she had an amazing perception I must admit...

 

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2019 by tutsiwarrior

[Damrongsak]

20 minutes ago, tutsiwarrior said:

... well, recklessness was always part of his appeal...

He owned the car for one week.  Apparently he met Alec Guinness at a restaurant the day he got the car and Alec told him not to drive it. If he did, he'd be dead in one week.  And that happened.  Others who got parts of the wreck went on to die or be injured. Creepy.

 

My wife likes all the old movies from the 30's, 40's and 50's or thereabouts.  Things like The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca.  Easy enough to understand the dialog and the plot.

[tutsiwarrior]

yeah, I was with a bar woman in HCMC, it was regular arrangement and we would hang around together for a few days when I had the time off... and we had the TCM channel at our hotel and watch old movies, her english was good and she didn't need subtitles...and she would say that was mighty fine and then I'd expostulate about the merit of classic cinema...it was good and we had more meaningful sex later on sorta like bogie and Ingrid Bergman taking it to sexual completion in Casablanca...and later discussed movies over supper...

 

and then there was the woman in Santiago Chile and we watched the famous tearjerker Terms of endearment and she turned to me with her face wet with tears and said you wanted me to watch that so that you could see me cry, didn't you?! but it was on chilean network TV and I had nothing to say...latin american women are a whole different ballgame...we had some cold roasted chicken and a bottle of pisco in the kitchen and she didn't have any clothes on...

 

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2019 by tutsiwarrior

[lamyai3]

11 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

Watched Avatar with the wife last week. 

  After it was over I ask her if she understood the movie she replied no. She could figure out what the show was about.

Easy rule of thumb - if it's Avatar, Smurfs or Muppets the goodies are blue. The converse is true however if watching X-men or Yellow Submarine. 

[lamyai3]

12 hours ago, CharlieH said:

If there is no drum roll, whistle and cymbal clash it wont get the wifes attention at all !

Parp... ????

Boing... ????

[luckyluke]

1 hour ago, Damrongsak said:

Things like The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca.  Easy enough to understand the dialog and the plot

Congratulation to your Thai wife to easily understand the plot in the Maltese Falcon. 

 

[kannot]

12 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

Watched Avatar

freaking  awful  movie ,  gawd  only knows why  people  rate  it

[Damrongsak]

46 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

Congratulation to your Thai wife to easily understand the plot in the Maltese Falcon. 

 

Well, perhaps I exaggerate. Maybe a 3 Stooges movie. Or Marx Brothers. 

[swissie]

I am having similar problems like OP's wife. Not movie relateted I must add. I can't tell the good guys from the bad guys in Pattaya any more.

Thankfully my favourite "mama-san" of many years can. Having developped an unfallible Instinct over the last 30 years. Concerning Farangs as well as "Thai-Female-Talent".
Her "go for it" or "forget it" serves me as a compass. No dissapointements, no complaints on my part. Not for the last 10 years.

Instead of stumbling accross town, (taking chances), have a "mama-san" that has known you for years, her ability to seperate  "good guys" and "bad girls" is far superior of any Farangs ability of seperating "good guys" and "bad girls" in Thailand in the first place. 

 
I highly recommend this approach.

I realise that OP is mainly concerned about wife not being able to differentiate between good and bad as far as "western-conceptions" are concerned.
No wonder, if wife was raised on Thai-Soap-Operas where money always wins and character is never even part of the equasion.

Live with it, take 2 Aspirins and call me in the morning!

[roo860]

So what about the film?

I am having similar problems like OP's wife. Not movie relateted I must add. I can't tell the good guys from the bad guys in Pattaya any more.
Thankfully my favourite "mama-san" of many years can. Having developped an unfallible Instinct over the last 30 years. Concerning Farangs as well as "Thai-Female-Talent".
Her "go for it" or "forget it" serves me as a compass. No dissapointements, no complaints on my part. Not for the last 10 years.

Instead of stumbling accross town, (taking chances), have a "mama-san" that has known you for years, her ability to seperate  "good guys" and "bad girls" is far superior of any Farangs ability of seperating "good guys" and "bad girls" in Thailand in the first place. 
 
I highly recommend this approach.

I realise that OP is mainly concerned about wife not being able to differentiate between good and bad as far as "western-conceptions" are concerned.
No wonder, if wife was raised on Thai-Soap-Operas where money always wins and character is never even part of the equasion.

Live with it, take 2 Aspirins and call me in the morning!

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