Every now and then, there will be a film that individuals will find themselves on the "hate it" or "love it" side. Thailand's recent Suriyothai is one such movie that falls into this division. Many have deemed it the "Braveheart" of Asia, while others have considered it otherwise. Though this film by Chatrichalerm Yukol bears its similarities to Braveheart, I cannot categorize this movie into the same niche as that film. I believe Suriyothai can stand on it's own entirely against any epic historic piece of work. It's a story of one woman's strong will and love for her king and country that drives this movie, and also what makes it all work out in the end.

The first thing most people will notice when looking into this title is it's length. Let me tell you that the length actually did turn me off to this movie before. But I can understand why this movie was so damn long, given the content that's in this movie. I actually wish that this movie was longer than the 3 hours and 12 minute running time! But I'll get to the reason behind that in a few minutes. Despite the movie being so long, the length does hurt the film somewhat. What's that? 3 hours and 12 minutes isn't long enough you say? Indeed so. Initially the original cut was over 5 hours long and had to be cut. But you know how it is with cutting content out of movies. It especially hurts this film's overall effect due to the fact that this movie actually spans a few decades through the course of the movie. You just can't fit so much story into the allotted time given. Even so, the movie does pull off what it set out to do in the first place: to capture the life and heroism of Phra Suriyothai.

Now don't go and disregard this movie entirely. Trust me on this; if you're willing to sacrifice a few more minutes of your time, I'm willing to bet that you will at least be interested in Suriyothai by the end of this review. So, you're thinking: What's the movie got going for it? Quite a bit I tell you. Boasting 70 main characters, 700 elephants, 3000 horses, and over 5000 extras, this film goes out on a limb to create a unique historical epic. Though at times, the story does get a bit hard to follow because of the number of main characters, it doesn't lose sight of its goal to recreate of one of the most important periods in Thai history.

One of the aspects that make this movie so good are its characters. From Queen Suriyothai, Lord Piren, Prince Tien, Captain Raja Seneha, to the bad-ass evil King of Hongsawadi, these characters evolve in such a way that you would not see in most films. They all have their motives, feelings, and duties to help them through this saga of war, betrayal, and deception. And let me tell you this, there is an abundance of these three aspects throughout the film. Deceit and betrayal are in profusion in this movie, and some of the vile characters are just so insidious, like that Sisudachan whom I was actually rooting for to just drop dead. She's that evil! There hasn't been a movie like this that has been able to draw me in so much, and made me hate or care about the characters. This movie has it all. You name it: action, drama, romance, some comedy… I'm in love with this movie. One of the characters that I really like was the one eye Captain Raja Seneha. His character impressed me almost as much as Suriyothai's character. His ability with the sword and rifle is just plain striking, as is his unwavering loyalty to his majesties. Something to take not of is M.L. Piyapas Bhirombhakdi's portrayal of Suriyothai. What can I say? She really brought this character to life with her remarkable acting ability. Her representation of a strong queen who knew her duties was so believable, I was mesmerized by her on-screen performance. From her first step onto the screen, I could see the confidence she had in herself playing such an important character in history. Her acting prowess really brings this cinema experience to life and makes it all the more believable and captivating.

Now I've mentioned the majestic battles earlier right? Well, how good are they? Very good. The action isn't stylistic, but more of a realistic, grittier touch. This movie's got some of the most original and enthralling fight scenes ever captured on film. Few war movies have ever been able to portray the magnitude of these battle scenes. You've got the huge squads of elephant riders with their mini cannons, elephant spear riders, fights on horse back, man to man combat, just to name a few. Bottom line, if you like huge epic proportion size fights with thousands of warriors fighting with one another, decapitations and such, Suriyothai will not disappoint.

Did I mention the excellent set and costume designs? Absolutely beautiful. The costumes and sets are among the best I've ever seen in a historical epic. Every detail has been recreated with painstaking detail and authenticity, rivaling the best US productions.

Do I recommend Suriyothai? Hell yes! Have a little patience and you will be rewarded with a great cinematic experience beyond belief! This is a movie that has to be experienced to believe. Nothing I say can capture the raw beauty and awesome spectacle that is Suriyothai. Don't take my word for it, just do yourself a favor; watch it and see for yourself why this was the top-grossing film in Thailand!

Note: Apparently, Francis Ford Coppolla has gotten permission from Chatrichalerm Yukol to bring this film over to the US, and plans on cutting the movie down to about 2 hours. So if you're interested, I'd recommend getting this version, as an uncut variant won't be released in the US.