ANNA’S PRESENCE AND INFLUENCE TOWARDS THE SIAMESE KINGDOM AND THE KING’S LIFE AS THE REFLECTION OF CULTURAL IMPERIALISM IN ANDY TENNANT’S MOVIE ANNA AND THE KING

Abstract

The movie Anna and The King is chosen as the object to analyze because Siam, which is known as Thailand is the only eastern nation in Asia that succeeded in preventing western colonization. And Anna Leonowens is the person behind the success of Siam in preventing colonialism. That is the interesting point for the writer to find out who Anna Leonowens is, what she did in Siam, and the impact of Anna’s presence in Siam. To analyze this film the writer uses a postcolonial approach that focuses on the theory of cultural imperialism, orientalism, superiority vs inferiority, and exploitation and discrimination to analyze conditions in Siam. Anna's presence and perspective as an English woman who controls Siam sparked pros and cons. In addition, in order to avoid colonization, with the help of Anna, the Siamese kingdom and the people there began to study western culture so that they forgot about their own culture and even erased some habits to make them lose their own identity.