Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Adventure of Sudsakorn (ภาพยนตร์การ์ตูน)

So far, The Adventure of Sudsakorn is the only feature length cel animated film to be made in Thailand, released in 1979. The plot follows the adventures of little boy, Sudsakorn with a mermaid mother and a human father. Sadly, the animation quality declines significantly as the film progresses as artists started leaving and money ran out. Also the Director Mr. Ngaokrachang did all the design, layout and key frames for the movie himself. His diligence gradually impaired his eyesight.



The film features a playful juxtaposition of well known characters from Thai folklore and fanciful Disney-like animation, set to a beautiful traditional Thai soundtrack. It is interesting to note the level of western influence in the film despite Mr.Ngaokrachang's training in Japan and Thailand's proximity to the country. This is in stark contrast to many modern Thai animators to inanely copy Japanese style anime.

Now I'm sure your all wondering how a human male and a mermaid female manage to do the deed, or from where a mermaid might give birth. Perhaps to our benefit Mr. Ngaokrachang never shows us.