Shakepeare's Macbeth banned in Thailand

Modern film retelling of a Shakespeare classic too close to reality for censors. A bloodstained tragedy & tale of greed and lust for power.

Photo above of a promotional shot of banned film Shakespeare Must Die with director Ing Kat the back (black top).The film includes a contemporary allegory about a fictitious nation where a popular politician comes to power.

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CULTURE

Censors ban 'Shakespeare' film

4/04/2012 
Kong Rithdee, Deputy Editor 

A new Thai film based on a famous William Shakespeare play has been banned by censors on the grounds that its content may cause disunity among the people.

Shakespeare Tong Tai, or Shakespeare Must Die, is directed by Ing K and Manit Sriwanichpoom.

The film is the first Thai rendition of Macbeth, a bloodstained tragedy in which a Scottish general, with the help of his insidious wife, assassinates a king to pave his way to the throne.

The film includes a contemporary allegory about a fictitious nation where a popular politician rises up the echelons of power.

"A document from the Ministry of Culture's Office of Film and Video says that since the film "undermines the unity of people in the country", the censorship committee refuses to give permission to screen it in Thailand.

"The reason given is very broad," Manit said.

I asked the committee which part of the film fits that verdict and how I should go back to fix it, but they cannot tell me which scene.

"This is a Shakespeare story. It's a tale of greed and lust for power. Since we're banned, I wonder if Thai film-makers are allowed to have opinions, to criticise and to reflect on the reality of the situation."

There's a lot of talk about democracy, and I don't know how our film is undemocratic.

The film-makers will appeal against the decision.

Shakespeare Must Die runs for 178 minutes and was partly funded by the Ministry of Culture under the 2010 Thai Khem Khaeng stimulus scheme.

It is the second film to have been banned under the Film Act 2009. Thanwarin Sukkapisit's Insects in the Backyard was banned for its nudity and scenes of students prostituting themselves.

The committee that banned the film was chaired by Pol Maj Gen Anek Samplang, who could not be reached for comment. The previous film by Ing K and Manit was a four-hour documentary, Citizen Juling, which looked at the southern unrest and the killing of teacher Juling Pongkanmool. Despite focusing on content that could be deemed sensitive, the film passed the censors and was released in one cinema in 2010.

(Source: Bangkok Post, CULTURE, Censors ban 'Shakespeare' film, 4/04/2012, Kong Rithdee, Deputy Editor, link)  

Censorship Vocabulary

William Shakespeare - (1564-1616) author of 38 plays and many poems (sonnets), considered by many the greatest writer in the English language (See Wikipedia)
William Shakespeare plays - (See Wikipedia)

Macbeth - "about a man who commits regicide [kills a king] so as to become king and then commits further murders to maintain his power. The play clearly demonstrates the corrupting effect of ambition, but also deals with the relationship between cruelty and masculinity, tyranny and kingship, treachery, violence, guilt, prophecy, and disruption of the natural order" (See Wikipedia)

play - stage play, drama, a story acted out by actors on a stage in front of an audience (See Wikipedia)

tragedy - 1. a play that shows human suffering that brings the audience along for the emotional experience; 2. a very sad event that causes people to suffer or die โศกนาฏกรรม (See Wikipedia)
a bloodstained tragedy

Shakespeare's tragedies - Shakespeare's most famous tragedies are Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth (See Wikipedia)

allegory - in writing a way of presenting an idea that communicates a message indirectly using symbols, "An example of a simple visual allegory is the image of the grim reaper. Viewers understand that the image of the grim reaper is a symbolic representation of death." (See Wikipedia)
a contemporary allegory

censorship - when the government officially examines and cut out things from content (writing, videos, etc) before it is released to the public , because it is considered harmful in some way การตรวจสอบสื่อต่างๆ เพื่อตัดส่วนที่ไม่เหมาะสมออก (See Wikipedia)
film censorship - (See Wikipedia)

content - the subject, ideas, or story that a piece of writing or a radio or television programme deals with เนื้อหา,สาระ
its content may cause disunity among the people.

censor (verb) - cut things out of a text, video or film before releasing to the public 
censor content

censor (noun) - a government official who decides what content to censor  
banned by censors
censors ban Shakespeare film
pass the censors
the film passed the censors
the film did not pass the censors

ban - an official statement ordering people not to do, sell or use something การห้าม ห้ามอย่างเป็นทางการ  การประกาศห้าม
banned - officially not allowed to do something ถูกห้าม ห้ามอย่างเป็นทางการ ถูกตัดสิทธิ  ห้าม ห้างอย่างเด็ดขาด
banned by censors

grounds - reasons for what you say or do บนมูลเหตุว่า บนพื้นฐานว่า
on the grounds that
banned by censors on the grounds that
banned by censors on the grounds that its content may cause disunity among the people.

A new Thai film based on a famous William Shakespeare play has been banned by censors on the grounds that its content may cause disunity among the people.

promotional shot - a photo to promote the film (so that people will be interested and go see the film)

fiction (noun) - a story
fictitious (adjective) - not real; only a story from people's imagination
a fictitious nation - not a real country

come to power - become the leader of a country
a popular politician comes to power

A promotional shot of banned film Shakespeare Must Die with director Ing Kat the back (black top).The film includes a contemporary allegory about a fictitious nation where a popular politician comes to power. Shakespeare Tong Tai, or Shakespeare Must Die, is directed by Ing K and Manit Sriwanichpoom.

pave - to cover an area of ground with a hard flat surface of pieces of stone, concrete or bricks
pave the way to power - create a situation that helps a person become leader of a country (come to power)

rendition - one way of performing a song, play or poem
Thai rendition - performing a song, play or poem in the Thai language
the first Thai rendition of Macbeth

insidious - something that seems not to be dangerous; but is actually very dangerous
insidious wife
assassinates - kill a public official
pave his way to the throne - the a situation that helps him become king
echelon - a level of power or authority in an organization
the echelons of power  
a popular politician rises up the echelons of power

The film is the first Thai rendition of Macbeth, a bloodstained tragedy in which a Scottish general, with the help of his insidious wife, assassinates a king to pave his way to the throne. The film includes a contemporary allegory about a fictitious nation where a popular politician rises up the echelons of power.

document - a piece of paper or a set of papers containing official information เอกสาร
undermine - make weak
undermines the unity of people in the country
permission - allowing someone to do something การอนุญาต,การอนุมัติ,การยินยอม
screen - show a film to people (an audience)

"A document from the Ministry of Culture's Office of Film and Video says that since the film "undermines the unity of people in the country", the censorship committee refuses to give permission to screen it in Thailand.

reason - an explanation of an event, why an event happened เหตุ ; เหตุผล ; สาเหตุ
broad - wide กว้างๆ
very broad reason - not specific, does not give details why
verdict - an official decision by a court (or other government decisionmaking organization)

"The reason given is very broad," Manit said. I asked the committee which part of the film fits that verdict and how I should go back to fix it, but they cannot tell me which scene.

greed - a strong wish to have more money, things or power than you need ความโลภ
lust - strong feelings of love
lust for power - a strong love of power
reflect - 1. to think about something deeply; 2. to show สะท้อน แสดงถึง what is actually happening in the world ความเป็นจริง
reflect on the reality of the situation
appeal - a request that a court change a decision of a lower court ยื่นอุทธรณ์

"This is a Shakespeare story. It's a tale of greed and lust for power. Since we're banned, I wonder if Thai film-makers are allowed to have opinions, to criticise and to reflect on the reality of the situation."  There's a lot of talk about democracy, and I don't know how our film is undemocratic. The film-makers will appeal against the decision.

funded - given money บริจาค money provided for operation of a business or organisation ให้ความช่วยเหลือทางการเงิน ให้เงินลงทุน
stimulus - Same as "fiscal stimulus"
fiscal stimulus - a temporary increase in government spending to get the economy moving and growing again after an economic downturn
scheme - a plan that is developed by a government or large organisation in order to provide a particular service for people แผนการ โครงการ
nudity - people without their clothes on
prostitute - a person who sells sex for money
students prostituting themselves

Shakespeare Must Die runs for 178 minutes and was partly funded by the Ministry of Culture under the 2010 Thai Khem Khaeng stimulus scheme. It is the second film to have been banned under the Film Act 2009. Thanwarin Sukkapisit's Insects in the Backyard was banned for its nudity and scenes of students prostituting themselves.

comment - remark, telling what you think or what your opinion is about an issue หมายเหตุ แสดงความคิดเห็น
could not be reached for comment
documentary - a film or television programme that deals with real people and events สารคดี
the southern unrest - the southern insurgency, all the bombs and killings in the south directed at making the area independent 
deemed - considered เห็นว่า ถือว่า
sensitive - 1. an issue that must be dealt with very carefully to not cause anger or offence ที่ละเอียดอ่อน 2. easily worried, react easily to small things ที่ถูกกระทบได้ง่าย easily upset by the things people say or do รับความรู้สึกได้ง่าย
deemed sensitive
released - made available to the public
released in one cinema

The committee that banned the film was chaired by Pol Maj Gen Anek Samplang, who could not be reached for comment. The previous film by Ing K and Manit was a four-hour documentary, Citizen Juling, which looked at the southern unrest and the killing of teacher Juling Pongkanmool. Despite focusing on content that could be deemed sensitive, the film passed the censors and was released in one cinema in 2010.