Set right before the fall of Thailand's old capital, Ayuttaya, Bang Rajan draws on the legend of a village of fighters who bravely fended off the Burmese armies. With no support from the Royal army, the villagers drives the invading Burmese away many times until their names have become legendary during the time. As each subsequent battles becomes fiercer, the villagers tries to forge a canon to battle the enemy in a final battle where everyone, women and children included, die in combat.
Features scrumptious-looking jungle battles, with a cast of thousands -- not to mention elephants and water buffalo.
– V.A. Musetto,
New York Post,
10 Sep 2004
fresh:
It's a humid, rough-edged epic that occasionally finds startling beauty amid devastating carnage.
– Jeff Shannon,
Seattle Times,
17 Sep 2004
fresh:
Jitnukul can direct action, and every slice of the blade, thwack of the arrow and the glistening of sweat on near-naked bodies makes Bang Rajan a mostly pleasurable diversion.
– G. Allen Johnson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
24 Sep 2004
rotten:
It's far too bloody for the art house crowd and too leisurely paced and obscure for more general audiences.
– Frank Scheck,
Hollywood Reporter,
29 Sep 2004
fresh:
The battle scenes are bloody, visceral, and expertly edited.