MB UNIUD

PLOT

The film tells about the widowed Anna Leonowens (Jodie Foster), a teacher who went to Siam with her ten-year old son to teach English to the 58 children of the polygamist king Mongkut.

She get affectioned to the royal children, in particular to one of them, princess Fa-Ying

which suddenly gets ill of cholera and dies in his father's arms while the teacher is saying good-bye to her.

Later, Anna is asked by the king to organize a reception made in order to win the favours of Britain. It's a success and at the end of it, Mongkut dances with Anna.

Tuptim is the new concubine of the king, but she was in love with another man when sh was brought to the court. When the lady realize that she cannot stand the situation, she runs away to the monastery where her lover lives. She is discovered, processed and the two lovers are punished with death.

Anna opposes herself to the punishment and although the king didn't want the two to die, he can't loose his face following Anna's advice and decides to follow his country's tradition.

Anna can't accept the decision due to his christian beliefs and decides to leave.

In a second moment she makes the decision to stay in order to help the king saving the royal family and the entire Siam in the war which is going on.

At the end she leaves even if she falls in love with him.