FILM OR FLICK? : BUNDIT RITTAKOL'S YOUTH FILMS AS A REFLECTION OF SOCIO- CULTURAL TRANSITION IN THAILAND

Abstract

This research is aimed to study Bundit Rittakol’s youth films based on the hypothesis that all the films transcended mere entertainment, as was typical for youth films, but had a deeper meaning that reflected a resistance to change in Thai society during the 1980s-2000s. The research attempts to prove this hypothetical possibility through an analysis of the content of ten Bundit’s youth films, along with a review of the economic and social transition of Thailand in that period. In-depth interviews with persons who were able to provide insight into Bundit Rittakol’s life and work were also undertaken to obtain supporting information. While a number of mainstream media outlets seem to have provided content supportive of the changes, Bundit Rittakol’s youth films seem to be speaking against this transition. Three themes can be detected in Bundit’s youth film to support this statement. The first is the projection of central youth characters having what many consider to be ‘desirable’ characteristics. They mostly conform to traditional Thai behavior and reject the changing lifestyle. The second theme concerns a negative portrayal of modern society in which elements indicative of socio-economic modernism and change are associated with characters in antagonist roles or which result in unfavorable consequences. The final theme stresses what Bundit considered positive images of mainstream Thainess, such as an idealized agricultural lifestyle or Thai Buddhist faith. At times, some specific cultural contexts are depicted in association with key characters as if to remind the audience of Thai identity from an unmodern perspective. Based on these findings, Bundit Rittakol’s youth films do not compromise in every respect with the trend of socio-economic modernization, but to encourage localism against globalism. This indicates a typical nature of being Thai which is to refuse to abandon the unsophisticated Thai way of life even in the midst of change.