More murders, less comedy in a new Isan film
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Read the following story by Nianne-Lynn Hendricks from Bangkok Post’s Guru Magazine. Then, answer the questions that follow.
On a dark and stormy night, the police race to find the person responsible for a number of murders in an isolated area in northeast Thailand.
Netflix’s first Isan-dialect film, The Murderer is set in the northeastern region of Thailand, known as Isan, and features local characters from the area.
Both the lead and supporting actors are from Isan and speak the local dialect — the language of the area — giving viewers a window into the region’s culture.
More than comedy
According to director Wisit Sasanatieng, Isan films are normally simple comedies but The Murderer combines murder mystery and dark comedy to create something different. On the surface, The Murderer might seem like a typical Thai comedy, but the film goes deeper, offering stories and interesting characters to grab your attention.
“The screenplay is full of humour and I’ve always enjoyed hearing Isan dialect in films. My film reflects our society and the media’s coverage of murder cases. Many cases are similar and the audience wants to know the truth, but we seldom know the whole truth.” says Wisit.
Wisit’s signature is the vivid colours of the sets and costumes, while also showing the true character of Isan. The visual work and scenic design is similar to the director’s previous works like Tears of the Black Tiger and Citizen Dog.
Stormy weather
Filming wasn’t all that smooth, though. The crew couldn’t find a studio large enough for all the scenes and had to film in a house covered with a massive tent. On the plus side, this meant that scenes could be filmed at day and night, free from any bad weather.
On the night that a tropical storm hits a village in Isan, a massacre takes place at an isolated property. Several bodies, dead from various causes, are found spread out across the property, and no one knows who the killer is.
As lead investigator, Inspector Nawat is under pressure to find the culprit. He directs his suspicions at Earl, a visiting foreigner with a dark secret.
Prepare to uncover the mysteries behind this bizarre murder case and catch The Murderer on Netflix.
Section 1: Write the correct answer in the space provided.
1. How was the weather on the night of the murders? …………….
2. Who directed the film? …………….
3. Name a previous film by the director …………….
4. Was the movie shot in a studio or a house? …………….
5. What is the name of the officer investigating the murders?…………..
6. Who do the police suspect of committing the murders? …………….
Section 2: Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
“…7… enjoyed hearing Isan dialect in films. I …8… if a film shot in the Isan dialect could break out of the …9… comedy style. The film’s screenplay really stands out with …10… storytelling tricks and dark comedy.”
7. __A. I’ve always __B. I do always __C. I do
8. __A. wondered __B. wonderful __C. wondering
9. __A. topical __B. typical __C. tropical
10. __A. its __B. it’s __C. it is
Section 3: Find words that match the following definitions.
11. the act of killing a large number of people ……………
12. very large ……………
13. a person who committed a crime ……………
14. strange …………
