Bangkok Dangerous (1999 film)

Bangkok Dangerous
DVD cover
Directed by The Pang Brothers
Produced by Adirek Wattaleela
Nonzee Nimibutr
Pracha Maleenont
Brian L. Marcar
Written by The Pang Brothers
Starring Pawalit Mongkolpisit
Premsinee Ratanasopha
Patharawarin Timkul
Pisek Intrakanchit
Korkiate Limpapat
Music by Orange Music
Cinematography Decha Srimantra
Edited by The Pang Brothers
Distributed by Film Bangkok
Release date
 November 1, 1999 (1999-11-01)
Running time
 105 minutes
Country Thailand
Language Thai

Bangkok Dangerous (Thai: บางกอกแดนเจอรัส เพชฌฆาตเงียบ อันตราย) is a 1999 Thai crime film written and directed by the Pang Brothers. Stylishly edited, the story of a deaf and blind hitman was the debut film for the twin-brother team of filmmakers. A 2008 remake of the same name also directed by the Pangs, stars Nicolas Cage. This film was also unofficially remade as Pattiyal a 2006 Indian Tamil movie.

Plot

Kong is a deaf-mute gunman, an assassin for hire who can neither hear nor see his gunshots or victims. He receives his guidance through Aom, a stripper in Bangkok, who rides on his back and gives him directions. Kong lost his hearing when he was a child, from listening to too much Thai rock music. Because of his disability, he was taunted by other children and grows up into an angry young man.

At a target range, he finds he has a knack for target shooting when he visualizes the faces of the boys that taunted him in the target. His deafness gives him an edge in shooting, as he does not react to the gunshots. He eventually gets a job as a janitor at the range, but one day loses his vision after an unfortunate incident with gunpowder.

One day while cleaning up, a customer named Joe Ruffo is at the shooting range with his girlfriend, Aom. Joe notices Kong watching them and he offers the pistol to Kong, who impresses Jo and Aom with his shooting. Joe agrees to be Kong's partner and teaches him how to shoot, while standing behind him. When Joe injures his gun hand in a battle, Kong is ready to take on more work.

Working for a mob boss, Kong is sent on a job to Hong Kong. He shoots his target while riding on the Hong Kong subway with Aom riding on his back. When Kong returns to Bangkok, he catches a cold and needs medicine, so he stops at a pharmacy and meets Fon, a pretty pharmacist, who gives Kong a special massage, with happy ending. This encounter changes Kong's perspective on life as he realizes that life can be meaningful, even for a deaf-blind assassin like him.

Fon has trouble with one of the mob boss' henchmen. She spurns him, but he rapes her. Enraged, Jo kills the henchman, which brings the mob's wrath down on Jo, which in turn leads to more revenge killing by Kong, and a final big shoot-out in a water bottle plant.

Cast

  • Pawalit Mongkolpisit as Kong
  • Premsinee Ratanasopha as Fon
  • Patharawarin Timkul as Aom
  • Pisek Intrakanchit as Jo

Awards and nominations

Remake

At the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, the Pang Brothers announced they would remake Bangkok Dangerous with Nicolas Cage in the lead role, though Cage's character would not be deaf/mute. With the working titles One Night in Bangkok and Time to Kill, shooting took place in Bangkok in August 2006, and the remake was released on September 5, 2008.

See also

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