Deborah Kerr, Martin Benson, Rex Thompson

A schoolteacher goes to Siam to teach the King's children. During the course of her stay she enlightens the king to changing times and helps him reassess his relationship to one of his several wives.

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80% liked it

55,266 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

19 critics

G, 2 hrs. 13 min.

Directed by: Walter Lang

Release Date: June 29, 1956

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DVD Release Date: April 27, 1999

Stats: 2,502 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,502)


  • October 13, 2009
    i still cannot believe that the king dies at the end! tears!! ;(
  • September 25, 2009
    despite the awards and acclaim, ive always found this to be a musical that is more fun than it is masterful, but because of the fun factor this is one of my favorite musicals of all time. brynners performance, albeit an award winning one, was a bit silly as was much of the film,...( read more) but it is a delightful film with a lot of charisma and a wonderful performance by deborah kerr. the end is a bit abrupt, but overall its a beautiful film that all should see.
  • February 5, 2009
    I watch bits of this every year as Valentine's Day approaches, be it on the internet or on TV. And it depresses me every time, yet I keep doing it. Don't ask me why.

    The singing is great, and so is the acting, but there is one enormously irritating factor - the obvious racial di...( read more)scrimination. The Siamese are made out to be complete barbarians, who are brought to their senses by the COMPLETELY civilised British woman. Sure, they were a bit primitive and their customs were a bit outdated (how do you keep up with names when you have produced that many children?) but that's no need to get all high and mighty.

    I'll be lenient because Yul Brynner is so talented (and attractive).
  • January 7, 2008
    One of my all-time favorite musicals. Two main reasons, fantastic songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and a delightful performance by Yul Brynner. Highly Recommended.
  • January 1, 2008
    timeless classic
  • November 20, 2009
    Great, great musical.
  • November 12, 2009
    The original classic in all its extravagant beauty. A gorgeous film.
  • November 3, 2009
    Adapted after the book "Anna and the King of Siam", that was also a Broadway play. Obviously the action is set in Siam, sometime in the second part of the XIX century.
    Kerr plays the english teacher hired by the king (Brynner) to enlight his children nous.
    The movie is made in t...( read more)he hay days of the musical genre, it's clear enough that no money were spared in the making, the decor is sumptuous and spectacular, the costumes, likewise. But the movie isn't that impressive, I had a problem with quite a lot of the things in this movie and sometimes the characters.
    The best thing in the movie was the staging of " Uncle Tom's Cabin", that surely was beautiful.
    Some scenes and lines were funny, but when I heard for the 10 th time the king saying "etcetera, etcetera", it made me feel embarrassed for the writers, the dialogue was in no way as good as it should. And the ending was just pathetic and cheap.
  • October 28, 2009
    "How can it be that everyone knows one thing if many people believe another thing?"


    "I believe in snow!"


    "He has a thousand dreams that won't come true.."


    "You have no heart! You've never loved anyone and you never will! . . . You ARE a barbarian!"


    "This idea was invented...( read more) by woman."
  • October 14, 2009
    The King and I is an absolute delight, magical, and spectacular in every way.

    After the death of her husband, Anna Owens (Kerr) moves from England to Siam with her son Louis to become a teacher for the children of the king of Siam (Brynner). She threatens to leave when the h...( read more)ouse she had been promised is not available. She also finds Siamese customs to be quite different from English ones, which brings her often in conflict with the king. The King is troubled - he craves truth, but how can he learn the truth when different cultures say different things? ("Is A Puzzlement")

    Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner give spirited performances in 'The King and I', a musical adaptation of Margaret Landon's book.

Critic Reviews


Comments


  • caseyprins777
    August 21, 2007
    i LOVE this movie!! We performed the musical this summer and i had the opportunity to portry Tuptim; LOVING every single moment of it! <3 It was a lot of work: memorizing lines for not only the songs and the lines, but for the ballet as well. I feel that i did an exsquisite job carrying on the story that started so long ago.
  • bellbird
    April 10, 2007
    I love the little quirks and catchy music.

    etc, etc, etc!

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The King and I Trivia


  • in which movie did an english teacher go to siam with her little boy and fall in love with the king?  Answer »
  • What movie has the song "Getting to Know You" in it?  Answer »
  • a love story about a Siberian king and an American teacher.  Answer »
  • Which movie featured the song, "Shall we dance?"  Answer »

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