This movie have been made to celebrate the virtue of Lord Buddha's teachings.
It is also dedicated to: M.R. Kukrit Pramoj, Akira Kurosawa and Ryunosuke Akutagawa.
Pha-Mueang City, A.D. 1567
A succession of disasters struck the city.
Starting with a tremendous earthquake,
followed by a great fire and an epidemic
that wiped out more than half of the population.
Soon thereafter, a bizarre murder occurred.
Singkham, the vicious bandit, was arrested.
The courts ordered the death sentence to be carried out swiftly,
in order to cleanse the city of it's misfortunes.
Public execution of Singkham the Bandit at Lan Luang in the city of Pha-Mueang, A.D. 1567
The Outrage Umong Pha-Mueang
Phra That Luang Temple, Pha-Mueang City
Anond,
are you serious about leaving the monkhood?
I am sir.
I've thought it through.
You're the most devout follower of the Buddhist precepts I've ever met.
You might want to give it a second thought.
If you set out on a pilgrimage,
and spend time in solitude,
you might find the answer to the riddle of life, that's clouded your soul.
I'll pay a visit to my father
in Chiang Kham for a while.
Before I...
Good bye.
Phra That Luang Temple Chiang Kham City, AD 1557
Mother, can I stay ordained forever?
No you can't.
When you grow up, you have to assist your father in his work.
You'll have to marry, have a wife and children.
You'll have to make a living to support your family.
That's the path of life, my son.
Glass Master's Residence, Chiang Kham City, A.D. 1562
I am blessed for having two wonderful sons.
Anand is a skilled merchant, while you, Anond, are a splendid craftsman.
Our family will be prosperous
for generations to come.
Anand,
come over here and take a look at your brother's craftsmanship.
It's really beautiful. Your skills are superior to anyone.
- Excellent work, Anond. - Anand...
Kham Uan is here to discuss the wedding.
Excuse me, father.
Your brother is getting married,
and so are you.
But father,
I've never loved any woman.
I've already approached Kham Duan, daughter of the wealthy goldsmith.
- But father... - Listen son...
The path I've prepared for you is the best.
Yes, father.
It's a girl!
Our mother has just passed away.
Father,
I want to be ordained to repay the kindness of mother.
That Luang Temple Chiang Kham City, A.D. 1566
Our father is now very old.
He may not have many years left to live.
It'll make him happy
if you'd leave the monkhood and help with the business at home.
We humans are unable to see our souls
by looking at a mirror.
I've devoted my life and soul
to the virtue of lord Buddha,
since that day
I've dressed myself in saffron.
Now it's time for me to make a pilgrimage to
Pha Mueang City
in order to further my studies of lord Buddha's teachings.
Farewell brother.
Sir... sir!
I've been looking for you everywhere.
People say that you are leaving this temple to live elsewhere?
A storm is coming sir.
Let's find shelter in Pha Mueang Tunnel.
Please get inside sir. You'll feel much better.
Sir,
do you really intend to disrobe?
I have to get this off my chest, sir.
The testimony that you and I heard at the court,
is totally nonsense.
But if you're leaving the temple just because of this,
that's also nonsense, sir.
Then, what is it that makes sense?
I'm just an uneducated woodcutter,
without any other skills.
All I can do is cut wood.
Earthquake.
What did you say?
Fire...
Famine.
Epidemic.
Those things are natural.
You can't blame the rain and the lightning.
But those things make sense.
No matter how strong an earthquake is,
I can understand it.
But the cruelty...
that we force upon ourselves...
and other human beings.
This I can't understand.
Sir, please stay here.
You won't find any other shelter from the rain.
Please stay here till the storm has passed.
This Pha Mueang Tunnel
used to be all mighty and strong.
Now it's crumbling.
Like the human spirit.
Sir...
I've heard people say that you've preached dharma to a lot of people.
You heard what I heard
yesterday in court.
You should've known by now, if those people have ever learned any dharma.
I agree. But I really don't understand why.
But there must be a reason behind this.
I'm just too stupid to see it.
Then I'm stupid too.
I can't find an explanation either.
That's not true. You're a monk. You're intelligent.
Is that so?
Then...
why do the faces of those people,
still haunt me?
Why do those words they uttered...
still echo in my ears.
Why do I keep searching for an answer
I can hardly find?
The only answer I've found is that,
I'm so dim-witted,
that I don't deserve to preach others anymore.
Where are you going next?
I don't know... I don't know...
Let's move to the other side.
It doesn't look good over here.
What's this ruckus? I'm trying to sleep!
But I can't because you're so noisy.
Shut your mouth!
Shut my mouth? What about yours?
What about baldy's mouth?
Blasphemy! You're talking to a monk!
A monk? I don't buy it.
Monks usually make me sleep. This one wakes me up.
Who's this man?
He's a thief and liar. It's best to stay away from him.
That's old news.
If I hadn't been a thief or a liar,
I wouldn't have lived this long.
Please forgive me sir.
I've been living in this horrendous tunnel for so long, that I forgot my manners.
My only companions are these corpses.
Their families dumped them here.
The vultures and I took further care of them.
I've become an accidental undertaker in this hellhole.
Did I hear correctly that you're going to disrobe?
I have a spare tuft of hair from one of the corpses.
It's nice and flowing, isn't it?
You can have it, so you can fool people
that it's your real hair.
Do you want it?
If you get to know these corpses, you'll find them very likeable.
They just lay there calmly. They don't gossip.
They don't steal. They don't harass others and they don't get into fights.
The only drawback is that they don't smell so good.
Though maybe not as bad as some living people.
He's as rotten as the three witnesses in court yesterday.
As rotten as me? That's an achievement!
So tell me, what happened yesterday? Spit it out!
- Somebody was murdered. - People are murdered every day.
It wasn't just a simple murder.
It's how it happened, and how the testimony went in court.
- You heard it too. - So the monk testified in court too?
He was a witness, just like me.
You? How come?
I found the body.
- Really? - Yes.
Where?
In the grove, east of the city wall.
It was late afternoon...
and it was so damn hot.
It was hot even in the forest.
So I decided not to cut any wood in the day.
I'll cut it in the evening instead.
I saw a shawl like those used by aristocratic ladies.
I was surprised how a shawl had got stuck on a branch.
There shouldn't be any women in that forest.
Then I saw a silver hairpin on the ground.
Then I saw the dead man... Eyes bulging and the mouth open.
I started running through the thicket until my legs were all scratched and bloody.
I ran till I found the police
and I told them what I saw.
So yesterday, they asked me and the monk to testify as witnesses.
And what have you got to do with it?
He saw them both.
Both?
So there was also a woman?
Yes.
The woman was the wife of the murdered man.
I walked past them yesterday morning.
Near Dong Yen Valley.
The man was dressed regally,
like a noble warrior.
He had a sword with a silver handle and a bow sling across his back.
The woman was on a palanquin,
veiled by a curtain.
So I couldn't make out her face.
What happened was terrifying.
It shouldn't have happened to them.
- How was he killed? - He was stabbed right through.
But they couldn't find the murder weapon.
- Didn't you see it? - Are you crazy?
Just the sight of the dead man's arms and face made me run for my life.
Funny, when we see a ghost, we run like hell.
Even though the ghost can't harm us.
Listen...
my suggestion is, stop running away from the dead.
Only run away from the living.
And do you know who killed him?
They arrested a man.
They always arrest someone. The point is, is it the right one?
They got Singkham, the forest bandit.
Singkham! Well they certainly got the right one!
- I'm not so sure. - They got Singkham.
And you say you're not sure?
He's the most vicious bandit in the region. If he had been caught within 10 miles
of the crime scene, no court would hesitate in convicting him.
It's not that simple.
It's not that simple?
Did you hear what you just said?
If they arrested me, would it be more simple?
If I steal just one dollar...
if I rob a peasant of his skinny chicken,
or if I take a tuft of hair from a dead body.
If I did that, people wouldn't hesitate calling me a thief or human scum!
But if someone kills a man, rapes a woman and robs them blind,
or if someone embezzles millions of dollars, he becomes a hero.
He'll become famous and people will bow down before him.
Every time you can't find an answer, you just say "It's not that simple!".
You weren't at the court.
You didn't hear what I heard there.
Listen...
frankly, I didn't believe anything that bandit had to say.
What the undertaker said, is the same as what the inspector testified in court.
Inspector... what inspector?
The inspector who arrested Singkham!
The defendant in this case is,
Singkham the bandit,
murderer and terrorist,
who has raped women and plundered the townsfolk
along the main roads and in the forest.
I'd like to testify, that I...
found the defendant on the ground, moaning in pain,
on the river bank in Hom Kai village.
There was a white horse grazing nearby.
The defendant was alone and in great pain.
Because he just fell off the horse.
Who said I fell off the horse?
No horse could ever make me fall!
Don't you know who I am?
I was ill. I had a stomach ache.
Do you think a shrimp like you could have caught me otherwise?
Go away! Or I'll crush you to death!
- Lord Governor please use your judgment. - Don't listen to him!
All he wants is to brag about catching me.
If you want to hear the whole story... I'll tell you.
- But Lord Governor... - I want to hear the story, Singkham.
As you wish, my lord.
Singkham fell off a horse?
That's hilarious!
That horse was a smooth ride.
I'd been riding it all day.
But the weather was scorching hot and I became thirsty.
There's a stream near Pha Kham Hill,
well known by many people.
Usually, the water there is clear and potable.
But that day, something poisonous must have fallen into it.
Singkham fell off a horse?
What nerve!
Is it true that you killed that man?
Did I kill him?
I know that no matter what I testify,
you'll have my head chopped off anyway.
You've already sentenced me to death
for the crime that I've actually committed,
and for the crime that you'd like to think that I committed.
But I didn't do that one! And also for the crime
that you're afraid that I'll commit.
Stop!
Alright.
I'll shut my mouth.
But I'm telling you the truth.
I'm going to die anyway.
Why would I lie to you?
Alright, I admit that I killed that man.
The reason?
Because of the wind.
That's right.
Just because of a small gust of wind.
Without it,
perhaps that man would not have died.
At that second I had to make sure that it was really a woman, not an illusion.
I decided that I had to make her my wife, no matter what.
Even if I had to kill her husband.
That's a fine sword you've got.
Is the handle made of silver?
Are you going to Chiang Kham?
We're just passing through.
Do you fancy antique swords?
I have some old and beautiful swords with silver handles just like yours.
Some even got gold handles.
I found lots of them at an old graveyard in the forest.
They were useless to me.
If you like them, I'll sell them cheaply.
Handles made of gold?
Studded with diamonds too. Even emeralds
and rubies.
I don't want them.
Fine... I'll sell them to somebody else.
Where are the swords?
Over there,
in the cave by the waterfall. It's just a short walk across the hill.
Just a moment.
Wait over here. I'll be back.
The swords are in that cave.
You go inside first.
- Wait a moment. - Why?
I have to piss!
Errr...
Well your husband...
What did you do with my husband?
He was bitten by a snake.
At the time, I could do anything with her.
But at that moment, her face
with panic stricken eyes and trembling lips,
made me feel jealous.
I was jealous that she loved her husband.
Jealous that he was able to make that woman love and care for him.
I wanted her to see him tied up, reduced to a pathetic slob
who couldn't help himself. Just like a chained-up dog.
Stop crying!
I didn't do much! Nobody is going to die!
Stop it, right now!
Your husband is still sitting over there.
Untie him and get lost!
No, wait!
Don't leave yet.
What do you want?
How can I continue living?
I've lost my honour in front of two men.
At least...
I should allow my husband
to redeem my honour,
and his own too.
Why should I allow that?
I beg you.
This isn't the place to talk about honour!
Please give him a chance.
If he can't fight you...
I'll... be your wife.
Even a forest bandit
must have a heart and know something about justice.
Justice? Your husband is a warlord.
He must have trained sword fighting for years.
Do you think I'd let you walk me into your trap?
Or maybe I'm wrong.
Maybe you want me to kill him.
Maybe that's your secret wish.
The world is full of women, why should I risk my life for you?
Her husband fought back really well. His swordsmanship was too good.
Anyone who's had training in swordsmanship should fight their equal.
A forest bandit like me is no match for him.
Despite of this,
he was the first man to have crossed swords with me more than 15 times.
What happened to the woman? Where did she go?
That woman?
I have no idea where she went.
She must have been shocked and ran away.
I searched, but couldn't find her.
Initially, I thought she liked me.
But in the end she ran away.
All women are the same.
He said he didn't know where the woman had gone.
Why am I not surprised to hear that a few days later,
a female body was found in a stream?
What do you mean?
A ruthless bandit like Singkham, wouldn't have any trouble
killing a helpless woman.
No, it wasn't like that.
Singkham didn't kill that woman.
She came to testify.
That woman? She testified?
Someone found her not far from the crime scene.
She was hiding in an abandoned temple.
Well there was no need for her to hide.
Singkham already confessed to the crime.
That was more than enough to send him to the execution ground.
But the warlord's wife didn't accuse Singkham at all.
Her testimony was a completely different story.
A different story?
How come? The bandit said he was the killer.
I know. It was bizarre.
But I studied that woman carefully,
and she didn't come across as the bandit had described her.
She didn't look like a flighty woman.
Or someone with loose morals.
I studied her while she was in court.
To me...
she was a fragile
and innocent lady.
Her eyes were like that of a bird with broken wings
that couldn't fly anywhere.
This is Lady Khamkaew, my daughter.
She's suffering from a heartbreaking tragedy.
Lord Governor may be surprised
how a woman like myself
can have a fine daughter like this.
I've nurtured her since she was born.
Guarding her, like I would guard a beautiful flower.
Get to the point!
What is this woman's relationship with the deceased?
You see... The deceased was my daughter's husband.
His name is Lord Lah Fa.
He's a warlord of Chiang Lah.
He came from a wealthy aristocratic clan.
A fine man like him shouldn't have died in such a manner.
When did they get married?
They got married four years ago, my Lord.
It was a grand wedding.
Just look at my daughter,
and you can tell that she had a lot of suitors.
Some were from very noble and wealthy families.
But I rejected them all.
Because I believed Lord Lah Fa
was truly a good man.
Oh, Mother,
you should be ashamed of yourself.
He's dead now,
and you still keep flattering yourself.
Sir, my husband
is a noble man from Chiang Lah.
My mother
was a servant in his house.
I just added a little flourish,
just to cheer myself up.
This is not a time to cheer yourself up.
Not even a bit.
My mother...
was a loyal servant, trusted by the master's family.
That alone was something to be proud of.
Ever since I was young,
I've always helped my mother with her chores.
Sometimes... I carried water from the well.
I picked wild flowers
and put them in a fragrant bowl...
and brought it to my master at the training ground.
From that day on,
his charm captivated me.
When I grew up...
I fell in love with him.
But I never thought
that he'd be so kind as to make me his wife.
He never laid his eyes on me.
But one day, I put a flower in my hair
and carried the bowl of fragrant water to him.
Just like I always did.
That was the first time he looked at me.
I tried hard to become the wife that he desired.
Become the wife of the Lord of Chiang Lah.
Even the clothes that I wore,
he was the one who chose it.
He taught me manners on how to sit,
how to walk... and eat.
Even how to talk.
He taught me everything.
At night, as I was lying next to him,
I was afraid to go to sleep.
I was terrified that I would wake up from a dream.
I thought it was all just a dream.
Calm yourself lady Khamkaew,
so you can continue your testimony.
I know my lord.
I'll try to continue my testimony.
After the bandit molested me,
he strutted around pompously.
He bragged about his past misdeeds,
even comparing me to other women he'd molested.
He used obscene words that my ears could not handle.
Even now,
I can still hear his laughter.
His horrible rant still echoes in my head!
Hey, you!
Do you know who I am?
I'm Singkham the bandit.
Did you hear what I said?
I said I'm Singkham!
Where the hell are you from, since you've never heard of Singkham?
But never mind.
Now you know.
You can brag until the day you die
that you were once Bandit Singkham's wife!
The son of poor peasants who became King of the Forest.
Don't act up like that!
What happened to you today,
is plausibly the only thing worth remembering in your entire life.
You like swords, don't you?
Gold handle, diamond studded, and emeralds too!
You slobbered when I told you about them.
Remember... a man like Singkham
never breaks his promises!
Here's the sword I'll give you.
Don't!
Why did you stop me?
I thought I'm doing you a favor.
You're an animal!
Sure... I'm an animal!
Too bad
you're not one too!
He's gone.
He's gone! But we're still alive!
I'll forget it.
I'll forget everything.
I promise you...
we'll be together till eternity.
Why are you looking at me like that?
Your eyes!
Why are you looking at me like that?
Here's the sword.
Just kill me!
If that's how you feel.
Then, just kill me!
Kill me, kill me now!
But please...
don't look at me like that.
You won't admit it!
You're tormenting me!
I've never known any other men
except you.
Never wanted any other!
What happened was beyond my control.
I didn't make it happen.
What do you want me to do?
To go away?
How could I live without you?
Answer me!
Have I become so unworthy that you can't even talk to me?
Answer me!
I'm no longer the daughter of your servant!
I'm your wife!
I'm the one who shares your bed.
Answer me!
Answer me! Answer me!
Answer me!
I must have fainted.
When I woke up.
I saw...
my husband was already dead.
There was a sword stuck in his chest.
I knew right away, that
I had killed my own husband.
I tried to run as far away as I could.
I didn't know which way I was running.
I tried to drown myself.
But even the river
wouldn't accept my body.
Am I that worthless?
Am I really that worthless?
"Am I that worthless?"
But who could forget
the look on that woman's face?
The trembling lips, tears streaming down.
Tears are women's strongest weapon. They always use it against men.
And stupid men like us always fall for it.
But why?
Why would she confess to a crime that she didn't commit?
Who knows why women do what they do?
A woman's heart is like a labyrinth, sir.
Perhaps she wanted sympathy from people,
and you fell hopelessly for it.
She admitted to killing her husband
and now you can't forget her expression.
There it is, her pale face,
soaked with tears.
That innocent face.
Innocence
always does the trick.
Who would be able to send an innocent woman to the gallows?
Don't take him seriously.
He's trying to provoke your anger.
That's alright.
It is true, what he said.
We should not trust her testimony so much.
Because I heard the Shaman's testimony.
Shaman?
- What Shaman? - A Shaman who was a medium in court.
How amusing! Now even ghosts can talk!
So what did the Shaman say?
Would the testimony of a ghost be so different from a human?
The grief of that woman
doesn't look fake.
And Singkham
was never afraid of his death.
Why would he lie?
When he was fully aware
that no matter what, he would have to die.
A man who's about to die
has no reason to lie.
However, a man who's already dead,
can't lie either. Isn't that right?
So what did the dead man say?
I'm in a dark place.
In a dark void.
There's no beginning
and no end.
I curse the people
who threw me
into this place of darkness.
I must speak up.
Speak so that people will know
what really happened!
After the bandit had raped my wife,
he sat and talked with with her.
Like he had known her for a long time.
Like someone who knew a woman's heart very well.
He talked...
and he fondled my wife.
Poor warlord.
Maybe his warrior's blood has become thinner than water.
Can his soft hands entertain your warm flesh?
Can his thin lips,
be able to conquer your heart?
A man like him was made for a woman who was cold as ice.
But you are not such a woman.
You've been ignored, like a forgotten fruit.
But now I've tasted you.
My wife!
My beloved
and loyal wife.
She has never ever looked at me like that before.
Please take me with you.
Wherever you go,
I'll follow you.
Wait!
Kill him now!
Kill him!
If he's still alive,
I'll still be his wife, I'll never belong only to you.
Kill him! Kill him right now!
Hey warlord, what would you like me do with this woman?
Should I cut out her black heart and feed it to the crows?
Or should I let her live?
Whatever you wish. I'll do it!
Just tell me! You can have it anyway you like.
Help!
Damn it!
Help me! Help me!
Might as well let her go.
Her screams might get attention from people.
I have to think about myself first.
Our misfortune is over,
now that we're without that evil woman.
It was quiet in that forest.
A long silence.
But then...
I heard somebody crying
and sobbing.
Who's crying?
Who's crying and sobbing
over there?
What is this razor-sharp blade
which is stuck in my throat?
But...
I didn't feel any pain.
My fingertips...
were getting colder.
A fine mist...
slowly enveloped me.
Everything went quiet.
No birds were chirping.
Leaves stopped rustling.
I saw a glimmer...
of light...
at the top of the mountain.
I lay calmly and peacefully.
The light at the top of the mountain
slowly faded away.
There was someone
walking gently towards me.
Who's that?
Who's there?
I tried to look at the face.
But in my eyes...
were only darkness.
Then someone...
pulled the sword...
out of...
my chest.
The clot of blood...
gushed out
from my throat... and nose.
My mouth was covered.
I couldn't breathe.
Then I began to sink...
deeper and deeper
into... that...
infinite
void.
That's not true!
That's not true! That's not true!
A lie! It was a lie!
He didn't kill himself! He...
What happened to him? Why are you sweating?
You're acting suspiciously. Maybe you're hiding something!
- No! Nothing at all! - So, can a ghost lie?
I don't know. Perhaps the ghost did lie!
It's you who is lying.
No I didn't, I...
swear!
Perhaps you swear too easily.
You swore yesterday in court, and now again.
It turns out you didn't find a dead man.
But you found him when he was still alive.
You probably saw the woman and the bandit too.
That's it, that's it!
He saw everything that happened!
Why didn't you tell the truth at the court?
I'm a poor man.
Does honesty only belong to the rich?
I didn't want to get involved in other people's business.
You didn't want to get involved,
but then you got completely involved.
If you don't care about honesty and justice,
at least you should care about yourself.
Those three witnesses who testified,
who knows what their motives were?
But one of them
must have spoken the truth.
None of them spoke the truth.
All of them lied.
I'm cracking up here! I've never heard anything
so hilarious in my life!
You kept a poker face all this time as if you knew nothing at all?
If you speak the truth
then there's nothing to fear.
Hey, you must talk now! The monk ordered you to!
Alright, I'll tell you.
I walked into the forest.
- I saw a shawl. - Hey...
cut that annoying nonsense.
I already heard that. You saw a shawl and a hairpin.
Now get to the point!
I heard voices.
I had a peek and concealed myself behind a bush.
The warlord was still alive.
He was tied to a tree.
- And his wife? - She was doing her hair.
Great! Doing her hair in the forest?
Women nowadays do nothing else but their hair!
- And the bandit? - He was kneeling.
How amusing! Singkham the bandit knelt before a woman
who was doing her hair!
Can you please hear me out?
I'm sorry. I'm very sorry.
How many times do I have to tell you, I'm sorry?
Don't you really understand it?
All my life,
in here!
I've kept a woman just like you, in here!
When I was a boy...
I used to run after noble women on palanquins who passed me by.
One time, that noble woman dropped her fan from the palanquin.
I picked it up and ran to give it back.
She reached her hand to accept it.
Her hand was white like ivory.
Her nails were painted pink.
Exactly like yours.
Why don't you even look at me?
I'm Singkham the bandit!
The bandit feared by the entire region!
Now I'm kneeling before you
and begging you.
Please come live with me.
Leave me alone.
I know it! I know it!
You don't like me because I'm a thief. I'll quit.
From now on I'll find honest work.
I swear!
I'll work the land.
I'll farm, I'll do anything!
I'll provide for you and make you happy.
Look at you! You'll provide for me?
Why shouldn't I be able to provide for you?
I need you so badly.
Let me kiss you one more time.
I'll show you that...
No... Stop right now!
Let go of my skirt. It'll get dirty!
Look, it really got dirty!
I'll get 10 more for you.
This skirt was still new.
I've worn it only twice.
If you don't want it, up to you!
I said, if you don't want it, fine!
Get the hell out of here!
I'm going to beat you up!
I'll kill you if you don't do what I say!
Look at you! Can you really do it?
Well, maybe you really can.
What you've asked...
I mean, what you've ordered me to do,
how will I be able to do it?
I already have a husband!
How can I run off with somebody else?
I understand!
Don't!
Why not! This is the easiest way!
A woman obtained by easy means
is worthless.
But if a man risk his life
fighting for a woman,
a woman will consider this man most precious to her.
Fight? You want me to fight your husband?
Hey, wait!
Don't release him yet!
I'm not ready to fight a warlord!
Alright.
From now on, it's between you two.
Put your sword away.
Don't panic.
I won't kill you.
Kill me?
A man like me
won't waste his time fighting you.
A warrior's sword is a sacred and a dignified weapon.
It's not for killing a bandit and losing it's dignity.
What about my dignity?
You don't even know, what dignity means!
But I was raped just recently.
You saw how I resisted, how I fought.
But I couldn't resist his strength.
Even though my hands were tied,
my eyes weren't covered!
You saw I couldn't defend myself.
Of course not! A woman like you
has never been able to defend herself!
What do you mean by that?
What kind of woman am I?
You used the dagger
to cut my ropes.
Why didn't you use that dagger
to slit your own throat?
That's what a real noble lady would have done.
Is that so?
Is that what noble ladies do?
I would never do something so stupid ever!
No matter how well a woman like you is treated,
you'll never rise above your level.
The daughter of a cook,
will remain a kitchen girl forever.
Is she just a cook's daughter?
Ever since you've had me as your wife,
I've always been faithful to you!
Is this my reward?
Always faithful?
Do you think I'm a naive idiot?
What about that night, I was bed-bound alone with fever.
Where did you disappear to that night? Weren't you with a man in the stable?
Did you think I didn't know?
What are you talking about? I have no idea whatever it is.
Stop pretending you're noble!
I'm your husband!
I know where you came from and what you are.
I even hid my feelings for a long time.
I didn't want to be humiliated by people.
Humiliated?
Ever since we've been together you've always been ashamed.
No matter what I do, you're always ashamed.
I should've thought about this before I married you.
Sure my noble knight!
Shut up, already! Both of you!
How did this bizarre situation happened?
There was a gust of wind.
It was that stupid wind which caused all of this!
Let's forget about everything!
- I'm going! - Wait!
Wait! Don't leave yet!
- How can you forget so easily? - I already forgot everything!
You can't leave the two of us like this! Do you hear me?
Don't follow me, I don't like being followed.
Let go of him!
Don't you have any shame, woman?
Stop being such a crybaby.
All women are crybabies.
Those tears mean nothing to me.
Maybe she thinks
with her tears she can deceive you?
Deceive me?
Not anymore.
I saw that she has a beautiful face.
So I was tricked into believing that I could raise her to become a lady.
You can always toss her back into the kitchen.
Toss me back into the kitchen? The daughter of a cook!
Yes that's me! I'm a kitchen woman's daughter.
I spent long enough time in the kitchen to recognize what is still good,
and what is rotten and must be dumped in the trash.
Shut up!
I humbly apologize, my lord.
You keep talking about honor,
about your honorable sword.
Everybody knows that a real warlord
can kill a man
over the slightest provocation.
But what has this man done to you?
He tied you up to a tree,
and raped your wife in front of you.
And you still have the nerve to stand there proudly
and order me to slit my throat?
I think I'll give you one last chance
to prove yourself to be a real man.
I should've known very well already,
because I've been living with you for a long time.
Long enough to know, how you'd tremble with fear.
The night before a battle.
You'd be seized by terror and throw up.
I have to console you before you could summon the strength to put on your armor.
Look at you! You call yourself a warrior?
Is this a man with honor?
Both of us now know
that you're not a fighter.
You're a coward! A pathetic coward!
- A pathetic coward! - Shut up! That's enough!
Enough?
Who says it's enough?
Singkham, the bandit!
Of course.
Singkham, the mighty bandit.
Feared and loathed by the entire kingdom.
Moments ago, I almost believed
what I heard people say was true.
I thought that Singkham the bandit,
who just had me,
would fight for me,
and rescue me from the pathetic life I'd been forced to share with this person.
But no!
Singkham the bandit was about to kill my husband
when he was tied up.
But when I cut him loose.
Singkham the bandit chickened out
and was ready to run for his life.
You're no better than this man.
Both of you aren't real men.
All you do is talk and brag.
But the truth is, you're nothing.
Did you say I threw up before going off to battle?
Why don't you charge?
You charge first!
Help me!
While I was hiding there.
I had to hold my breath.
I was so terrified that Singkham would hear me.
I was stricken with horror, I prayed to every god I knew.
Hey, I didn't do this to him. He fell on his own sword!
But when it was all over, I ran like the wind.
Ran straight to the police?
Yeah.
And while you were running, you forgot half of the story, right?
No, I didn't forget any of it.
I also don't know. Actually...
I should've told the truth in court.
But since they told totally different versions of the story.
I started to doubt my own memory.
I still don't get it, why those people had to lie about everything.
Did they lie?
They all did.
- I saw everything with my own eyes. - And can your eyes
be more splendid than those of 3 people?
I think we people
see what we would like to see,
and say what we would like to hear.
Anyway...
I believe your story more than the other's.
The story you told has the greatest semblance of truth.
We humans like to think of ourselves and of others,
as big and important.
We think we're a bit heroic,
or beloved of the nation.
Be whatever, as long
as it's grandiose.
But in reality. We humans really
aren't that glamorous.
We're small,
weak, selfish, and cowardly.
We're insincere and undignified.
I'm a man with no possessions.
I have no skills whatsoever.
I stopped fooling myself a long time ago.
What's that sound?
- It's a newborn baby! - Yes, it is.
They always dump them here. A new one every day.
- What are you doing? - Look at this blanket.
- It'll sell for a lot of money! - You are despicable!
You're even able to steal a blanket from a newborn child!
If I don't take it, someone else will.
You're not human. You blood-sucking monster!
If I'm a monster, then what are the baby's parents?
Tell me!
Your heart is full of evil!
- The baby is shivering. - He'll freeze to death.
Give me the blanket! Let go!
- Leave me alone! - If you don't let go,
- I'll call the police! - OK! Get the police!
Call the police right now!
The police would probably like to know about you too.
So far I've been very kind to you.
- Kind to me? - That's right! I've been kind to you!
You're such an honest and truthful man,
you never lied, right? But let me tell you,
like all of them, you're a liar, and a thief, just like everybody else.
You may have fooled Lord Governor, but you can
never fool me!
What are you talking about? I don't understand.
He's not quite sure what I'm talking about. Please ask him,
where did the warlord's sword go? What did the Shaman say?
I think someone snuck up on the dead man,
and pulled the sword from his chest while his body was still warm, right?
No!
How much did you sell it for?
Must be a lot, huh?
And you called me a blood-sucking monster?
Don't look at the monk! I saw you were very cautious
while talking to the monk.
So I thought I'd better not tell on you.
Thieves should stick together.
At first I thought we were on the same team,
and then next you called me a monster.
You reap what you sow.
Don't lose any sleep over this, my friend.
We humans are sometimes good and sometimes bad. It doesn't really matter.
Our lives are just like that.
Don't waste your time arguing who's right and who's wrong.
Our lives don't have that much time.
The storm has passed sir.
It's time for me to say farewell.
Hey.
Hey!
Thank you, my friend.
Today I've listened to an amusing story.
And I even got this blanket to keep me warm.
Sir.
Please give it to me.
If I do, the baby will be abandoned.
I'm aware of what I did.
I won't blame you.
How can you have faith in me again?
But I...
have six children of my own. Sometimes they're hungry.
Sometimes they're cold,
and sometimes they're afraid.
They cry a lot too.
That silver sword
has helped get them through another day.
Please let me have the baby.
Travelling alone is tough already.
Don't burden yourself with a baby.
I'll bring it home.
It shouldn't eat too much.
But it's so tiny, it won't probably eat much.
Then keep him,
and raise one more child at home.
Do you forgive me?
I have nothing to forgive you for.
It's you who have to forgive me.
I was so confident in preaching dharma to others.
But today,
you and that undertaker
actually taught me many lessons on dharma.
What did you just say...
I didn't understand it at all.
Because I'm a dimwit, I don't really understand much.
We're all stupid.
We're all clueless.
The rain has stopped.
The earth will soon be dry.
Pha Mueang Tunnel.
It isn't so scary any more.
Even though it's old and crumbling,
we still found a life which just started.
It's late now. You should go home.
Someone at home must be waiting for you.
You're right.
Thank you.