Rahtree: Flower of the Night: Mark's Take
06/12/2004 . Source: Mark R. Leeper 
This ghost story goes in eight different directions at once, from tragic social message to slapstick comedy. Some scenes are chilling, but the film is unfocused. Buy Rahtree Flower of the Night in the USA - or Buy Rahtree Flower of the Night in the UK  RAHTREE: FLOWER OF THE NIGHT is an extremely uneven ghost story from
Thailand mixing love story, social content, horror, slapstick comedy,
and satire. Writer and director Yuthlert Sippapak seems too anxious
to entertain and to fill the film out to a reasonable length. He seems
not to have been able to resist the temptation to use any idea that
came to mind. The result is something of a hodge-podge.
Ake Dunrongsgup is a student fascinated by a young woman in his
class--but out of his class. Attractive Buppah Rahtree never acknowledges
his existence and never even smiles. Eventually his persistence
pays off and the two become friends and quickly lovers. But then
he betrays her in multiple ways. Pregnant with his child, she gets
an abortion the day before he leaves the country for school in England.
In pain from the operation she takes an apartment in a local apartment
complex. Later she is found in the bathroom having bled to death.
(Hey, did I mention this was a comedy?) As the police are trying
to remove the body it starts moving on its own. Very soon it is
clear there is a terrifying ghost in room 609 that nobody wants
to deal with. (*This* is the funny part.)
Sippapak throws in a strange take-off on THE EXORCIST. There is
a lot of comedy that was constructed ad hoc around a boy with Down
syndrome who happened to be convenient. Much of the comedy verges
on the slapstick, particularly with two very obese Thai women who
run a beauty parlor in the apartment building.
The comic and even slapstick elements frequently conflict with
the horror elements, making the film a lot less frightening than
it might be. Sippapak should have either toned down the comedy and
concentrated on the tragedy and horror or vice versa.
Sippapak announced at the showing that there are at least two
sequels planned. He certainly has enough ideas, but he should decide
which ones really go well together.
Mark R Leeper
(c) Mark R Leeper 2004 
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