BROKEDOWN PALACE
US, 1999, 97 minutes, Colour.
Claire Danes, Bill Pullman, Kate Beckinsale, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jacqueline Kim, Daniel la Paine, Paul Walker.
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan.
Broke Down Palace is yet another film about naïve Americans abroad, caught up in drug dealing in South - East Asia. Other films of this time include The Beach and Return to Paradise. Broke Down Palace focuses on two young women, having a holiday after completing college. They are enjoying their time in Thailand, go into a swanky hotel and pretend to be residents there, attract the attention of an agreeable young Australian who romances them. He also recruits them, unknowingly, to be smugglers of drugs to Hong Kong. In fact, there are a number of women carrying drugs on the same flight but he has tipped off a corrupt policeman who arrests the two girls and imprisons them.
The film highlights the helplessness of the girls in the face of this kind of arrest, prison treatment, treatment by the strict Thai courts. They enlist the help of Bill Pullman as a lawyer married to a Thai woman. He seems to be in it for the money, but finally helps them. Lou Diamond Phillips is an American embassy official, who knows the truth about the Australian (who is played by Daniel la Paine of Muriel's Wedding).
Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale are convincing as the two young women. There are complexities of the plot, they are persuaded to make a confession for the judge as an act of humility. The Claire Danes character, who blames herself for what has happened, confesses to the full crime so that her friend can be freed. Direction is by Jonathan Kaplan who directed quite a number of brisk and brief action films in the 70s like White Line Fever and also directed such films as Jodie Foster's award-winning performance in The Accused.
1. A film for American audiences, younger audiences? A salutary warning about South - East Asia, drugs and justice?
2. The American settings, placing the girls in their context? Family, college? The transition to Thailand, Bangkok, seemingly exotic, the cheap hotels, the five-star hotels? The courts of justice? The contrast with the prisons, and the treatment of women prisoners in the prisons? The musical score?
3. The title, the Thai prisons and the effect on the young women?
4. The film as a warning, drug dealing, drug smuggling? Naïve Americans being picked on by groups to be the fall-guys for the law? Corrupt Thai officials? The nature of Thai justice, saving face, the contrast between Asian methods of justice and those of the United States?
5. The quick portrait of the two young women, Alice, her clashes with her parents? Darlene and the loving family? Their being best friends? The decision to go to Thailand? Arrival, finding accommodation, looking at the sights, the markets? Naivety and enjoyment? In the hotel, putting the drinks on the false bill, Nick Parks and his meeting them, his charm? Darlene and the infatuation, going with him? His discussions with Alice - and the relationship not being seen? The tickets for Hong Kong, the enthusiasm, the arrival at the airport, the suddenness of the drama of their arrest?
6. The arrest, justice, the police, the drugs in their knapsacks? The sentence? In prison, the style of life in prison, the loss of freedom, the crowding, treatment by the other women, the guards? Their attempt to escape, their being caught, extra time for their sentence? The contact with their parents, Alice's father and his initial disbelief? Darlene's family and their support? Finding the money?
7. Hank, his practice in Thailand, his wife? The touch of cynicism? His going to the prison, disbelief at first? Support, his wife doing the research? The inability to find Nick Parks? The contact with the police? The tactics, the strategy in the court, the visit to the policeman and the confrontation? Alice's outbursts? The decisions by the judge, the family's running out of money? Hank and his continued interest, his following through, the investigations? The truth about Parks and the police, the women on the plane all smuggling drugs, the girls being arrested? His plan for the confession, for the respect to the court? His presentation, the police chief and his manipulation, turning the verdict around?
8. The effect of prison on the two girls, the truth about their relationship with Nick, the clashes? Darlene and her illness? Hospitalisation? The reconciliation? The attempt to escape? Hank and his help, their fears, going to the court? The reversal of the planned decision, their not being freed? Alice and her confession, taking the blame, the judge respecting her confession, allowing Darlene to go free?
9. The friends coming from the United States, visiting the girls in prison? The reality of the different ways of life in South-East? Asia and in America?
10. The finale, Darlene and her leaving, Alice and her decision to remain for the rest of her sentence? The self-sacrifice?
11. An interesting glimpse of American tourists in Asia, the hazards, the naivety, the assumptions about American way of life and its superiority, the impact of prison? A story of self-sacrifice on the part of Alice?
