It's not often you're going to see a horror film that leaves you crying. This is a beautiful movie about the undying love between a young man conscripted into the army, and the devoted and pregnant wife he leaves behind. The photography alone, under Nattawut Kittikhun, is so delicately executed that you would think the film must be printed on rice paper.Though not essential to enjoyment of the movie, it helps to understand that its basis is the Buddhist concept of "Hungry Ghosts," souls that have become so attached to this world that they cannot make the transition to their next incarnation. In fact, the whole story is suffused with Buddhist ritual and belief -- in particular that attachment to the transitory and illusory must only result in pain. Director Nonzee Nimibutr has created a work of art that I believe will stand the test of time. If "Nang Nak" is indicative of Thai cinema's potential, then I hope we see a lot more of it.
