Anna and the King of Siam (1946)

Irene Dunne: Anna Owens

Quotes 

• Anna Owens : [Anna, thinking the king is a barbarian, is about to leave. The Kralahome has had her brought to his office at night to reason with her. She is outraged]  How dare you treat me in this manner. I demand an explanation, and I warn you...

  Kralahome : [Calmly]  Be quiet, sir.

  Anna Owens : ...that I'm a British subject.

  Kralahome : That is nor reason you are safe. I could have you killed if that would serve my purpose. Such things are simple here.

  [Walks across room] 

  Kralahome : Sir, did you enjoy your triumph about your house? Because you shall now enjoy greater triumph. I have something to ask of you. Not demand, but ask. It is that you shall Stay in Siam. You may enjoy yourself if you like, sir

  Anna Owens : No matter what you ask, I wouldn't do it.

  Kralahome : If you do not stay in Siam, where will you go?

  Anna Owens : I don't know.

  Kralahome : Have you other place to put your life?

  Anna Owens : What has that to do with you?

  Kralahome : Have you, sir?

  Anna Owens : Please stop calling me "sir"!

  Kralahome : [emphatically]  I call you sir so you will not be lowly like a woman, but you continue to talk like a woman, I no longer call you sir. You think now you are nothing here, but that could be different.

  Anna Owens : How could it be, so long as the king can change his mind from one day to another?

  Kralahome : The king is not ordinary man.

  Anna Owens : Indeed he isn't.

  Kralahome : He is lonely man.

  Anna Owens : Lonely!

  Kralahome : Mem, I have watched you. I think there is need here for you. I think you know what is truth about many things, and I know you have the courage to speak it. The king has no one near him like you. He has many wives, but they cannot help him. You can speak with him as a woman where they cannot. And he will listen to you, because he will know you do not seek something for yourself.

  Anna Owens : Indeed, I wouldn't. Least of all the chance to revolve around him. He doesn't need help.

  Kralahome : Mem, why you not see? Why? He is two men! One part of him is king, like his father was. Other part tries to be man of new world, scientific man who desires to learn all modern things to save his country. But greedy men of Europe are at our door. They say Siam is barbaric land, and so must be ruled by them. So king must learn all modern things now. He tries work too big for any man, with no one to help. His own people are his enemies. They do not want change.

  [thoughtfully] 

  Kralahome : And sometimes inside himself is enemy that cannot change. Oh, mem, are you blind? Have you no eyes to see? He does not live coldly with mind as I do. But with heart. With heart, mem, as king must, and so is torn in two within himself. And to whom can he turn? Whom can he trust? He is very lonely man, and very strange man. Yet, for him, I would die.

  Anna Owens : [after a long pause]  I'm... I'm afraid I haven't been very understanding.

  Kralahome : Mem, I cannot promise that it will ever be easy for you. We have proverb here: "Go up by land, and you meet tiger. Go down by water, and you meet crocodile." But for you, it will be place to put your life.