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Quick Links What is the Story of Tears of the Black Tiger? How Tears of the Black Tiger Pays Tribute To and Also Satirizes Classic Westerns The U.S. Cut of Tears of the Black Tiger Was Nearly an Entirely Different Film

There is absolutely no doubt that some of the greatest and most well-regarded films of the century (so far) have come from Asia. With anime being the cultural phenomenon that it is in the West, along with films like Bong Joon Ho's Parasite being nominated for and winning numerous prestigious accolades, the amount of quality and influence that such works have had on modern cinema in America and all around the world is undeniable. Of course, that doesn't mean that the opposite can't be true as well, as there have also been many notable films from the US that have proven to be just as influential in the East.

“Tears of the Black Tiger” is a landmark for the Thai film industry, for a number of reasons. The fact that is presented as an amalgam of a parody and a homage to the romantic melodramas and action Thai movies of the 50s and the 60s is the first. The second is that it was the first picture from Thailand to be selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival (2001). The third is that it was screened in festivals all around the world, even winning awards in a number of them. The fourth is that despite also winning a number of local awards and enjoying a wide release in Thailand, it was actually a flop at the box office. The fifth that it was purchased from Miramax, which eventually presented a cut that was very different that what Sasanatieng intended the film to be, to his large disappointment. Evidently, we...