Love of Siam (2007), if simply takes it as a commercial text, surprises us on the potentiality between the linkage of queer culture and capitalism. “Queer” has always associated with abnormality and non-commercial, thus it is rarely being used in the mainline because it is believed that queerness does not suit the taste of the mainstream audience. Most queer characters were put aside as supporting characters, sometimes even without a name (Fig 1). Thai’s queer culture is unique in the use of homosexual relationship as major commodity in a commercial-based market. While most Asian queer movies can only be shown as short films, Love of Siam, which tells the story of how two male protagonists, Mew and Tong, develop their friendship into a homosexual
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Most Asian same-sex movies have protagonists showing their naked body and having sex with their partners (Fig 9). Yet, according to Farmer, the new Thai cinema explore sexuality with a modern desire and meaning (87). In Love of Siam, this meaning is dedicatedto how same-sex love is not limited to physical attraction but also involves emotional communication. There is no naked scene. Even the boys are in bed, they do not have sex but just having deep talks with each other (Fig 10). Their most physical touch is only to hug and kiss each other one time during the whole 3-hours movie (Fig 11). By presenting same-sex love through a share feeling between Mew and Tong, Thai queerness is creating its localized conceptualization of same-sex …show more content…
Instead of copying the Western model “gay/lesbian”, Thailand has a high degree of autonomy describing homosexuality in local context. There are different terms referring homosexuality in the movie. Mew is being called “sissy boy” when he faces school bullying (Fig 12), then Mew address his relation to Tong as “friend” not only one but twice when Tong’s mother questions him (Fig 13). Tong’s mother later responds by denominating the boys’ sexual desires as “this kind of relationship” (Fig 14). However, the westernized usage of “gay” is only used when Tong is questioned by his friend regarding his sexuality, and it is in a form of question (Fig 15). In this sense, the director seems to question the standardized way of referring to homosexuals and show that there may be possibility of fluidity describing same-sex identity which is supposed to be fixed and
Most Asian same-sex movies have protagonists showing their naked body and having sex with their partners (Fig 9). Yet, according to Farmer, the new Thai cinema explore sexuality with a modern desire and meaning (87). In Love of Siam, this meaning is dedicatedto how same-sex love is not limited to physical attraction but also involves emotional communication. There is no naked scene. Even the boys are in bed, they do not have sex but just having deep talks with each other (Fig 10). Their most physical touch is only to hug and kiss each other one time during the whole 3-hours movie (Fig 11). By presenting same-sex love through a share feeling between Mew and Tong, Thai queerness is creating its localized conceptualization of same-sex …show more content…
Instead of copying the Western model “gay/lesbian”, Thailand has a high degree of autonomy describing homosexuality in local context. There are different terms referring homosexuality in the movie. Mew is being called “sissy boy” when he faces school bullying (Fig 12), then Mew address his relation to Tong as “friend” not only one but twice when Tong’s mother questions him (Fig 13). Tong’s mother later responds by denominating the boys’ sexual desires as “this kind of relationship” (Fig 14). However, the westernized usage of “gay” is only used when Tong is questioned by his friend regarding his sexuality, and it is in a form of question (Fig 15). In this sense, the director seems to question the standardized way of referring to homosexuals and show that there may be possibility of fluidity describing same-sex identity which is supposed to be fixed and