Elephants rumble as Naresuan secures his place in history

Seven years after the first part in the series was released, the longawaited finale of “The Legend of King Naresuan” is finally here, culminating in King Naresuan the Great’s victory in an elephant battle that brought peace to the realm.
Directed by MC Chatrichalerm Yukol, who cowrote the script with Sunait Chutintaranond, the period biographical drama has traced the life of the 16thcentury monarch, from his boyhood, growing up in Burma as a royal hostage, to his long struggle to free the Ayutthaya from subservience as a Burmese vassal state.
The fifth instalment, “The Legend of King Naresuan Part V: The Elephant Duel”, again stars Wanchana Sawatdee as Naresuan, ably supported by Noppachai Chaiyanam as Naresuan’s loyal aide Rachamanu and Taksaorn “Aff” Techanarong as Naresuan’s romantic interest Maneechan.
Like all the other entries in the series, it’s an actionpacked epic, kicking off with Naresuan defeating a Burmese general in handtohand combat. Determined to drive the Burmese away for good, Naresuan then uses his navy to bombard the enemy, severely injuring their ruler, King Nanda Bayin.
Full of revenge, Nanda Bayin orders his son, the Crown Prince Phra Maha Upparacha to launch another invasion, despite dire predictions from the court astrologer.
Phra Maha Upparacha and Naresuan – boyhood friends from Naresuan’s captivity in the Burmese court – eventually meet for a final time, each on their own war elephant. It’s 1593’s Great Battle of Yuthahatthi, one of the last major elephant battles in history.
Done with the help of computergraphic imagery (CGI), the elephant battle is a crucial setpiece that Chatrichalerm has been working up to all along, but it’s been a struggle. Originally, “Naresuan 5” was supposed to be released in 2012, following the first and second entries in 2007 and parts three and four in 2011. However, a fire at Chatrichalerm’s studio destroyed the footage, causing the film to be delayed as the scenes were redone.
The result is still impressive, but the CGI bits stand out in jarring contrast to the rest of the film, which is lavishly mounted.
Indeed, the props, settings and eyepopping costumes are highlights, with the palaces and other locations done up in such meticulous detail, it’s like being transported back in time to the Ayutthaya period.
Performances are also a key strength of the “Naresuan” series. Among the standout portrayals are Chakkrit Aumarat’s take on King Nanda Bayin, a ruler who is desperate to secure his legacy, and the intense Napassakorn Mitem as the Burmese crown prince, who really respects his father, despite his bitterness toward him.
And Aff Taksaorn executes her role well as King Naresuan’s loyal lover – a companion and confidante of his since his childhood.
“Naresuan 5” coincidentally comes to cinemas at a time of political crisis, and filmmakers hope it will unite Thais on all sides.
“We should think of how we can benefit the country, not personal gains,” Sunait said at the film’s premiere on Tuesday. “We should value what our ancestors have sacrificed to give us – our independence.”
MR Srikumroong Yukol, the daughter of the director, echoed the screenwriter’s statement. “Once people see this film, they will realise how much our ancestors went through to make us free.”
And actor Chalat Na Songkla, who portrays the close aide of the Burmese crown prince, said he hopes people will understand that every king has always done their best for the nation.