Chalong Pakdeevijit: Thailand’s ‘King of Action Films’

Audiences gasp in horror at the sound of shots echoing loudly through the theatre as the villain unleashes a barrage of gunfire. There’s almost an audible sigh of relief as the protagonist narrowly dodges the bullets. Such emotions exemplify the quintessential charm of action films, which have long been celebrated for their thrilling and entertaining depiction of the extraordinary, transforming excitement into top-notch entertainment.

Many filmmakers have perfected the art of all-encompassing destruction, among them director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Thailand too has its action geniuses but few have brought so many daring action scenes and grand explosions to the screen as Chalong Pakdeevijit.

Fifty years ago, Chalong aka Ar Long was known as the “King of action films”. His name will be familiar to many Thais. At the very least, when they hear the titles of his works, they will immediately recognise the director who brought them so much pleasure. Among his most memorable offerings are the TV dramas “Rayaa” and “Angkor” as well as the legendary “Thong” (“Gold”) film series, the first part of which premiered 50 years ago.

In all, Chalong has produced more than 70 movies and dramas in a career spanning some 74 years. He has even been recorded in the Guinness World Records as the “oldest male drama director in the world” at the age of 92.

“I’ve been in the industry since 1950, so it’s been 73 years now. Back in the day, after the war, shooting films wasn’t easy,” Chalong recalled.

“I never studied in Hollywood. My first mentor in filmmaking was my uncle, Sodsri Buranarom. After that, I developed my skills by ordering textbooks from Hollywood and studying them on my own. Over time, I gained knowledge and experience. Patience is the most important thing,  Patience and perseverance.

“I started with photography, and my first photo turned out well. So, I thought maybe I was born for this; it came naturally. When I was studying, I dreamed of becoming a doctor or an engineer, designing things. But in the end, I ended up here. It’s kind of like engineering, too, but in filmmaking.”

The first film he ever made, Chalong said, was part of “Red Eagle” series, based on the novel ‘Jao Insee’ by Sek Dusit. “I made my first film after working in photography for a long time. I wanted to see how it would turn out, but the first one wasn’t successful.”

“The next film I made was ‘Fhon Tai’ (1969), a 35mm film, which was successful. It was screened at the Cathay Cinema. My kids weren’t born yet. Back then, it was known as the ‘Cathay Era.’ Popular films had to be shown at theatres like Cathay in Yaowarat, Chalermkrung, or Chalermthai. I was still a student at that time.”

His legendary film “Thong” took him a year to make, starting in 1972 and premiering in 1973. “I brought in Greg Morris, who was famous for the TV series Mission Impossible. He was a very popular black actor at that time. I also had Vietnamese actress Tham Thuy Hang.”

“The film was thrilling, featuring a motorcycle jump from 15,000 feet out of a plane in the rain. Then Sombat Metanee parachuted down, and his parachute got caught on a flagpole in Laos. The soldiers saw him and started shooting, but Sombat shot first. As he shot, the parachute tore, and he rode the motorcycle across the camp. He came to Laos to retrieve the gold, which had been hijacked. Greg Morris came to Thailand to gather the people for this mission. It was a very exciting story,” Chalong said,

Asked about the production budget of “Thong,”  Chalong laughs, saying, “Back then, it was no more than 15 million baht. Greg Morris’s fee wasn’t expensive, around 5 million baht for a month of shooting. After it was finished, it was shown in two theatres. One was the Paris at White Bridge, a top-tier venue that’s now a market. The other was Paramount in Pratunam. Back then, you had to book tickets in advance. I remember on the first day, the line for tickets stretched all the way to the White Bridge. At Paramount, the line almost reached Pratunam.”

Chalermthai’s main competition came from Japanese films but despite the huge billboards advertising the latest film’s release, it failed to draw audiences. No one, it seemed, could compete with “Thong” back then.

In those days, outdoor screenings at large temple fairs were all the rage. If a film was popular, other screens would be empty. When ‘Thong’ was shown, it drew all the attention, leaving no viewers for other films. “Everyone came to watch ‘Thong.’

“When I was making “Thong 2” in 1982, I was faced with a challenge: how I could make a motorcycle escape from the villains. I thought for a while and came up with, “Make the motorcycle fly!”

“It took a long time to come up with ideas. How could I create something new and exciting that the audience would want to see? The cost didn’t matter as long as the audience enjoyed it.

“Many people wanted to make films about ‘Thong’, but I told them ‘It’s not possible because ‘Thong’ must be made by Chalong Pakdeevijit.”

After his success in cinema, he turned to TV drama.

“My first drama with Channel 7 was ‘Rayaa’ in 1998. It was a grand production, especially the scene where the Japanese invaded Ao Manao. I filmed the Japanese invasion with the support of the Navy. The commander at that time was very kind. He asked me what I needed, and I requested five landing ships. He granted it immediately. We had around 1,000 real Navy soldiers participating in the invasion of Ao Manao, fighting on the long beach of Sattahip. Back then, filming there didn’t require any fees.

“We fought for 12 days, but after editing, it was just 12 minutes.”

He recalls earning the nickname “blowing up mountains, burning down huts” from “Rayaa”. “I’ve never blown up mountains or burned down huts. I’ve only blown up helicopters and had planes crash into helicopters. The media gave me that nickname as something catchy and marketable. That’s their business.”

During the filming of the first “Angkor”, he was often asked when it would be finished. “I told them it wouldn’t be done anytime soon. Back then, I worked quickly, not slowly. It took about a year, and it turned out just right. It saved Channel 7’s reputation at the time. As soon as Angkor (2000) was released, every other channel was left in the dust. No one could compete. It was exactly what I had hoped for.”

Chalong also addressed a long-standing mystery among his fans: why do his dramas often feature scenes of chicken being grilled? ‘Well, if you don’t find a chicken to grill, what are you going to do? Grilling a rabbit isn’t as good. Chicken is the best,” he laughed.

He explained that making films is different from producing television dramas. ‘Firstly, there’s blocking camera angles. Secondly, there’s lighting. Thirdly, having good equipment is crucial. Fourthly, it requires patience and a relentless effort to seek knowledge and develop oneself. I still order the American Cinematographer magazine every month to stay updated on developments in Hollywood and to learn about any advancements in equipment.’

At 92 years old, Chalong plans to continue making films and dramas. ‘I’ll keep doing it until there’s no audience left or until my mind runs out of ideas to surprise them. Sometimes, the mind slows down, and the body can’t keep up. That’s when I’ll need to take a break.’

Asked if he could still handle filming action scenes at his age, he responded confidently, “Absolutely. Just get me the 200 million—and I’ll make ‘Angkor: The Movie’.”

Damrongrit Sathitdamrongtham

Ratthakorn Sirirerk

The People