• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.75-89
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• 2009

This paper aims at scrutinizing how the women's image in the Thai film 'Nang-Nak' has been represented, affecting the Thai people intensely and achieving its great success in spite of having the background of 19th century and being a remaker. To fulfill the purpose and analyze the argument, the ideas of Lee(1989), Joan(1973) and Joo(1996) are used as theoretical concepts for this study. As a result, two images of Thai women seem to be revealed in the movie. The first image, drawn from 'Maen' and 'Mian', is conventional, somewhat ideal type for Thai women, so being a common aspect. What makes the movie a big deal, however, is another image which the heroine 'Nak' has shown, attracting the audience to be moved to tears. It may be apparently an idiosyncratic or extraordinary one from the traditional point of view in Thailand, but in other sense is a new, fresh image for which the contemporary Thai women want to seek. That is why the movie became one of the most popular in Thailand.