By Stacey Duke
When English schoolteacher Anna Leonowens travels thousands of miles to the land of Siam, she thinks she is going to educate barbarians. Little does she know she will become the student.
Academy Award-winning actress Jodie Foster stars as Anna, and Chow Yun-Fat stars as King Mongkut. This story line was also featured in 1946’s “Anna and the King of Siam” and the 1956 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, “The King and I.”
Anna has been employed to educate King Mongkut’s son. She knows very little about the people of Siam other than the “East vs. West” prejudices she has brought with her. Upon arriving in Siam, Anna’s son, Louis, asks her, “Why does the king need you if nobody here speaks English?” Anna replies, Because, sweetheart, the ways of England are ways of the world. It’s a wise man who knows that.”
King Mongkut has his own preconceptions about Western civilization and what is proper behavior for a Victorian woman. He sees the British as colonial predators and thinks they believe the British way is the only way. Because the king believes Anna to be egotistical, he assigns her to teach all 58 of his children from a harem of concubines rather than just his heir to the throne. Even this enormous task, doesn’t cause Anna to cower.
Anna’s refusal to observe Siamese customs does not make her popular with the king’s servants. She speaks to the king as her equal and refuses to bow down before him. One of the king’s servant begins to call her “Sir” because he says she acts like a man. Mongkut describes Anna as “not the equal of a man…the equal of a king!”
As their relationship progresses, the king grows less surprised at Anna’s demands for equality. He agrees to allow her to remain standing in his presence, tells her to speak openly about whatever is on her mind, and concedes to allowing her to live outside the palace walls.
Anna’s greatest struggles occur as she deals with the beliefs and ethics of the Siamese culture. She learns the consequences of over-stepping cultural boundaries when she intervenes in several political matters. Her relationship with Mongkut is put to the test by a Burmese conspiracy to overthrow the kingdom and by her friendship with the king’s newest concubine, Tuptim, who pines for a love she left behind.
Through these experiences, Anna’s perspective changes. She begins to realize that the Siamese people value their traditions and beliefs as much as she values her own. She sees how the people respect their leader, how the king loves his family, and that there is courage and compassion among the people. She and the king grow to appreciate their differences, although they realize that their customs and their countries cannot be completely reconciled.
The cross-cultural theme of this movie can be used when examining the differences in leadership styles and ethics from culture to culture. In today’s society, we often tend to focus on what is different rather than what is the same between our culture and those of other countries.
In Unit I of the Leadership Development Studies text, various authors point out the importance of establishing a personal leadership philosophy. Personal assumptions and perceptions have an important impact on leadership styles. In order to be successful, leaders must learn to respect others’ leadership styles and be open-minded to learning from other cultures. Prejudices and misconceptions can interfere with a leader’s ability to reach his or her full potential.
This review appeared in an issue of The Leader.
