Angulimala (2003 film)
| Angulimala | |
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The Thai movie poster.
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| Directed by | Sutape Tunnirut |
| Produced by | Adirek Watleela |
| Written by | Sutape Tunnirut |
| Starring | Peter Noppachai Jayanama Stella Malucchi |
| Distributed by | Film Bangkok |
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Release date
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Running time
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105 minutes |
| Country | Thailand |
| Language | Thai |
Angulimala (Thai: องคุลิมาล, or Ongkulimal; rtgs: Ongkhuliman) is a 2003 Thai fantasy-adventure-drama film based on the Buddhist-scripture story of Angulimala as interpreted by the director and actors of the film. The film is directed by Sutape Tunnirut and stars Peter Noppachai Jayanama as Angulimala, Stella Malucchi as Nantha, John Rattanaveroj as Vikul, Alisa as Mantanee and Catherina Grosse. The story is a tale of redemption for the character, who embarks on a series of killings in which he murders 999 people (the Buddha was to be his 1,000th kill), collecting a finger from each victim and wearing the fingers in a garland around his neck. Later, when he realizes he was tricked into his wrongdoings, he tries to atone for his sins by becoming a Buddhist . The film was controversial on its release in Thailand, with religious leaders, local public and government officials arguing it was a distortion of Buddhist teachings.
Born a Brahmin, Ahimsaka is studying under a guru when he sees a woman named Nantha attempting to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. He saves her, but later learns that Nantha was intended to be the bride of his teacher.
The teacher, angered by Ahimsaka's attention to his wife-to-be, tells his student that the only way he will attain enlightenment is to kill 1,000 people. This sets Ahimsaka off on a life as a highwayman, and at first he seeks to kill only bandits and other evildoers. To keep track of his victims, he takes a finger from the right hand of each, and wears the fingers around his neck, thus earning him the name Angulimala, "the wearer of a garland of fingers." He struggles to find 1,000 victims, so he resorts to killing all who cross his path. Nantha, wanting to stop the killing, tries to kill Ahimsaka, but only succeeds in killing herself.
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