Pa Muang City, A.D. 1567.
A succession of catastrophes
befell the city,
starting with a tremendous
earthquake,
followed by a great fire
and an epidemic.
They wiped out
more than half of the population.
Shortly afiemards,
there occurred a bizarre murder.
Singh Kham, the vicious forest bandit,
was arrested.
Forthwith the court handed down
a death sentence
to exorcize the misfortunes
that had struck the city.
PUBLIC EXECUTION
OF SINGH KHAM THE BANDI
LAN LUANG,
PA MUANG, A.D. 1567
AT THE GATE OF THE GHOS
PHRA TAT NAKORN
PA MUANG TEMPLE
Arnont, are you serious
about leaving the monkhood?
I am, sir.
I've thought it through.
You're the most devout follower
of the Buddhist precepts I've ever met.
You might want to give it
a second thought.
If you set out on a pilgrimage
and spend time in solitude
you might find the answer
to the riddle of life
that has clouded your soul.
I will pay a visit to my father
in Chiang Kam,
then I...
Good bye.
Be your own instructor
and judge your own behaviors
when one commits a sin
one is in one's own misery.
Self-conquest is the best
although it is very diicult.
One needs to help oneself
although it is very diicult.
Dhanna is the answer.
Those who have knowledge
are enlightened.
Your own enlightenment
is the essence of dhanna
and knowledge.
TAT LUANG TEMPLE,
CHIANG KAM, AD. 1557
Mother, can I be
a monk forever?
No, you can't.
When you grow up,
you'll have to help your father.
You'll have to
find yourself a wife.
You'll have to make a living
and build a family.
That's the path of life,
my son.
The truth of existence
everything is impennanent.
One should strive to act
in a way that is true
to the way things are,
that accords with the underlying
truth of things.
GLAZIER'S RESIDENCE,
CHIANG KAM, A.D. 1562
I'm so blessed to have
two wonderful sons.
Anant is a skilled merchant,
and you're a splendid craftsman.
Our family will make enough money
to last a few generations.
Anant, come look
at your brother's work.
Magnificent.
Your skill is second to none.
Well done, brother.
Anant,
Kham Eung is here
to discuss the wedding.
Excuse me, Father.
Your brother is getting married,
and so are you.
But, Father,
I've never loved a woman.
I've already approached Kam Duen,
daughter of the wealthy goldsmith.
- But, Father...
- Listen, son.
The path I've prepared for you
is the best.
Yes, Father.
Sexual desire never lasts,
creates suffering
that is toxic
causing more suffering.
It's a girl!
Mother has passed away.
Father,
I want to be ordained
to repay Mother's kindness.
TAT LUANG TEMPLE,
CHIANG KAM, A.D. 1566
Father is very old now.
He doesn't have many years
ahead of him.
He'll be happy
if you'd leave the monkhood
and come back home.
Brother,
we cannot see our souls
by looking into a mirror.
I've devoted my life
and soul to the virtue
of Lord Buddha
since the day I clothed myself
in saffron.
Now it's time for me to make
a pilgrimage to Pa Muang City
to study Lord Buddha's teachings.
Farewell, brother.
The truth of existence
everything is impennanent.
One should strive to act in a way
that is true to the way things are,
that accords with
the underlying truth of things.
Sir! Sir!
I've been looking for you
everywhere.
Is it true that you've
left the temple?
A storm is coming, sir.
Let's find shelter
in Pa Muang Tunnel.
Please get inside, sir.
It's warmer.
Sir.
Do you really intend
to disrobe?
I have to get this
off of my chest, sir.
The testimony that you and I
heard in court is total nonsense.
But if you're leaving the temple
just because of that,
it doesn't make sense either.
And what is it
that makes sense?
I'm just an uneducated
woodcutter.
All I can do is cut wood.
An earthquake.
What did you say?
Fire.
Famine.
Epidemic.
Those things are not unnatural.
You can't blame the rain
and the lightning.
But those things make sense.
No matter how strong
an earthquake is...
I can understand it.
But what I can't understand
is the cruelty
that we force upon ourselves
and other human beings.
Sir, please stay here.
You won't find any other shelter
from the rain.
Please stay here
until the storm's passed.
This Pa Muang Tunnel...
used to be mighty and strong.
Now it's crumbling,
like the human soul.
Sir,
I've heard people say
that you've preached dharma
to a lot of people.
You heard what I heard
yesterday in court.
It should be clear to you by now
whether those people
ever learned any dharma.
That's right.
I really don't get it.
But there must be
an explanation.
I'm just too stupid to see it.
Then I'm stupid too.
I can't find
an explanation either.
That's not true.
You're a monk.
You're intelligent.
Is that so?
Then...
why do the faces
of those people
still haunt me?
Why do those words they uttered
still echo in my ears?
Why do I keep searching
for an answer?
The only answer I've found...
is that I'm so dimwitted...
that I don't deserve to preach
to others anymore.
Where are you going next?
I don't know.
I don't.
Let's move to the other side.
It doesn't look good here.
What's this ruckus?
I'm trying to sleep!
Shut your mouth!
Shut my mouth?
What about yours?
What about the baldy's mouth?
Blasphemy!
You're talking to a monk!
A monk?
I don't believe it.
Monks usually make me sleep.
This one wakes me up.
Who is this man?
He's a thief and a liar.
It's best
to stay away from him.
That's old news.
If I hadn't been a thief or a liar,
I wouldn't have lived this long.
Please forgive me, sir.
I've been living in this
horrendous tunnel for so long
that I forgot my manners.
My only companions
are these corpses.
Their families
dumped them here.
Me and the vultures
took care of them.
I've become an accidental undertaker
in this hellhole.
Did I hear correctly
that you're going to disrobe?
I have a spare tuft of hair
from one of the corpses.
It's nice and flowing, isn't it?
You can have it
so you can fool people
that you've a nice head of hair.
Do you want it?
If you get to know these corpses,
you'll find them very likeable.
They just lie here.
They don't gossip.
They don't steal,
they don't harass others
and they don't get into a fight.
The only drawback
is that they stink so bad.
Though maybe not as bad
as some living people.
He's as rotten as
the three witnesses in court yesterday.
As rotten as me?
That's an achievement!
So tell me,
what happened yesterday?
Spit it out!
A man was murdered.
Men are murdered every day.
It's not that simple.
It's how it happened,
and how the testimony went in court.
You heard it too.
So the monk stood in court too?
He was a witness.
So was I.
You? Why?
I found the body.
- Really?
- Yes.
Where?
In the grove,
east of the city wall.
It was late afternoon,
and it was so damn hot.
I was sweating like a pig
in that forest.
So I waited until evening
to go collecting some wood.
I saw a shawl like those used
by aristocratic ladies.
I was puzzled how a shawl
had got stuck in a branch.
There shouldn't be any woman
in that forest.
Then I saw a silver hairpin
on the ground.
Then I saw the dead man...
eyes bulging, mouth agape.
It was horrifying.
I started running through the thicket
until my legs were all scratched
and bloodied.
I found the guards
and I told them what I saw.
So yesterday they asked me and the monk
to testify as witnesses.
And what have you
got to do with this?
He saw them both.
Both?
So there's also a woman?
Yes.
The woman was the wife
of the murdered man.
I walked past them
yesterday morning
near Dong Yen Valley.
The man was dressed regally
like a noble warlord.
He had a sword with a silver handle,
and a bow slung across his back.
The woman was on a palanquin
veiled by a curtain
so I couldn't make out her face.
What happened was terrifying.
It shouldn't have happened
to them.
How was he killed?
He was stabbed right through.
But they couldn't find
the murder weapon.
Didn't you see it?
Are you crazy?
I only saw the dead man's arms and face
and I ran for my life.
Funny. When we see a ghost,
we run like hell,
even though the ghost
can't even touch us.
My suggestion is,
stop running away from the dead.
Only run away from the living.
And do you know who killed him?
They arrested a man.
They always arrest someone.
The point is, is it the real one?
They got Singh Kham,
the forest bandit.
Singh Kham!
Well, then they got
the right one!
I'm not so sure.
They got Singh Kham,
and you say you're not so sure?
He's the most vicious bandit
in this region.
If he had been caught within 10 miles
of the crime scene,
no court would hesitate
to convict him.
It's not that simple.
Itk not that simple?
Did you hear
what you just said?
If they had arrested me,
would it be simpler?
If I steal just one dollar,
if I rob a peasant
of his scrawny chicken
or if I take a tuft of hair
from a dead body...
if I did that, people wouldn't hesitate
to call me a thief.
Or human scum!
But if someone kills a man,
rapes a woman and robs them blind,
or if someone embezzles a million
dollars, he'll become a hero.
He'll become famous
and people will bow to him.
Every time you can't find an answer,
you just say, "ltk not that simple."
You weren't at court.
You didn't hear
what I heard there.
Frankly, I wouldn't believe anything
that bandit has to say.
What the undertaker said
is exactly the same
as what the inspector
testified in court.
Inspector?
What inspector?
The inspector
who arrested Singh Kham.
The defendant in this case
is Singh Kham the bandit.
Murderer and rapist,
who has terrorized the townsfolk
along the main roads and forests.
I'd like to testify that I found
the defendant on the ground
moaning in pain on the riverbank
in Hom Kai village.
There was a white horse
grazing nearby.
The defendant was alone
and in great pain
because he just fell off
the horse.
Who said I fell off the horse?
No horse would dare
do that to me!
Don't you know who I am?
I was ill.
I had a stomachache.
Do you think a shrimp like you
could've caught me otherwise?
Go away,
or I'll crush you to death!
Lord Governor,
please use your judgment.
Don't listen to him.
All he wants is to brag
that he could catch me.
If you want to hear the whole story,
I'll tell you.
- But Lord Governor...
- I want to hear the story.
As you wish, my lord.
Singh Kham fell off a horse?
That's hilarious!
Well, that horse was a smooth ride.
I'd been riding it all day.
But the weather was scorching
and I became thirsty.
There was a stream
near Pa Kham Hill.
Usually the water there
is clear and potable.
But that day, something poisonous
must have fallen into it.
Singh Kham fell off a horse?
What nerve!
Did you kill that man?
Did I kill him?
No matter what I say,
you'll have my head
chopped off anyway.
You've already sentenced me
to death
for the crime
that I have actually committed,
and for the crime
that you'd like to think
that I committed but I didn't,
and also the crime
that you're afraid I would commit.
Stop!
Fine.
I'll stop.
But I'm telling you the truth.
I'm going to die anyway,
why would I lie to you?
All right.
I admit that I killed that man.
Why?
Because of the wind.
Yes,
because of that gust of wind.
Without it,
that man might have
still been alive.
At that second, I had to make sure that
it was really a woman, not an illusion.
I decided that I had to
make her my wife,
even if I had to kill
her husband.
That's a fine sword you've got.
Is that a silver handle?
Are you going to Chiang Kam?
We're just passing through.
Do you fancy antique swords?
Old and beautiful swords,
with silver handles just like yours?
Gold handles too.
I found them
in an old graveyard over there.
They were useless to me.
If you like them,
I can sell them cheaply.
You said gold handles?
Studded with diamonds, too.
And emeralds and rubies.
No.
Fine.
I'll sell them somewhere else.
Where are they?
Over there,
in the cave by the waterfall.
Just a short walk across the hill.
One moment.
Wait here.
I'll come back.
The swords are in there.
You go first.
Wait here.
Why?
I have to pee.
Well, your husband...
What did you do to him?
He was bitten by a snake.
I could've done anything to her.
But I was struck by her face...
the panic-stricken eyes,
the trembling lips.
It made me feel jealous.
I was jealous
that she loved her husband.
I was jealous that he was loved
and cared for by this woman.
I wanted her to see him tied up,
reduced to a pathetic slob
who couldn't help himself:
just like a chained-up dog.
Stop crying!
I'm not doing anything!
Nobody is going to die!
Stop it!
Your husband is there.
Untie him and get lost!
No, wait.
What now?
How can I continue living?
I've lost my honor
in front of two men.
At least...
I should allow my husband
to redeem my honor.
And his own, too.
Why should I allow that?
I beg you.
This is no place to whine
about honor!
Please give him a chance.
If he can't fight you...
I... I'll go with you.
Even a forest bandit
must have a heart
and know something
about justice.
Jusfice?
Your husband is a warlord.
He must have been trained
in swordfighting for years.
Do you think I'd let you
walk me into your trap?
Or maybe I'm wrong.
Maybe you want me to kill him.
Maybe that's your secret wish.
The world is full of women.
Why should I risk my life for you?
The husband put up
a good fight,
but his skill was too refined.
Those who've been trained
in swordfighting
can only fight with people
from the same class.
He could never beat the raw energy
of a forest bandit.
Anyway, he was the first man
to have crossed swords with me
over 15 times.
And what happened to the woman?
That woman?
I have no idea
where she had gone.
She must've been shocked
and run away.
I thought she liked me at first,
but then she just disappeared.
Well, all women are the same.
He said he didn't know
where the woman had gone.
Why am I not surprised
to hear that?
Two days ago a female body
was found in a stream.
What do you mean?
A ruthless bandit like Singh Kham
wouldn't have any trouble
killing a helpless woman.
No.
Singh Kham didn't kill that woman.
She came to testify.
That woman? She testified?
Someone found her
not far from the crime scene.
She was hiding
in an abandoned temple.
Well, there was no need
for her to hide.
Singh Kham had already
confessed to the crime.
That was more than enough
to send him
to the execution ground.
But the warlord's wife
didn't accuse Singh Kham at all.
What she testified
was a completely different story.
A different story?
Why?
The bandit said he was the killer.
I know.
It was bizarre.
But I studied
that woman carefully
and she didn't come across
as the bandit had described her.
She didn't look
like a flighty woman,
or someone with loose morals.
I looked at her
while she was in court.
To me, she was a fragile
and innocent lady.
Her eyes were like that
of an injured bird
that couldn't fly away.
This is Lady Kham Kaew,
my daughter.
She's suffering
from a heartbreaking tragedy.
The Lord Governor
may be wondering
how a woman like me
can have a fine daughter like this.
I've nurtured her
since she was a child,
guarding her like I would guard
a beautiful flower.
Get to the point.
What's this woman's relationship
with the dead man?
He was my daughter's husband.
His name was Lord Larh-Fah,
the warlord of Chiang Lah.
He came from a wealthy
aristocratic clan.
Afine man like him shouldn't have
met such a dreadful end.
When did they get married?
Four years ago, my lord.
It was a grand ceremony.
Just look at my daughter.
You can tell that she has had
many suitors,
all from noble
and wealthy families.
But I allowed Lord Larh-Fah
to take her hand
because I believed
he was truly a good man.
Mother,
you should be ashamed
of yourself.
He is dead,
and you're still flattering him.
Sir, my husband was a nobleman
from Chiang Lah.
My mother...
was a servant in his house.
I added a little flourish
just to cheer myself up.
This is no time
to cheer anyone up.
Not even a little.
My mother...
was a loyal servant,
trusted by the master's family.
That alone was something
to be proud of.
When I was young,
I always helped her out
around the household.
Sometimes I carried water
from the well.
Lpicked wildowers,
put them in a fragrant bowl,
and brought it to my master
at the training ground.
Even in those days,
his chann captivated me.
When I grew up,
I fell in love with him.
But I never thought that he'd be so kind
as to make me his wife,
because he never cast his eyes
on me.
Until that day
when I put a flower in my hair
and carried the bowl
of fragrant water to him,
like I always did.
That was the first time
he looked at me.
I tried hard to become a lady
and the wife of an esteemed warlord
of Chiang Lah.
He picked the clothes
for me to wear.
He taught me how to sit,
how to walk and eat.
Even how to talk.
He taught me everything.
At night as I was lying
next to him,
I was afraid to go to sleep.
I was terrified that! would wake up
from a dream.
I thought it was all
just a dream.
I thought
it was all just a dream.
Calm yourself, Lady Kham Kaew,
so you can continue.
Yes, my lord.
I'll continue.
After the bandit
took advantage of me,
he strutted around pompously.
He bragged
about his past misdeeds,
even comparing me
to other women he'd ravaged.
He used obscene words
that pricked my ears.
Even now,
I can still hear
his vulgar laughter.
His horrible ranting
still echoes in my head!
Listen!
Don't you know who I am?
I'm Singh Kham the bandit.
Get that into your skull!
I'm Singh Kham!
From which hole are you from
that you've never heard of me?
Never mind.
Now you know me,
you can brag about this
until the day you die
that you were once
Singh Kham's wife!
Singh Kham, son of a peasant
who becomes King of the Forest!
Don't act up!
What happened to you today
is probably the only thing
worth remembering in your entire life.
You like swords, don't you?
Gold-handled, diamond-studded,
and emeralds, too!
You drooled
when I told you about them.
Remember, a man like Singh Kham
never breaks his promises.
- Here's the sword I promised you!
- No!
WW did you stop me?
I thought I was
doing you a favor.
You're an animal!
Yes, I am.
Too bad...
you're not one too!
He's gone.
He's gone.
He's gone!
But we're still alive!
I'll forget it.
I'll forget everything.
I promise...
we'll be together,
until eternity.
Why are you looking at me
like that?
Your eyes!
Why are you looking at me
like that?!
Here.
Kill me.
If that's how you feel,
just kill me!
Kill me now!
But please,
don't look at me like that.
You won't do it.
But you're tormenting me!
You're the only man in my life.
I've never wanted any other.
What happened
was beyond my control.
I didn't cause it to happen.
What do you want me to do?
To go away?
How could I live without you?
Answer me!
Have I become so unworthy
that you can't even talk to me?
Tell me!
I'm no longer the daughter
of your servant!
I'm your wife!
I'm the one who shares your bed.
Answer me!
Answer me!
Answer me! Answer me!
Answer me!
I must have fainted.
When I came to,
I saw...
my husband lying dead.
He was stabbed right through.
At that moment,
I knew that I had killed
my own husband.
I ran away.
I ran without knowing
where I was going.
I tried to drown myself.
But even the river
wouldn't take me.
Am I that worthless?
Am I that worthless?
"Am I that worthless?"
But who could forget
the look on that woman's face?
The trembling lips,
the tears streaming down.
Tears are women's
strongest weapon.
They always use it against men.
And stupid men like us
always fall for it.
But why?
Why would she confess to a crime
that she didn't commit?
Who knows why women do
what they do?
A woman's heart
is a labyrinth, sir.
She wanted your sympathy,
and you fell hopelessly
into the trap.
She admitted
to killing her husband,
and now you can't
forget her face?
That's it.
That pale face
soaked with tears.
That innocent face.
Innocence,
it always does the trick.
Who would have the heart
to send a woman to the gallows?
Don't take him seriously.
He's just provoking you.
It's all right.
What he says is true.
We can't believe the woman's story,
because we heard
what the shaman said.
Shaman?
What shaman?
They brought a shaman to court.
Genius!
Now even a ghost can talk!
So what did the shaman say?
Was the ghost's story as reliable
as those of the living?
I don't believe that the woman
was feigning her suffering,
or that the bandit
was so defiant against death.
Why would he lie
when he knew
he would be put
to death anyway?
A man who's marked for death
has no reason to lie.
And a man who's already dead
can't lie either.
Isn't that right?
So what did the dead man say?
I'm in the dark.
The darkest void.
Neither the beginning,
nor the end.
I curse the people
who've thrown me
into this darkest pit!
I will speak.
I will speak...
so the truth will be heard!
After the bandit
had taken my wife,
he sat there talking to her
like he had known her
for a long time.
Like someone who knew the way
of a woman's heart.
He talked,
and he touched my wife.
Poor warlord.
Maybe his warrior's blood
has become thinner than water.
Can his soft hands
entertain your warm flesh?
Can his thin lips bring yours
the deepest pleasure?
That man was made...
only for a woman
who's as cold as ice.
But you're not like that.
You've been ignored,
like a forgotten fruit.
But now, I've tasted you.
My wife!
My beloved and loyal wife!
Never before
had she looked at me like that!
Take me with you.
Take me.
I'll follow you everywhere.
Stop.
Kill him! Kill him!
While he's still alive,
I'll remain his wife.
I'll never be yours.
Kill him.
Kill him now!
Warlord, what do you want me to do
with this woman?
Should I cut out her heart
and feed it to the crows,
or should I let her live?
Whatever you want, I'll do it.
Just tell me.
Help!
Damn it!
Help me!
I'll let her go.
Her scream
might bring people here.
But I have to save myself first.
Our misfortune is over...
now that the floozy has fled.
It was quiet in that forest.
A chilled silence.
But then...
I heard something.
I heard someone sobbing.
Who is that sobbing his heart out
over there?
There was a clot of blood
in my throat,
but I didn't feel any pain.
My fingertips were ice cold.
A fine mist slowly enveloped me.
It was so quiet.
Birds stopped chiming.
Leaves stopped rustling.
I saw a glimmer of light
on top of the hill.
I laid there
in that absolute silence.
The light on top of the hill
slowly faded.
Then someone crept toward me.
Who's that?
Who's that?
Who's that?
I tried to make out his face,
but my eyes only saw darkness.
Then someone
pulled the sword out of my chest.
The clot of blood gushed
out from my throat
and covered my mouth, my nose.
I couldn't breathe.
Then I began to sink,
deeper and deeper,
into that limitless void.
No! No! No!
No, that's not true!
That was a lie!
He didn't kill himself!
I didn't...
What happened?
Why are you sweating?
You're acting suspiciously.
Are you hiding something?
- Nothing!
- Can a ghost lie?
I don't know.
Maybe it can.
It's you who lied.
No I didn't.
I swear!
You swear so easily.
You swore yesterday in court,
and now again.
You didn't find a dead man,
you found him
when he was still alive.
You saw the woman
and the bandit too.
That's right! That's right!
He saw everything!
Why didn't you tell the truth
to the court?
I'm a poor man.
Does honesty only belong
to the rich?
I didn't want to get involved.
You didn't want to,
but you're already involved.
If you don't care about honesty
and justice,
at least you should care
about your own feelings.
The three witnesses
had their own agendas,
but one of them
must have spoken the truth.
No.
None of them.
They're all liars.
I'm cracking up here!
I've never heard anything
so funny in my life!
And all this time,
you've been pretending
that you had
nothing to do with this!
If you speak the truth,
there's nothing to fear.
Now spit it out!
The monk has told you to!
All right, I'll tell you.
I walked into the forest...
- I saw a shawl...
- Stop it!
Stop that nonsense,
I already heard that part.
You saw a shawl and a hairpin.
Now tell me the rest.
I heard a voice.
I sneaked a look
from behind a tree.
The warlord was still alive.
He was tied to a tree.
- And his wife?
- She was doing her hair.
Great!
Doing her hair in the forest?
Women nowadays
do nothing else but their hair!
And the bandit?
He was kneeling.
This is getting better!
Singh Kham the bandit knelt before
a woman who was doing her hair!
Can you please hear me out?
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
How many times
do I have to tell you I'm sorry?
Don't you understand?
All my life...
I've kept a woman like you
in here!
When I was a boy...
I saw her going by
in a palanquin.
She dropped her fan.
I ran to pick it up for her.
She reached out her hand.
Her hand was white like ivory,
her nails were painted pink,
just like yours.
Why don't you look at me?
I'm Singh Kham,
the bandit
feared by the whole region!
Now I'm kneeling before you,
begging you.
Please come with me.
Leave me alone.
I know, I know...
you don't like me
because I'm a thief.
Rn quit.
From now on
I'll find honest work.
I swear!
I'll work the land,
I'll farm, I'll do anything!
I'll provide for you
and make you happy.
Look at you.
You'll provide for me?
Why can't I do that?
I need you so badly.
Let me kiss you.
I'll show you how to...
stop it!
Let go of my skirt.
You'll soil it!
Look, it's all dirty now!
I'll get 10 more for you.
It's a new skirt.
I've only worn it twice.
Fine!
I'll leave it up to you!
If you don't want me, fine!
Get out of my face now!
I'll beat you.
I'll kill you if you don't do
what I say!
Really?
You think you can?
Well, maybe you can.
What you've asked...
I mean,
what you've ordered me to do,
how can I do that?
I'm married.
How can I run off with another man?
I get it.
No!
Why not?
It's the easiest way!
A woman won by the easiest means
is worthless.
But if a man risks his life
fighting for a woman,
he'll become
the most precious man to her.
Fight?
You want me to fight
your husband?
No!
Don't untie him.
I don't want to fight
a warlord!
Now it's between
the two of you.
Put your sword away.
Don't panic.
I won't kill you.
Kill me?
A warrior like me
can't waste my time fighting you.
A warrior's sword
is a sacred and dignified weapon.
A bandit's blood
would only taint its honor.
What about my honor?
You don't even know
what honor means!
My honor was just trampled.
You saw how I resisted,
how I fought,
but he was too strong for me.
My hands were tied,
but I wasn't blindfolded.
You saw I couldn't
defend myself.
Of course not!
A woman like you
can never defend herself.
What are you getting at?
"A woman like me"?
You cut the rope
with that dagger.
You should have slit your throat
with it instead.
That's what a real lady
would have done.
Is that so?
I would never allow myself
to do something so stupid.
No matter how well
I treat a woman like you,
you'll never rise
above your level.
A kitchen girl
will always remain a kitchen girl.
She's just a kitchen girl?
Since I've been your wife,
I've always been faithful.
- Is this my reward?
- Faithful?
Do you take me for an idiot?
That night when I was bed bound
with fever,
where did you disappear to?
Weren't you with a man
in the stable?
Did you think
that I knew nothing?
What are you talking about?
That's nonsense!
Stop pretending you're a lady!
I'm your husband.
I know where you came from,
and what you are.
I've been hiding my feelings
for a long time.
I don't want to be humiliated
anymore.
Humiliated? Humiliated?
Since we've been together,
all you care about is your honor.
I should've thought about that
before I wedded you.
Sure, my noble knight.
Shut up, both of you!
How did we end up in this mess?
It's because of the wind.
That wind caused all of this!
Let's just forget it!
I'm out of here!
Wait!
Wait!
DOn't go!
How can you forget everything
so quickly?
I already have.
You can't leave us like this!
Do you hear me?
Don't follow me!
I don't like being followed!
Let him go,
you shameless trash!
Stop being such a crybaby.
All women are crybabies.
Those tears mean nothing to me.
Maybe she thinks
she can deceive you with them.
Me?
Not anymore.
She has a beautiful face.
I was tricked into believing
that I could raise her
to become a lady.
You can just toss her back
into the kitchen.
Toss me back into the kitchen?
A kitchen woman's daughter?
Yes, that's me.
I'm a kitchen woman's daughter.
I spent enough time
in the kitchen to know
whether something is rotten
and must be dumped in the trash.
Shut up!
Excuse me, my lord.
You keep blabbering about honor,
about your sacred sword.
It's well known
that a real warlord
can kill a man
at the slightest provocation.
But look, what has this outlaw
done to you?
He tied you to a tree
and raped your wife in front of you.
And you still have the nerve
to swagger around
and order me to slit my throat!
I thought I would give you
one last chance
to prove yourself
to be a real man.
I should've known better.
I've been sharing your bed
long enough to know
how you'd tremble with fear
the night before a battle.
In the morning, you'd be seized
by terror and throw up.
I'd have to console you before you
could summon enough strength
to put on your armor.
You call yourself a warrior?
Is this the "honor"
you keep talking about?
We both know
you're not a fighter.
You're a coward!
A pathetic coward!
A pathetic coward!
Shut up!
That's enough!
Enough?
Who says it's enough?
Singh Kham says.
Of course!
Singh Kham,
the "ruthless bandit,"
feared and loathed
by the entire kingdom.
A moment ago,
I fooled myself into believing
that what I'd heard was true.
I thought that Singh Kham,
who had just taken me
as his wife,
would fight for me,
and rescue me from the awful life
I've been forced to share
with this coward.
But no! Singh Kham was ready
to kill my husband
when he was tied up,
but when I cut him loose,
the "great bandit" chickened out
and was ready to run for his life.
You're no better than he is.
Neither of you are real men.
All you do is talk and brag.
But in truth, you're nothing.
Did you say I threw up
before going off to battle?
Why don't you charge?
You charge first.
Help me!
I had to hold my breath
while I was hiding there.
I was so terrified
that the bandit would hear me.
I was horror-struck,
I prayed to every god I knew.
I didn't do it.
He fell on his own sword!
But when it passed,
I ran like the wind.
Straight to the guards?
Yes.
And while you were running,
you forgot half of the story, right?
No, I didn't.
I don't know.
Actually, I should've told the truth
in court.
But when they took the story
in totally different directions,
I started to doubt
my own memory.
I still don't see why those people
had to lie to the court.
Did they?
They did.
I saw everything
with my own eyes.
And can your eyes
see more clearly than theirs?
Men only see
what we want to see
and hear what we want to hear.
Anyway, I prefer your version
of the story to the others.
It has a greater ring of truth
than the others.
We humans like to think
of ourselves
as big and important.
We think we're heroes,
or national darlings.
Anything, as long
as it's big and important.
But real humans
aren't big or important.
We're small, weak,
selfish, gutless.
We're insincere
and undignified.
I have nothing.
I am nothing.
I stopped fooling myself
a long time ago.
What's that sound?
It's a baby!
Yes, they always dump them here.
A new one every day.
What are you doing?
This blanket will bring
a good price in the market.
Scum.
You're stealing from a newborn!
If I don't take it,
someone else will.
You're not human.
You're a bloodsucking monster!
If I'm a monster,
then what are the baby's parents?
You're so corrupt.
The baby is shivering.
He'll freeze to death.
Give me the blanket!
- Leave me alone.
- Give it to me!
Leave me alone!
If you don't give it to me,
I'll go to the guards!
Fine! Do that!
Bring the guards here!
I bet they'll want to know
what you did too.
So far I've been
very kind to you.
Kind to me?
Yes, you know what I mean.
You're such an honest
and truthful man, right?
You've never lied, right?
Well, you are a liar,
just like all of them.
You're also a thief,
just like everybody else.
You may have fooled
the Lord Governor,
but you can never fool me.
What are you talking about?
I don't understand you.
He understands me very well, sir.
Ask him... where is the warlord's sword?
Remember what the shaman said?
She said someone crept toward
the dead man and pulled the sword
from his chest,
while his body was still warm!
No! No! No!
How much did you sell it for?
Must have been a lot, huh?
And you called me
a "bloodsucking monster"?
Don't look at the monk!
I saw you were very cautious
while talking to the monk
so I thought
I wouldn't tell on you.
Thieves should stick together.
At first I thought
we were on the same team,
until you called me a monster.
You reap what you sow,
don't you?
Don't lose sleep over this,
my friend.
Sometimes we're good
and sometimes we're bad.
Life is just like that.
There's no point arguing
who's right and who's wrong.
Life is too short
to be wasted over this nonsense.
The storm has passed, sir.
It's time for me to say goodbye.
Thank you, my friend.
I enjoyed your story today.
And I got this blanket
as a bonus too.
Sir,
give it to me.
If I do, the baby won't live.
I know what I am, sir.
I don't blame you.
Why should you trust me?
But I...
I have six children of my own.
Sometimes they're cold,
sometimes they're hungry,
and sometimes they're scared.
They cry a lot too.
That sword...
has helped get them
through another day.
Please let me keep the baby.
Traveling alone
is tough enough already.
Don't burden yourself
with a baby.
I'll take him home.
It's so small,
it shouldn't eat too much.
I'll be able to feed him.
Keep him then.
Take him home.
Can you forgive me?
I have nothing
to forgive you for.
It's you who should forgive me.
I was so confident
in preaching dharma to others,
but today,
you and the undertaker
actually taught me
many lessons on dharma.
What did you just say?
I couldn't follow you.
I'm just a stupid woodcutter.
I understand nothing.
We are all stupid.
We are all confused.
The rain has stopped.
The earth will soon dry.
Pa Muang Tunnel
isn't so frightening anymore.
It's old and crumbling.
But today,
we found a new life here.
It's late now.
You should go home.
Someone must be waiting
for you.
You're right.
Thank you.