You’re Bard – Thai authorities ban version of Macbeth

An adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth – the story of a murderous Scottish noble who seizes the throne – has been banned by authorities in Thailand over fears that it could inflame political tensions.

The Thai-language film Shakespeare Must Die tells the story of a theatre group in a fictional country, which resembles Thailand, that is staging a production of the play.

One of the film’s main characters is a dictator named “Dear Leader”, resembling former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He was ousted in a 2006 coup, which sparked years of political turmoil between his supporters and critics.

But the story has upset authorites in Thailand, despite funding for the horror film coming from the Thai government. Film censors fear the political overtones of the film could divide the country, whilst references to historical political turmoil have also proved too much.

Censors at the culture ministry have issued a brief memo saying that the film could not be distributed in Thailand because it “has content that causes divisiveness among the people of the nation”. It did not specify which scenes were deemed offensive.

But, Ing K, the film’s director, said the censorship committee objected to anti-monarchy overtones in the film as well as politically charged content, including a scene based on an iconic photo from Bangkok’s 1976 student uprising showing a demonstrator being lynched.

“The committee questioned why we wanted to bring back violent pain from the past to make people angry,” Ing K said yesterday.

The censors also disliked the attire of a murderer in the film, who wore a bright red hooded cloak - the same colour worn by the pro-Thaksin demonstrators known as the “Red Shirts”.

The director called the ruling “absurd” and a reflection of the fear in Thai society.

“I feel like we are heading to a very dark, dark place right now – a place full of fears and everyone has to be extra careful about what they say,” Ing said.

She said the character resembling Thaksin could represent any leader accused of corruption and abuse of power. “When Cambodians watch this they’ll think it’s Hun Sen. When Libyans watch it they would think it’s Gaddafi,” she said.

Thailand’s censors have targeted a wide range of political and social offences. They blur out cigarettes and alcohol on television and crack down on criticism of the monarchy.

Sensitivity over criticism of the monarchy has increased in recent years as the poor health of the country’s 84-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej has elevated concern about a smooth succession. At the same time, sharp partisan political battles in the wake of the 2006 coup have unleashed unprecedented questioning of institutions, including the palace.

Last year, the film board banned a movie about a transgender father struggling to raise two children, called Insects in the Backyard, saying it contained scenes that were immoral and pornographic. Ing K said she plans to appeal the ban.