" Whenever the Film Archive screened an old film , I 'd be there . Usually , I 'd be the only one there " , Wisit said in an interview at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2000 . " Most Thai audiences dislike Thai movies , especially the old ones , which they consider '' nam nao '' " , he said , using the Thai language euphemism for the old films , which are viewed as stagnant and clichéd . Literally , '' nam nao '' means " stinky water . " " What I saw in them was a way to stay true to the spirit of those old styles of Thai filmmaking , as well as a way to make them new again . And none of the older generation of filmmakers impressed me more than Rattana Pestonji . " In addition to Rattana 's 1950s and 1960s drama films , '' Tears of the Black Tiger '' draws on 1960s and 1970s Thai action cinema , derisively termed by critics as '' raboed phoo khao phao krathom '' ( " bomb the mountain , burn the huts " ) films . Among the stars from this era were Mitr Chaibancha and Sombat Metanee , who co-stars as gang leader Fai . Wisit has acknowledged the influence of Leone 's Spaghetti Westerns but has said , " mine is ' Tom Yum Goong cowboys ' because at one time cowboys were very popular in Thai films as you can see in Mitr Chaibancha 's films . " Still more influences include the novels of Thai humorist Por Intharapalit and an old Thai pop ballad , " Fon Sang Fah " ( " When the Rain Bids the Sky Farewell " ) . " I do love those ' rain ' songs . I kept picturing a beautiful frame of two guys shooting each other in the rain . And that sparked it all " , Wisit said in an interview for the film 's production notes . Initially '' Fon Sang Fah '' was to be the title of the film , but eventually '' Fah talai jone '' ( literally " the heavens strike the thief " ) was chosen because the name has different meanings depending on the context . In addition to being the Thai name for an herb , Andrographis paniculata , '' Fah talai jone '' " can convey either a sense of obsoleteness or the feel of great chic " , the director said . " In terms of the film it refers to predestination , in which most Thais believe . To put it frankly , the main reason is simply because I liked the name . " '' Tears of the Black Tiger '' was the directorial debut for Wisit , who had previously penned the screenplays for the 1950s-set teenage gangster tale '' Dang Bireley 's and Young Gangsters '' and the historical Thai ghost legend , '' Nang Nak '' , both directed by Nonzee Nimibutr , who produced '' Tears of the Black Tiger '' . Production design was by Ek Iemchuen , a classmate of Wisit 's from Silpakorn University who also worked on '' Nang Nak '' and '' Dang Bireley 's '' as well as the 2001 period drama , '' Jan Dara '' , also by Nonzee
Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
Tears of the Black Tiger