#hinwatching

"A staircase almost every single time in film is used to visually represent a power dynamic. A person who is in charge of the situation will be higher up on the steps than a person who is not in charge of the situation."

→ Paran was higher on the stair. He made decisions for himself and Khem, was actively pushing Khem away, was having more power literally and figuratively.

→ Khem was higher on the stair. He had decided to hold back, to stop loving and caring for Paran, to keep the distance that Paran demanded and initiated.

"(gestures above) These are the people that are in command of the scene, these are the people that are giving demands and the orders."

→ Instead of making cushions for Paran, he would only make it for Charn and Jet. Instead of offering to make Paran's coffee or boil water for him, Khem told Paran to do it himself. He couldn't leave because he needed Paran's protection. He was taking some control on how to react to Paran in everyday life, how to navigate their tricky relationship.

"(gestures below) These are the people that are listening, these are the people that are responding."

→ Paran was responding by predicting what Khem usually said. Except Khem didn't say them. No, the cushions were not for him. No, Khem would not go down to make him coffee if he wanted to drink it.

Things were going according to his plan right? He knew that Khem would be hurt, would hate him even, and would stop loving him. But I think he lost control of his emotions here. He thought he would be fine and the heartbreak would not be too much, but when it happened, he's stunned, speechless, seemingly losing his composure and his cold, serious demeanor.

"Every single time, without fails, if there's a staircase in a film and someone is walking up it, talking to someone below, they are giving them a command or they are taking control of the scene."

→ Khem ended the conversation and they parted while Paran was silent.

Co-director Kru Den also reposted a post talking about this (translated by Google Translation).

Quick note: the word karmic enemy (เจ้ากรรมนายเวร) can also be translated as karmic creditor - which can both refer to Ramphueng in this case.

1. The Curse

"I place my curse upon you all. May your line be struck with misfortune, with no sons to carry your name."

→ It's safe to assume that the Lord and the Madam did not have any son after Ramphueng's death. And they probably went through a tons of misfortune, probably died in a fire.

Some fans also interpreted this as because they killed people, they have to be burnt in hell until they pay back all their negative karma. I took a quick search and at Wikipedia of Naraka (Buddhism) - referred in English as "hell", "hell realm" or "purgatory" - stated: "A being is born into naraka as a direct result of its accumulated actions (karma) and resides there for a finite period of time until that karma has achieved its full result." Maybe the fans are referring to this or from the novel.

→ Lady Kakanang of course also suffered misfortune, probably death or illness. I couldn't imagine her guilt and pain. And I wonder if she witnessed her daughter also suffered.

Since the Lord didn't have son and the curse is on the family of Khem's mother, does that means Krongkhwan might have a child? Then, both Krongkhwan and Lady Kakanang keep being reborn as a member of her family or their own descendants? And they keep being mother and son / daughter?

"If you die, may you be reborn, and I shall claim my vengeance."

→ The Lord and Madam maybe be reborn, maybe not, they didn't show it. Krongkhwan and mom were reborn so Ramphueng's curse were in full effect.

"Should you be reborn as a women, may you suffer separation from your beloved, either by being parted or by death, as I was parted from my son. And should you be reborn a man, may death claim you at twenty-one, as it now claims me."

Krongkhwan was separated from her lover. In the second life, young man got hit by a train. Third life, she was imprisoned, again, be isolated from everyone you love. Fourth life, Khemmika had heart disease and was separated from Pawat by death.

We didn't see all Lady Kakanang's lives but in this life, she was being parted from her husband and son by death too.

2. The Conversation

"Look around you. They've all paid for what they did to me in every lifetime. All have faced their karma, except you. You're the last one."

I think she is not targeting Khem specifically, it's just Khem and his mom are being showed reborn as human and others are not LOL. I do wish they made it more clearly here like in the novel.

As she said, she has revenged all of the other people involving in her death. Again, they have their reasons but no matter what, their actions contributed to Ramphueng's death and that made them the subject of her curse. That's their karma.

"Only then will my hatred finally fade."

I have seen people talk about how this implied that after this life, no one is being reborn after death anymore because the curse said "If you die, may you be reborn, and I shall claim my vengeance." Hence Ramphueng stops. It's an interesting theory. Personally, I think because they have paid their due, the curse will lose its effect, ending this revenge cycle. (I need someone who is well versed in Buddhism to watch Khemjira plz it is so complicated) Or that's just how Ramphueng thinks. That if all her "enemies" pay their price, she will finally be happy and at peace.

3. The Revenge

I think the "villain origin story" of Ramphueng is so tragic in so many different ways.

Only when she was dead, did she gain the power to take revenge. This is a really common theme in Asian stories involving injustice - human using the supernatural power to get revenge and punish the perpetrators / their oppressors or just simply to clear their names and prove innocence. "The Injustice to Dou E", in which a woman swore 3 unnatural occurrences happen after her death to prove her innocence come to mind when writing this.

Even then, it's at the cost of Ramphueng's next life and even many more lives. Losing any happiness. Roaming this world in her battered and tortured death state. Everyday for hundreds years being drown in anger and resentment while her "enemies" have been reborn multiple times and maybe has had many more happy memories than she had ever had. Sure, they will died under her hands eventually, but at the end of the day, they can still live, love and be loved, just like Khemmika and Khemjira.

But Ramphueng can't. At least until she makes Khemjira pay. But what guarantee that she won't hunt for his next life or just go on a rampage when the subjects of her curse are all gone. She doesn't forgive. Her grievance and resentment are still there. She is a powerful spirit that can harm people unrelated to Khemjira and doesn't hesitate to wreck havoc to get what she wants and do what she thinks it's right.

From Rae-Worn to the 3 students in the forest. Even Charn and Uncle Chai almost got burnt and Charn wasn't trying to help Khem then. Hurting innocent people will also result in her own karma.

knowing ramphueng had been there the whole time hits even harder, like he was sad but relieved that jet won't be alone when he is gone ;;-;;

because paytai did look like he wanted ramil to kiss him a lot. and ramil only kissed him after all *that*.