One of the most elaborate productions ever mounted in Thailand, Tears of the Black Tiger is a candy-colored Western made in the high-energy style that characterizes much contemporary Thai cinema. The plot is a traditional boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-again story that references both classic American Westerns and Thai folk tales. Poor boy Dum (Chartchai Ngamsan) and rich girl Rumpoey (Stella Malucchi) first lay eyes on each other as children when her family escapes Bangkok to his country hometown during World War II. When they meet again ten years later, they fall instantly in love and decide to marry. But the disapproval of her parents and a band of rampaging bandits led by the villainous Mahesuan (Supakorn Kitsuwon) combine to threaten their plans for future happiness.