No episode in Thai history captures the imagination of Thais more than the fanciful legend of King Naresuan the Great.

There was virtually no romantic element attributed to King Naresuan. During his reign over the Ayutthaya Kingdom between 1590 and 1605, he was held with utmost fear and respect as a warrior-king. He savoured his first victory in war when he was only 18. Afterward he won battle after battle against the Burmese and other enemies of Ayutthaya.

Most important of all, he restored pride to Siamese sovereignty. Unquestionably, King Naresuan is the greatest Siamese in 1,000 years.

After his success with the epic movie "Suriyothai", MC Chatrichalerm Yukol undertook an even more ambitious project.

He has now produced a trilogy on King Naresuan as a continuation of "Suriyothai".

MC Chatrichalerm sought to portray the turbulent period of Middle Ayutthaya, then fraught with political and military intrigue, when a clear and present danger from rival tributary states like Pegu emerged as the most powerful empire over Suvarnabhumi.

MC Chatrichalerm has based the trilogy on painstaking research and studies of Middle Ayutthaya, drawing from primary and secondary sources in Thailand, Burma and elsewhere.

Yet the Thai history is characterised by layers of facts and legends, which intertwine to become the history and legend as we know it.

"The Legend of King Naresuan I: Ong Prakan Hongsa" (Pegu's Hostage), which premieres today, might not depart very far from the blending of facts and legends about the time of Siam's greatest hero. But it offers a good glimpse into the spirit of the age when rival states vied for supremacy and when swords spoke the loudest, and when minor mistakes could prove fatal.

The movie will be screened to coincide with Army Day, or the day that King Naresuan declared independence from the Burmese.

On February 1, "The Legend of King Naresuan II: Prakard Issaraphab" (Reclaiming Sovereignty) will make its way to the screen. To complete the trilogy, "The Legend of King Naresuan III" is expected to be shown later this year, in December, to coincide with the King's 80th birthday.

For more than three hours, "The Legend of King Naresuan I" will keep you glued to your seat, as the visual impact of his film, screened on Tuesday during a press preview, was simply stunning.

It is a beautiful movie, planned to meticulous detail with the exotic designs and colours of the royal dresses, golden palaces and exotic temples. The movie enlivens the ancient scenes of Phitsanulok, Ayutthaya and Hangsa during peace and war.

The war scenes alternate between plot and sub-plots and are mostly spectacular, with sword fights, cannons, archers and musketeers.

The movie also brings back to life the main characters of this remarkable period - from Bayinnaung, the Burmese king who was nicknamed the Victorious One; Phra Mahathammaraja, King Naresuan's father; and King Naresuan himself, then a boy of only 13.

King Naresuan grew up with his elder sister Phra Suphankalaya and younger brother Phra Ekathosarot in Phitsanulok, or Song Kwai. But his childhood was interrupted by Bayinnaung's easy taking of Phitsanulok. He was taken to Hongsa as a hostage.

Bayinnaung went on to subdue Ayutthaya with his mighty force. He got the help from Phra Maha Thammaraja, King Naresuan's father, and Phraya Chakri. Bayingnaung rewarded Phra Maha Thammaraja by installing him as king of Ayutthaya.

The image of Bayinnaung is portrayed rather positively in the movie as he waged war to expand his "barami" (virtue) as a conqueror rather than a warmonger.

In contrast, there was disquiet, unease and tension among the Siamese, particularly Phrathienraja the Ayuthaya king - and his successor Phra Mahin - in the face of the threat from Bayinnaung. Ayutthaya tactically lost its honour and prestige when it had to surrender white elephants to Pegu during the reign of King Chakkaphat.

The tone of the movie reflects the dilemmas of the Siamese kings, queens and dignitaries trying to survive during this difficult time.

Phra Mahatamaraja was placed in the most difficult dilemma. He was born into the Phra Ruang dynasty that reigned over the Sukhothai Empire. The Ayutthaya kings did not trust him, although he was married to King Mahin's sister. Ayutthaya did not care to protect his Phitsanulok. Lanna could not be trusted. He had to pledge allegiance to Pegu in order to save Phitsanulok.

In one of the most humiliating scenes for the Siamese, yet beautifully depicted, is when Phra Suphankalaya is to be submitted for the pleasure of King Bayinnaung. Her face is whitened by "tanakha" (Burmese powder), her lips painted in blood red. She no longer carries a Siamese look but the look of one of the Burmese court ladies. Her loss of identity personifies the loss of Siamese honour and pride.

Amid this ongoing power struggle, Naresuan, the Black Prince, spent his youth in Hongsa, learning military skills, language, Buddhism and all other disciplines that enabled him to become the future king of Siam. He was under the tutelage of an abbot and ordained as a novice during his time in Hongsa, and spent his life in the Siamese community there.

One of the most spectacular scenes is a cockfighting episode in Pegu. Some Burmese princes challenged Prince Naresuan to a contest, calling his bird a "captive cock". But his captive cock won. The Burmese king's grandson remarked: "Oh, how good this captive cock is!"

Prince Naresuan replied: "This captive cock cannot only fight for a gamble, it can also fight for a kingdom."

This reflects the young captive prince's craving for independence, not only for himself, but also for the Siamese Kingdom.

Prince Naresuan would soon realise his own dilemma, as his father was king of Ayutthaya and ready to answer to Pegu's demands. Every Burmese victory would represent a Siamese defeat. But first he had to escape back to Phitsanulok and prepare himself for the great battles to come.