Could you name the latest historical (event driven or inspired by) movie you’ve watched? I’ll bet the movie revolve around event/ historical fact of some countries with the leading actor/ actresses taking the role of some foreign heroes/leaders/protagonist.
Let revise the question. Could you name the latest historical local movie you’ve watched?
Paloh – Typical malay movie (cengeng+jiwang) with some ass controversy thrown in. Berani tapi boring.
Leftenan Adnan – Excellent historical background. Simbol kejantanan melayu, portrait of the Malay bravery (even if the one we defended is our ‘penjajah’). Menarik even though the delivery is quite dull.
PGL (Puteri Gunung Ledang) – I don’t know if we can categorize this as historical film as it is loosely based on the famous Malay mythology, Hikayat Hang Tuah. Expensive yet the film seems fail to make full use of it potential. However, I’m a sucker for any film that has M.Nasir acting in it (Seniman Jalanan, Fenomena & Merah)… “takkan lembu je, tali mana?”
Any Amir Muhammad movie – Can’t comment cause I’m still searching for the DVDs.
(A little bird told me that next year there would be a film event showing all the latest Malaysian films, banned and commercial alike to Australian public. Special guest would be Yasmin Ahmad and Amir Muhammad. Insya’llah)
How I wish our local film scene could come up with something that is at least at par with the great ‘Bukit Kepong’ movie.
#I remember during my time at MRSM, the warden came and locked us up in our dorm because we did not go to perform our Subuh prayer at the surau. He asked us to come out one by one and surrender. Yang best, one of the guys siap jerit lagi, ala Bukit Kepong, “Kami orang-orang polis tidak akan menyerah diri. Biar kami mati di sini. Bukit Kepong menjadi tanah kubur kami"… hehehe… cukup kuat influence movie tu. =;)#
Sometimes, me and my brother, we discuss and fantasize about the possibility of creating the next ‘Bukit Kepong’. Our idea is basically loosely based on the historical fight between the great Sarawak (Dayak Iban) warrior, Rentap and the British Empire. Cuba you all bayangkan, (just a bit of the screenplay)
Location:
Sungai Rajang. Hutan tebal. Pokok- pokok besar and a bit scarry, kiri dan kanan tebing.
Time:
Early subuh or maybe dekat senja. Sunyi, with a little bit of bunyi mergastua. Cahaya samar- samar. Sungai tenang. Kabus sikit.
Action:
Suddenly, the silence is interrupted with the sound of shooting and shouting. 5 – 6 sampan orang Dayak Iban (Rentap team) is being chase by the British boats (maybe 7 – 8). Some of Rentap man kena tembak dan jatuh dalam sungai. But Rentap and his man keep on rowing. British a bit overconfident. Tiba- tiba, tali diregangkan di antara Rentap sampans and British boats. The British tak sempat nak elak. Yang sempat tunduk, tunduk. Yang berdiri, jatuh dalam sungai. Together with the tali attack, from both tebing, a sum of 100 Rentap mans stand up and begin attacking the British boats with sumpit and panah. Rentap, turns his sampan and together with the other sampan begin to slaughter the remaining British army. Sungai Rajang mula bermandi darah.
Itu baru sikit. This movie would mainly deals around that troubled period. The guerilla warfare. Fighting in the woods and on water. The warrior lifestyle. The backstabbing, the drama and how at the end, the British Empire manage to defeat him and his loyal tribesman at Bukit Sadok and eventually conquer Sarawak. Based from history, until the day he died, although his attempt was crushed but he died a free man. Interesting right? Imagine seeing Braveheart, but in malay or ibanese.
The one million question would be who will be the director, and who would take the role of the great Rentap? Something for you, the target audience to voice out… =;)
Filem Kita, Wajah Kita.
Please no more Sembilu…
- Bukit Kepong (Dir. Jins Shamsudin, 1981) #Thanks Laling#
bonafide & ikhlas
kota Melbourne
1253 pagi jumaat
