Authorship - Kaki Bakar & Jogho

Synopsis - Kaki Bakar

The story is about Kakang and his family in the rural area of Malaysia. Kakang is an ex- soldier of Indonesia who came to Malaysia and built a family here. He and his family makes a living by rubber tapping in the rural areas. However, the family has been moving very often due to his pride and behaviour. Beginning of the story, he was shunned by the village he is making a living for burning another villager's property despite his own faults. His family moved to another village and he was exploited by his new employer, Kasim. He felt mistreated but found no justice for himself at the local court, thus he decided to bring himself justice by burning Kasim's property. Only to made his own son ratting him out and ended up dead.

Synopsis - Jogho

The story is about Mamat's life in Southern Thailand as a bull-fighting trainer. Lazim, Mamat's brother was shot dead by Isa after a bull fight. In avenging Lazim's death, his sons killed Isa's son, Hamdan and his assistant, Dolah. The action brought Mamat to jail. His wife bailed him out just right before the final bull fight, but before the fight even began, Isa shot Mamat in the hand. In the end, Sani shot Isa dead but Mamat took tha blame for him.

Review

Both the films by U-Wei have similar context and themes. Both film revolves in foreigners who work in rural areas of other country and they were discriminated by the locals. Also, the main character from both films hold strong to their roots and adat. Both the films was instilling the idea of one should fight for their own right and justice however perverse or tainted it is. The unconditional love for one's family is also something the author instil in the films. In terms of technical aspects, the director liked long tracking shots and usage of non-diegetic sound in the films.

The difference in the films is that first, the plot for the first film was told in a linear manner while the latter sort of have flashback. Women in Jogho have much more say compared to Kaki Bakar, but in the end, the male still have the final say in the patriarch society. Also the usage of sound is more sophisticated in Jogho, the sound is more carefully crafted and lass repetition of the same piece of music.

Anyhow I disliked both the films because the way U-Wei present the main theme of the films. One of the main theme, to protect one's pride and dignity despite how perverse or tainted it is, which I dislike most. For example, Kakang burnt other's property because he thinks that the people around him is not treating him equally while he has his portion of fault in most of the scenario. Whilst in Jogho, Isa who thinks that his dignity is challenged when he lost the bull fight and ended up killing another person. I find both the action is plain dumb and many conflick could be avoided if they use reasoning a bit morethan their emotions. Besides being boring, I dislike the films for being in slow pace. Particularly in Kaki Bakar, I dislike the lighting of the film and the way Kakang is educating his son, Kusuma. In Jogho, I dislike the way the people settle things their own way, murdering one another.

Abang

Synopsis

The film Abang by Dato Hj. Rahim Razali is about the eldest son of a wealthy family, Fuad's sudden return to Malaysia after he left for London without a word 10 years ago. Over the years, his family members who are used to his absence, have mixed feelings when they knew he was coming back home. Upon his return, he brought the family back together as a unit and also all his brothers and sister back to their roots, the adat. Solving all problems and reprimands for his fault leaving the family, Fuad then re-visited his hometown and subsequently having his sickness end his life.

Review

From this film, I could see both hybridity and cultural imperialism on Fuad's family in terms of language and action. Hybridity is clearly shown on Fuad, having the modernity and traditional values living in symbiosis. On the other hand, Fuad's family is more incline to the western cultural imperialism where most act and think like a foreigner, losing their own adat. While both party speaks in Malay with mixture of English, but the difference lies on they way they phrase their sentences. Fuad the Abang, speaks in a calm and polite manner and always tries to reasons with the other party even in a heated argument. It was because, it was part of the virtue that Malays should have. On the other hand, his brothers are more headstrong and couldn't care more for being down-to-earth or polite to the extent of almost shooting someone because of the argument they had. The brothers also lost their faith in Allah and have been drinking liquor which is forbidden to Muslims.

Another thing worth mentioning in the film is that the roles of females. Besides the males in the film, the females could also converse in English, means that they are also well-educated which falls on the modern side of the scale. Nazreen, Farid's wife talked back to her husband earlier in the film and also claimed that they are in a an open marriage where she does not care if he has a girlfriend outside. Dina, the sister is a singer in a club and drives a race car. All the women in the family including Mona, Faisal's wife have a job, which defies the adat of women should stay home, or be a supportive wife.

Aband Fuad was like the long lost Adat of the family. As the news of him coming back to Kuala Lumpur, description of him had been like "hantu" and "jembalang"; Fuad was gone from the family as well as their Adat, when he is back, it was as though the past they all left out is back to haunt them. When Abang is back to the family, he fixed the problems the family members are facing and paid his debt for his disappearance for the past decade. He also brought all his siblings back to the right path of being a Malay as well as a Muslim.

In the end, he left the world where his roots are in Baju Melayu, return to where he came from.

I liked the messages embedded in the film where people could chase modernity but must never forget one's roots. Also, the chain effect and things lost when one is away of his family for years.

What I dislike from the film was the slow pacing of the entire filem, the super emo slow musics and the exaggerated acting. For instance, when the family first know of Fuad's return, the music was like those thriller or horror films and the family's expressions was sort of showing Fuad as a super villain, which he isn't.

I would like the film better if the pacing is a little faster.

Selubung

Synopsis

The story is about a group of Malaysian students that studied abroad in their efforts to aid refugees of Palestine. Mastura, the main character returned from her studies led her life as a independent women while her best friend, EJ did not complete her studies and married to Brother Musa a leader of the religious extremist group. Upon returned to Malaysia, Mastura joined Rescaid, a volunteer organization aiding the refugees of Palestine. While working on helping the refugees, she fell in love with Kamal, her boss and a divorcee who also shares her vision. The campaign run by Rescaid was a huge success raising fund for the refugees. However there was a group of opposing extremist that started planting bomb on Rescaid branches. A bombing occured in Malaysia and almost killed Mastura but her determination stand strong even after the tragedy.

Review

I was enjoying the parallel editing of the film as it creates a lot of suspense and expectations. Unlike Transformers, I actually need to fully focus on the film to figure out what is the film telling. Examples of scenes I find interesting are especially the flashbacks within a flashback where EJ/Mastura's flashback on what deteriorates their friendship with Hani's flashback on the details of it. Also, I find Mastura's character representation in the film interesting especially when compared with EJ who followed the traditional path. It was not an usual sight for women to be depicted in a more powerful manner especially in 1992.

The film was highly Islam related from the very start of the film. Most(if not all) of the character are Muslims and the places, papers and media shown are all Islam related. It is very Islamic-inclined although the film does depict women in a manner that any Muslimin shouldn't be such as being smarter than the males. It shows that under the influence of culture, the islam-revival and in a modern society, women can find a balance of all 3 at the same time.

Mastura was the perfect example of women the director trying to portray in the film, she is a free-spirit, modern, independent and confident but still stand strong for her culture and religion.

On the other hand EJ whom followed the path of her religion, also ended up in a similar manner as Mastura. Beginning of the film, she was a religious person and was married to Brother Musa leading a traditional housewife life. She was then abandoned by Brother Musa who went for war in Palestine after her child was accidentally killed by the mentally deranged Hani. She was at first timid, conservative and low on confidence when she joined Rescaid. However she also found a balance between the 3 aspects as her life goes on, which shown in the way she act and the dress she is in. She is also a fit example the modern Islamic women the director was portraying.

Ironically what I not like about the film was also the flaws in the editing where jump cuts occurs frequently which is pretty annoying. The editing style also change after half the film, the first half of the film posted many clues and pieces of puzzle and make the audiences think a lot but as the film goes by, it turned more and more literal and monotone.