Synopsis
Kaki Bakar (1995)
Kakang, is proud of his Javanese heritage, and he want his children to learnt his own traditional values and beliefs, even though they have moved to Malaysia. Kakang will do an extreme exploitation to express his feeling of the social inequalities, by torching the property of those who look down at him. Kakang youngest son, Kusuma, have a great influence by him.
Jogho (1997)
Mamat, a native of Kelantan but he had left Malaysia many years earlier to join his brother, Lazim, in South Thailand as a trainer of fighting bulls. He left his only son study in Kelantan to have a better education. Lazim was killed by Isa when Isa lose in the bull fighting at the arena. Mamat and Lazim’s sons are taking revenge to Isa. Lazim’s sons and a friend have gone into the town and kill Isa’s son, Hamdan, and his assistant, Dollah. Mamat’s wife, Minah fails to stop the vengeance; the cycle of violence gives big impact to the Malay younger generation.
Review
In both U-wei’s films, I like the storyline of the films where U-wei’s films have not a direct show us the exactly message from the film but it will let the audience to think and interpret its meaning. The film shooting style also cause me like about the film. He use a lot of slow dolly tracking shots to bring up the story. The shot can help the audience to know about the place setting and also can see the picture clearer in the film. In Jogho, U-wei uses the dolly tracking shots to show Mamat talking to his son and telling his son about they going to take revenge on Lazim death.
The mise-en-scene in both of the films has shown the main character, Kakang (Kaki Bakar, 1995) and Mamat (Jogho, 1997) in hyper masculine. Both of them hold strongly their own traditional values and beliefs. The language the main character and his family also in their own Kelantanese Malay slang. The props in the films have shown the status of main character where Kakang (Kaki Bakar, 1995) and Mamat (Jogho, 1997) are in lower class, such as the place they stay and the clothing they wear. The lighting and background music help a lot in bring out the phenomena of the films. Low key lighting used to create the situation that the characters in the film have struggled for live. The haunting soundtrack uses in the film is to enhance the strong feeling of the character.
U-wei films have 3 important themes which includes traditional identity, family love, and male dominant. Traditional identity can see clearly in both of the film. Firstly, the both films have the prayer part and the main character always is the very important person in the prayer session. In Kakai Bakar (1995), Kakang is very proud of his Javanese heritage and always teach Kusuma to pray, keep remind his children not to forget their origins and roots. Kakang stands very strong on his religion and tradition. In family, female role is very low. Kakang as the main character, he always the one make all the decisions and family members can only accept it without any doubts. While in Jogho (1997), although Mamat and his family have moved to South Thailand, but he still maintain aswhat and who he is a Malaysian. He only speaks in his Kelantanese Malay language and not speaks Thai language. In Jogho, the female role in the film is still low; the female can only do the house works, they can’t step into the bullfighting arena. Mamat sent his only son to Kelantan for study to have a better future and Mamat hope his son can even continue studies in Kuala Lumpur. But his daughters can only follow him to South Thailand and stay at home to do the house works.
Family loves also shown in both films. In Kaki Bakar, Kusuma is very loyat to his father, he do everything what his father has told him. Kusma didn’t expose his father out even though he knew his father is the one who set fire of smokehouse. As a father, Kakang works for Tuan Hassim, so they have place to live and can earn money for his family. In Jogho, when Mamat is in jail, Mamat’s wife, Minah, help his husband to take care of the bull even though she doesn’t like her husband in using bull fighting as a job to earn money. Moreover, when Lazim’s son kills Isa, Mamat willing to plead guilty as a murder, what he has done is to save Lazim’s son from arrested.
As we can see, men always are the major person in-charge of the family financial income and supporter. Men in the films are also kind of aggressive person. Their used the aggressive way to solve problems. In Kaki Bakar, Kakang also shout to his family members, once there is people have look down at him or treat him badly, and then he will take revenge by set fire to that person’s property. In Jogho, women are not allowed to step into the bullfighting arena because bull fighting is masculine activity.
In conclusion, both of the films have clearly shows U-wei’s authorship by signature shooting style. One of the significance shooting style in U-wei’s film is dolly tracking, camera pan, titling as well. The movements of camera pan and dolly tracking have a lot of improvement in Jogho compared to Kaki Bakar.
Reference
Sinema Malaysia. (n.d.). Jogho. Retrieved 6 December 2011, from http://www.sinemamalaysia.com.my/film/info/?id=Jogho_274
Sinema Malaysia. (n.d.). Kaki Bakar. Retrieved 6 December 2011, from http://www.sinemamalaysia.com.my/film/info/?id=Kaki_Bakar_69
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