Gie

This biopic avoids common genre pitfalls by steering clear of hagiography. Instead, it serves as a mood piece, presenting a series of incidental scenes that intersect with significant historical events, emphasizing their impact.

The film's portrayal of its central character is subtle and poetic, mirroring the understated beauty of the narrative. The cinematography is both strong and seamlessly integrated, balancing formal beauty with naturalism. The film's naturalism is enhanced by its gentle music and focus on small, intimate moments.

Set against a backdrop of political turmoil and corruption, the film's melancholic tone is underscored by the protagonist's love for nature and tranquility, which infuses the story with genuine heart and humanity. It contrasts the calm and serenity of the protagonist's world with the pervasive corruption of the times.

"Gie" stands out for its unique approach to important themes, blending a wistful and melancholic mood with a clear political intent to create a deeply emotional portrait of its era.

My biggest satisfaction in this movie is watching Nicolas acting out all the characters in Soe Hok Gie. I read the diary before watching the movie, and Nicolas is so spot-on about most of Soe Hok Gie. Superb. Love Nicolas sooooo much!

Don't get me wrong,Riri Riza's 2005 biopic, Gie, is well done for what it is.

The movie encompasses the teenage and early adulthood years of Soe Hok Gie, and does so competently enough.

The trouble with Gie is that it's just about two and a half hours long and plods its way through Gie's thoughts and experiences, based on his journal, in a rather uninteresting way.

After having read a few other reviews from other users about the film, it appears Riza also took various liberties with fictionalizing his life, but not in a way that really made the film more interesting (save for adding the character Han to the picture).

What we get is a movie that solemnly trots through Gie's experiences during upheaval and political unrest taking shape in Indonesia during a battle of Democracy versus "guided" Democracy (i.e,. Communism).

The actual upheaval is rarely depicted and the effects of the political change are mostly glossed over in the film itself. We only get Gie's interpretations of these events rather than a cinematic macrocosm of their effects.

In short, despite the film being rather lengthy and covering various events, it doesn't quite elaborate on the societal toll quite like other similar films in the sub-genre, such as The Year of Living Dangerously or The Motorcycle Diaries, both of which managed to capture more of the cinematic idealism of the story's portrayals rather than maintaining a one-note depiction of events.

Even still, Nicholas Saputra's portrayal of Gie is wonderfully refrained. A lot of his inner turmoil and angst are withheld from any outbursts or external shouting matches. Instead Saputra was directed to emote through facial expressions and the matching inner dialogue that the audience experiences through the journal's narration.

I feel like in the hands of a more audacious filmmaker Gie could have been much better than what it is. Even still, if you're unfamiliar with Indonesia or its political history, this is a fascinating film that gives you a small slice of what one of the more turbulent and unpredictable moments in Indonesia's recent political history was like.

This biopic stands apart from typical films of its genre by avoiding the usual hagiographic tendencies. Instead of glorifying its subject, it presents a mood-driven narrative, a series of incidental scenes that intertwine with key historical moments, highlighting their significance.

The protagonist is portrayed with subtlety and poetic expression, and the film reflects this tone. Gie is portrayed with a quiet beauty, and the cinematography, though striking and well-composed, feels effortless and natural. The film maintains a sense of formal beauty without detracting from its naturalistic approach, supported by gentle music and a focus on small, meaningful moments.

Although the film addresses a period of great turmoil and persistent political corruption, it also emphasizes the protagonist's appreciation for nature and tranquility, which adds depth and humanity to the story. It portrays the country and its people, using moments of calm to contrast with the pervasive corruption, creating a poignant and thoughtful exploration of the past and its relevance to the present..

I would have to agree with another comment giver on this movie about the vagueness of Gie's relationship with his father, the human side of Gie that only appeared in the latter part of the movie, the fact that Gie always seemed to be sheltered from the fistfights that rampantly broke up among the debaters at the university, and the narration style that was rather monotonous and unclear. However, I must say that when watched in a more relaxed mood, I really did enjoy the cinematography of this movie. The soundtrack and the casting were fabulous as well (umh, hello, you don't get any better than Nicholas Saputra!).

However, I'm rather disappointed with the plot of the latter part of the movie, but since this was based on true story then I really can't blame the screenwriter--I just expected better from such an important and respected man in Indonesia's history.

Anyway, this movie is an interpretation of the life of Soe Hok Gie, a young Chinese Indonesian activist who lived in the 1960's and was an influential freelance journalist and university students' leader who opposed the communist party and the regimes of Indonesia's first presidents Sukarno and Suharto. His dream was to see Indonesia become a land truly founded on justice and righteousness, and his academic life was all about the fight to make this come true. Up to the point that he reaches the climax of seeing the Sukarno regime crumble down, I have tremendous respect for this person, and I still esteem him as a very important person in Indonesia's history. I am also proud to share his Chinese heritage. I just feel really pity, though, that Soe did not seem to be quite ready to grow out of an intellectual student's life and face a new season afterwards. Do watch the movie to find out what I mean. I think it should be legitimate, though, to hint that you won't be disappointed with the way the filmmakers portrayed the ending... I'll keep you curious on this one. WATCH IT!

By the way, if you read Indonesian, feel free to surf to my journal entry "Catatan Seorang Perantau" for my further thoughts on this movie and what I think today's intelligent young generation should learn from it. www.myspace.com/graceclarissa