Bumi Manusia

You read the book so what? The Earth of Mankind is a stunning movie. Excellent performances, great costumes and the soundtrack were just the best combination that lead to perfection of this brilliant movie which is based on book. Movies and Books are two completely different story, there is always - always- a disappointment in the end. So best is, to watch the movie, read the book. That is that. Show a little appreciation by supporting Indonesia film industry. Buy the ticket and watch! I would rate this film 8/10. There was Iwan Fals -the legend- voice on the backsound and it sums up everything. A- heart touching 3 hour movie.

Its not as good as promoted, i do hope the story have some layer in it but no. The directing and story writing could be done better. As usual the actors in Indonesians movie looks asa stiff as robots and inhuman.

When I heard Hanung Bramantyo adapting Pramoedya Ananta Toer's classic literary work "Bumi Manusia", I was curious, before watching the film I took the time to read his book in preparation. The film trailer also looks promising. But after watching this film for the duration of the film 3 hours I think director of this movie still confuse to cut scenes from scenes in the book so it feels rough, Robert Mellema miscast and using contact lense doesn't look good either, the supporting cast of Westerners looks stiff. Some dialogue feels forced. For the details of the colonial era atmosphere such as steamship, steam train, I admit it is quite match for what i imagine from the book to tell the atmosphere of Indonesia at the end of the 19th century, although it still miss some details of fashion and hairstyles. The cast of Maiko, although its appearance was only briefly managed to steal the attention. The strength of this film's acting relies on the two main actors Minke (Iqbal) and Nyai Ontosoroh (Ina Febriyanti) who are also unable to save the quality of this film whose plot is loose here and there. Unfortunately. Hanung Bramantyo set main focus on the romantic drama scene and forget about the other values that wanted to be conveyed in "Bumi Manusia" to make it the most "Down-to-earth" novel that almost brought Pramoedya Ananta Toer to a noble prize.

I read the novel first so i would not misunderstood this well-known masterpiece since i found out it was Hanung as director. I can imagine Hanung always makes his movies from characterization to scoring a little too sinetron-ish. Shoot technique is mediocre. It didn't make sense when Mellema get mad to Ontosoroh when she found out the truth about Mellemas legal wife, the book told the situation the other way. Bupati B, Maiko, Robert Mellema were going too extra. The truth is bupati B never whipped Minke, Robert is not even that rude to Nyai Ontosoroh, Maiko is too evil here. Too many things going sinetron-ish. Wish Kamila Andini would have had her own version, i'm sorry Hanung.

I don't think this movie got much coverage in The Netherlands at the time of its release, but it was mentioned recently in the context of annual Aug 15 commemorations (ending of ww2 in the Pacific). There's growing awareness of the suppressed and even invisible position of many njays, who mostly came from poorish, islamic rural communities. Only after 1910 Dutch law allowed mixed marriages and legalisation of their children. My greatgrandmother was a njay, and just seeing a story dedicated to that period, and all racial complexities in colonial daily live, makes this a worthwhile movie . Even though there are some strange turns in the plot and too much romantic drama..