Opera Jawa

I saw this film at the Toronto International Film Festival. The name of the movie should have warned me that the movie will be an Opera! The movie was all song and dance, more in the lines of Phantom of the Opera. I would have enjoyed the movie more if I knew the language. Listening to the songs and reading the subtitles just doesn't give the correct feel. The dances were traditional Indonesian. The movie was a visual treat and the dance performances were really good. The story is a modern interpretation of an Indian Hindu mythological story called the Ramayana. In Ramayana, Sita, the wife of Prince Rama, is abducted by a the king of Lanka, Ravana. Ravana wants to have Sita for himself. Prince Rama and his brother Lakshmana fight Ravana to reclaim his wife. In Opera Jawa, the role of Ravana is played by Ludiro who tries to lure Siti into his life despite her marriage with Setio. The classic victory of good over evil story of Ramayana has been very nicely adapted for the modern day.

I went to watch this movie with a lot of excitement in the Estonian film festival but to my surprise the movie, presented in the style of opera, did not come close to my expectations. Even after knowing the story of Rama and Sita, I could not understand parts of the plot. It seemed the director had tried to put everything in one movie and somewhere forgot to connect the parts. A few scenes didn't seem to have any connection with the movie. This is not my attempt to completely bash the film , I will also add that there were some good musical parts and dance sequences but still the movie couldn't keep me or others watching the movie glued to the screen or even interested. Close to the end we were just looking at our watches to get out of the theater.

To sum up my feelings towards the movie, I'd say it's pretty and well-played.

I'm Indonesian and the movie was played at some Indie movie festival. There were easily 250 people but during the movie about 30 people left.

• This is either because they didn't like the aspect of Indonesian traditional singing (slow and can be annoying for your ears!) - Or because the version shown was only subtitled in French.

So my advice to you is if you don't want to discover Indonesian culture and are only interested in Hollywood-typed movies with happy endings and pretty actors, pass by. Otherwise, enjoy!

This movie is not for everyone. In fact, I have my doubts about how many people are capable of appreciating it. Those who are ready to experience something completely new are in for a real treat. This is the only movie I have ever rated a 10. Why this one? Because there is nothing else remotely like it. It is not possible to write a spoiler for this movie. The more you know about it ahead of time the better you will be able to appreciate it. However even with no preparation this film has the power to move you in hard to explain ways. Even if it had no subtitles... I am not a fan of dance, or of musicals, but the combination of the 2 here along with stunning visuals and symbolism is irresistible. I could not take my eyes off the screen! This movie is amazing!

First, I want to gently contradict one statement, often made of this film and repeated here. There ARE other movies like this. If you want to see a reasonable model of what Garin Nugroho has done, I would direct you to the work of Carlos Saura, especially "El Amor Brujo." But that being said, the stunning richness of this movie far eclipses Saura at his best. There are visuals both large and small, dances both grand and intimate, songs both poetic and profane, and story-telling elements both epic and contemporary. The frame shifts rapidly between modern and ancient, between emotional and refined, and on and on.

Now, permit me to ask a question of any Indonesian readers. Who was the intended audience for this film? I ask because I am far more familiar with Javanese culture than most Americans, but found the cultural references and symbolism far deeper than I could catch. It made me think that this was created for a strictly Indonesian and a predominantly artistic/intellectual audience. But with its extensive European connections, is that right? Did he create it for people like me, educated artsy types the world over?