User reviews

Found this film at our local library on Blu-ray (recently restored by Criterion, thanks to the brilliant Martin Scorsese). It was enjoyable for the most part, well done, and in general worth a watch if you're looking to expand on the number of foreign films you've see. Moreover, if you're someone who's interested in Indonesian history or just history in general, you also might enjoy this and find it worth your time.

Context: The Indonesian archipelago in Southeast Asia was slowly conquered by Netherlands over the 16-20th centuries, but after many fights, Indonesia finally won her independence in the 1945-1949 national revolution. However, being a colonial country, her economy still largely depended on the Netherlands.

Content: The protagonist Iskandar arrives back home from this war, some say with a soldier's PTSD, I'd say it's rather guilt. Either way, he is unable to find his way back in civil life whether he tries to follow civil or military rules, and he is also disappointed in what the country has become.

Realisation: The director is considered the fater of Indonesian film, as he and his studio had a huge effect after the country won her independence. Because he spent a couple of years in Hollywood, it is no wonder that the film has a very noir-ish vibe, although it's not very playful with camera angles, cuts or lightnings and shadowings. Even the music is Western-style, which is a shame, it would have been more interesting to see Indonesian art seeping into the film; instead, we only get a glimpse of it in one scene. Acting is kind of stiff, and not in the good, Bessonian sense.

Overall it's a surprisingly complex film thematically in a surprisingly Western-style realisation, especially for a country in ruins and without much prior experience.