Soekarno: Indonesia Merdeka

I have waited a while to see this movie, being an Englishman married to an Indonesian lady and living in Indonesia. My Bahasa is not great and I was thankful for excellent sub-titles, a rarity on Indonesian films.

Overall, the film is good and worth a watch but whether it accurately depicts Soekarno I have to question. With the exception of the lady playing Fatmawati who for me was the star of this film, I came away with the view, right or wrong, that Hatta was the engine and brains while the somewhat passive Soekarno was the voice and mouth-piece.

Maybe Soekarno was an opportunist who ironically was in the right place at the right time and had the credentials to lead the nation - or maybe it would have happened anyway, not as portrayed by the film by careful manipulation of the Dutch and then the Japanese.

The story about Soekarno first marriage with Inggit was very vague to say the least and without having researched Soekarno life story (or wishing to) I am nonetheless curious if such a honest man as Soekarno was portrayed to be and so much in love with Fatma Wati that he felt the need to subsequently take other views which seemed in direct contravention of the principles he initially spoke in the first union of the Parliament in 1945 (the first speech of the Pancasila).

There was a lot which flattered to deceive. The acting was fine but the directing and the cinemaotophy were poor in my view compared to much classier films I have seen in recent days.

Definitely a story to be told but I would have appreciated it being told more objectively. The film was too biased and its International audience potential suffered as a direct result of that.

As I yearn for more historical story in Indonesian, this movie not quite satiate my expectation, furthermore for depicting the 1st and lovable RI #1. Comparing "apple to apple" for president movies, the script is better than Lincoln (2012). Not only showing the history of independence fight in overall, but also bring the good and the bad of Soekarno characters, pretty much balancing love story, and (even though I am historian by my grandfather's storytelling) I dare say it's pretty much accurate on the historical side and characters. But none of the characters are explored enough, or has any scene as a focal point, thus makes this movie lack of emotions. Though I gotta admit Ario Bayu and Lukman Sardi are nailed the characters. On another plus side, no doubt, Indonesian movies are about enchanting motion pictures. So, overall it's OK but it's pretty much a tedious movie.

This is a brilliant Indonesian film revolving around the events of World War II in Indonesia. I feel the way the story was portrayed was really exciting, and the costumes were brilliant. I enjoyed that there was no propaganda in this movie, showing Soekarno's good and bad sides. The movie was in Indonesian and I only understood the brilliant dialogue through subtitles, and a member of the cinema's staff made everyone in the cinema hall sing the Indonesian national anthem before the movie started. The special effects were frightening and realistic, though not that special for the kind of movies you get these days. The acting was great, having the cast seem like they were really in the 90's, frightened by passing soldiers and brave, but not that special. The props were brilliant and seemed very like the olden days. This may be the best Asian movie that I've seen ever!

The film Soekarno, directed by Hanung Bramantyo, offers a dramatic portrayal of Indonesia's founding father. The production design is one of its strongest elements: costumes, sets, and the overall atmosphere authentically recreate the era of struggle, immersing the audience in the spirit of the time.

Ario Bayu's performance as Soekarno carries charisma and authority, reflecting the ideals of a national leader, though at times it feels overly theatrical. The film succeeds in depicting emotional struggles, personal relationships, and the fiery spirit of independence, even if not every historical detail is deeply explored.

The strength of the movie lies in its ability to convey nationalism and moral lessons that remain relevant for today's generation. However, the pacing occasionally drags, and some narrative choices feel forced, giving it the tone of dramatization rather than a balanced historical retelling.

Overall, Soekarno is an inspiring and emotionally engaging watch, though not flawless. It captures the essence of a great leader while reminding audiences of the sacrifices behind Indonesia's independence. A solid 7/10.

I'm an Indonesian, and i've interest with Indonesian history. This movies, are present the general Indonesian history, and for me Hanung, are concern in Soekarno's personal life more than the conflict about independence. Technically, this movie are good enough for Indonesia's, visual and sound effects are good, and some scene was so artsy. The talent are good enough to represent their own characteristic. For me especially, I'm not satisfied by this movie cause I've a lot of references about Indonesian history, and the independence also. But overall this movie are enough to fulfil publics knowledge with the general story about Indonesian and the popular issues about soekarno.