Vilashini Somiah vs165211@ohio.edu.

my Assignment 2 - Malaysian Film Review Title: Kaki Bakar (The Arsonist) Director: U-Wei Haji Saari Year: 1995

Introduction Being an avid fan of Malaysian cinema, I have always sought out to understand and study the psyche and inner workings of local directors and their works perhaps in an attempt to follow in their footsteps. Although Malaysia entered a cinematic black period in during the 1990s and not many notable films were created, one director stood the test of time by not only being able to create intelligent and intellectual local films, but was the first Malaysian filmmaker to ever have his work, Kaki Bakar (The Arsonist), chosen for the Cannes Film Festival.

Kaki Bakar made its international debut in 1995 and was shown in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Europe where it received with positively however, for reasons not provided by the Licensing Board of Malaysia, was only released to Malaysian audiences in 2001. Perhaps what makes Kaki Bakar so appealing is that it is a Malaysian spin on William Faulkners Barn Burning (1939). UWei had told the press in Cannes that he had been a longtime admirer of Faulkners work and had dreamt up the idea for Kaki Bakar during his early university days.

Plot

The plot for Kaki Bakar follows Faulkners Barn Burning very closely from beginning till the end. Set somewhere between the mid-1980s and early-1990s of Pahang, the film begins with Kakang setting a house on fire while his youngest son, Kesuma, stands watching him. Later, a village courthouse is in session and a local farmer in the village of Lancang is seeking justice for his losses against Kakang from the Ketua Kampung (Head of the village). The farmer has accused Kakang of burning his home, livestock and crops. Kesuma, Kakangs son, is crouched among the other villagers who have come to witness this trial. The Ketua Kampung asks the farmer for proof that Kakang burned his barn.

The farmer describes the numerous times Kakangs goats had broken through the fence and got into his farm. When the farmer demanded that Kakang paid for the damages, a Chinese boy was sent to the farmers house with an ominous warning; Api senang merebak, which translates to fire spreads easily. Later that night, fire claimed the farmers home and everything he owned. While the Ketua Kampung explains that the farmers story by itself isnt proof, the farmer has Kesuma called to testify before the court. The boy knows his father is expecting him to lie on his behalf. After standing mute before the court, unsure of what to say, the Ketua Kampung lets Kesuma go.

The Ketua Kampung finally dismisses the charges against Kakang but decrees that he is to leave the village for good that very moment, and Kakang agrees to comply.

Waiting outside the courthouse is Kakangs family. Because he has been anticipating exile, he had already instructed his wife, his two daughters and two sons to pack their meager belongings into their old truck. As Kakang and Kasuma walk to the truck, a child in the crowd accuses them of being arsonists and strikes Kesuma, knocking him down. Kakang orders Kesuma into the truck, where he prevents his crying wife from cleaning Kesumas bloodied face. They drive out of the village in search of a clearing to camp the night and finds a small river near a jungle.

That night, after dinner, in which they eat on the floor in front of a burning fire, Kakang takes Kesuma for a walk near the river where he lets out his frustrations. He accuses Kesuma of planning to inform the Ketua Kampung of his guilt in the arson case. Kakang slaps Kesuma on the face, calling him weak and foolish (Kau lemah! Kau Bodoh!). Kesuma lets out a small yelp but never cries. Upon calming down, Kakang reminds Kesuma of his Javanese heritage and tells him he must always remain loyal to his family. Kakang also talks about how he fought for independence and got shot in the leg, leaving him with a permanent limp, an attribute that is apparent in Kakang throughout the movie. When they return from their walk, the wife tells Kakang that their constant moving from one village to another is taking a toll on Kesumas education as the boy is illiterate. Kakang brushes the issue aside and explains to her that his sisters can teach him religion and that is enough.

The next morning, Kakang and his family drive into the village of Mentakab, and declare it their new home. They find an old rumah papan (wooden house) and instructs his family to start moving their belongings in. As his wife and other three children begin

settling in, Kakang takes Kesuma to the house of Tuan Kasim, the owner on whose land the family will work. On the walk Kakang reestablishes the importance of heritage, culture and family loyalty to Kesuma. Upon arriving at Tuan Kasims home, they find many rugs being laid outside to dry. Kakang tracks mud on one of the rugs in search of Tuan Kasim. A servant who sees them informs Tuan Kasims wife and she informs both father and son of his absence and chases them out of the opulent house.

Angered and insulted, kakang curses the home saying that it is built on wang rakyat (societys money) and titik peluh rakyat (societys sweat and blood). On their way out, the pair finds Tuan Kasim returning home from a hunting session and are instructed to begin working on the farm immediately. Two hours later, a male servant, Mustapha, drops off the soiled rug at Kakangs home and instructs him to clean and return it. Kakang supervises as his two daughters reluctantly clean the rug with cheap soap, and he uses an old machete to work the surface of the expensive rug. After dinner, the family prepares to recite the Al-Quran together. Kakang forces Kesuma to drive the old truck to Tuan Kasims home to return the rug, despite the boy not having any prior driving experience. At the house, Kakang flings the rug into the entrance of the house and leaves with Kesuma.

The next morning, as Kakang and family prepares for a day of work in the fields when Mustapha and Tuan Kasim arrive. Tuan Kasim informs Kakang that the rug was ruined from improper cleaning and he must pay for it. The cost of the entire rug is 400

Ringgit. Kedums, upon hearing this is enraged and defends his father, telling Tuan Kasim that Kakang did the best he could with the soiled carpet and that they will refuse to pay with money they do not have. Kakang yells at Kesuma and asks him to leave, and the following days are consumed with the constant labor of working the fields. Kakang informs his family that he wants to meet with Tok empat, the local head to call for a hearing. The night before the trial, the children find Kakang sitting outside singing and old Javanese song about death, god, sadness and life. He cries after singing.

The next day, Kakang and his two sons head out to the local courthouse for the trail against Tuan Kasim. Kakang demands justice saying that the soiling of the rug was a mistake and that he cannot afford to pay 400 Ringgit. But Tok Empat finds that it would not be too difficult if Kakang pays Tuan Kasim 100 Ringgit a month. In his fathers defense and childish eagerness, Kesuma yells out that Kakang never burned the barn, but Kakang orders him out of the courthouse. Kesuma leaves feeling upset for his father. After the trial, Kakang takes his sons to the village coffee shop for a light meal and tells them satu sen pun bapak takkan bayar (I wont pay a single cent). Kakang and his sons return home after sundown.

Sensing her husbands intentions, Kakangs wife cries and pleads for her husband to come to his senses. Despite his wifes desperate protests, Kakang prepares the kerosene to set Tuan Kasims house on fire. When Kakang orders Kesuma to fetch the oil he refuses and tries to dissuade his father, but Kakang slaps the boy and orders

his wife and daughters to restrain him. However, Kesuma manages to escapes his mothers and sisters clutches and runs to Tuan Kasims house. Breathlessly, he blurts out the word Api! (fire) in front of Tuan Kasim and Mustapha. Kesuma then runs desperately down the road, moving aside as Tuan Hajis car comes thundering by him.

Tuan Kasim finds Kakang standing in front of his burning barn and aims the gun at a smiling Kakang, who is prepared for death. Three shots ring out just before Kesuma can arrive and he continues running into the jungle. In tears, Kesuma screams out Bapak saya orang berani! Dia mempertahankan negara! Bapak saya pernah lawan orang Belanda! Kaki dia kena tembak, di kaki tapi masih kerja keras! Hidupnya susah! Bukan macam orang makan subsidi! Bapak saya wira! (My father was a brave man! He fought for the country! My father fought the Dutch! He was shot in the foot but he still worked hard! He had a hard life! Not like those who accept government subsidies! My father was a hero!). The film ends with Kesuma sitting at the foot of a hill early the next day.

Characters Kakang Kakang is a highly influential and strong figure in his sons eyes, but he himself is a primitive, violent and destructive. Kakangs physical state reflects the inner anger and vengeful nature. His leg, shot in the war is dragged behind him, an external manifestation of his distorted soul. Kakang is violent and aggressive due to his inability to express himself articulately and this could be due to a lack of education. Out of jealousy, anger and humiliation, he destroys the livelihood of those who have slighted him. However, Kakang loves his family, although he rules them with threats and the promise of violence, is seen through his natural sense to provide. He insists his children are religiously guided every day and spend much of his free time nurturing Kesuma. A dynamic but flat character, Kakang is complex but refuses to change his ways, which ultimately results in death. Kesuma Kesuma is youngest of Kakangs four children. Aged between nine or ten years old, Kesuma is innocent, impressionable and a constant subject to his fathers potentially corrupting influence. In addition to that, Kesuma is uneducated and lacks the stability of a permanent home. However, despite being nurtured and influenced by his father, Kesuma stands for justice and morality in the end of the story. He reacts instinctively when he prevents his father from burning Tuan Kasims barn. However his constant need to do the right thing has confused him greatly, as it is opposed by his father. His flight at the end of the film marks an end to the legacy of bitterness and shame that he stood to inherit. Kesuma stands to be the most dynamic and rounded

character within the film as he realizes his inability to shrug off his inner voice and changes his opinion on the matters at hand despite his fathers warnings. Tuan Kasim The rich and affluent landowner, he gives Kakangs family a job in order to sustain themselves. Tuan Kasim also orders Kakang to clean and return the soiled rug. When kakang damages the rug, he demands that 400 ringgit is taken out of his monthly wages. Tuan Kasim is neither an antagonist nor protagonist. He kills kakang in the end without thinking twice in order to protect his land. Mustapha As the male helper, he is extremely loyal towards Tuan Kasim and will do anything to please his master. He assists Tuan Kasim in the killing of Kakang at the end of the movie. Kakangs wife Similar to Faulkners version, Kakangs wife is not given a name here. She is seen as loving and protective towards her children, albeit weak and timid. She is seen only performing both light and heavy labour, she cooks, washes, cleans and also works the fields. She is aware of her husbands bad habits and tries in her own way to stop him but to no avail. Her ending is unknown at the end of the film. Kakangs other children kakang has two other daughters, who like their mother, is also unnamed. on top of doing the menial everyday work such as cooking and cleaning, they are educators to their brothers. At night both sisters teach their younger brothers how to recite the Al-

Quran. Kakangs first son is called Harjo. He lacks Kesumas insight, and he is an example of what Kesuma could easily have become. Kakang has successfully taught Harjo the concept of heritage, culture and family loyalty, and Harjo blindly follows Kakangs criminal lead.

Setting A majority of the scenes in Kaki Bakar is set in three places; Kakangs home, which is dark and shabby, representing the poor and oppressed, Tuan Kasims home, mansion-like, well furnished and well lit, representing the a finer sense of life in which the rich and privileged enjoy and finally, the village courthouse, where Kakang has stood on trial twice throughout the film. All three locations are situated in poor villages where majority of the population are farmers and are untouched by city life. Motifs and Themes

Loyalty towards family We see this subject come rather often within the film. The first ten minutes into the movies, Kakang is seen slapping Kesuma in the dark for his disloyalty to the family by almost informing the court the truth. Loyalty is also stressed by Kakang when he takes Kesuma for a walk on the way to Tuan Kasims house. The movie depicts Kakang and family as having no friends or other relatives and the tightness of the bond reflects on their loyalty to each other. Also, it is explained that because Kakang is an arsonist, the family cannot stay in one village for too long. The fact that his wife and children still

stand by him indicates a show of loyalty as well. However, towards the end, Kesuma is consumed by need for goodness and has to betray his family by informing Tuan Kassim of his fathers plans. Kesuma realizes that much of the familys grief comes from his fathers murky idea of loyalty that affects everyone in his family.

Pride Pride is also a major theme in this movie and one can argue that the reason Kakang performs arson. Very early in the film, as he is banished from the village of Lancang, Kakang says, Aku dah tau pun. Itu memang hidup saya (I have known all along. This has always been my life.). With his pride bruised, he and his family leaves as angry villagers mock them and stare. Kakang has many instances where his pride is hurt and in a way we could argue that he burns do deal with a hurt pride. When Kakang is chased out from Tuan Kasims house by his wife, once again his pride is at stake. He curses tuan Kasims lavished home out of an injured pride.

Kesuma, at such a young age, is also very proud. The blood, dried and caked on his face from the fight with the other children during the ride out of town, is, in a way, a mark of pride: Kesuma had defended the family name. When Mustapha and Tuan Kasim threw the rug at Kakang and demanded he paid for the damages, Kesuma, in a rage, yelled at them saying that his father cleaned it well and the rug was not damaged. Although he was told off for his misbehavior, this is also another indication of pride; Kesuma hated seeing his father put down as it hurt his familys pride.

Darkness Darkness here is an indication for a lack of clarity for Kakang, Kesuma and the rest of the family. Several significant episodes in the familys life occur under cover of darkness. For example, when the family camps by the roadside on their way to Mentakab, they live in darkness except for the small campfire by the truck. In that very scene as well, Kakang scolds and beats Kesuma for planning to reveal his guilt at the courthouse. Kesuma cannot see his father in the darkness, which reveals the alienation that is at the heart of their relationship. Kakangs plan to burn Tuan Kasims barn is hatched in the darkness. In the end of the movies, Kesuma realizes his own sense of morality during this night as well, finally standing up for what he believes in. The boy then embarks on his new life just as the darkness ends and dawn approaches.

Culture and heritage Heritage and culture are made very apparent in this film. Kakang is constantly talking about his great Javanese heritage and culture to Kesuma as he feels it is important for his son love and feel proud of his inheritance as Kakang does. Heritage and culture here is passed on as being an arsonist. Kakang is also seen speaking some Javanese to his family and in a scene before Kakang has to face Tok Empat in the village courthouse; Kakang is seen singing a traditional Javanese song about God, death and sadness. Culture is also made apparent in the familys dressing; all the women wear either a sarong or a baju kurung and Kakang is always wearing a songkok or ketayap.

Symbols Fire Fire is a constant image throughout the film. Fire represents Kakangs inherent powerlessness and his quest for power and self-expression. With every fire he starts, the stronger Kakang makes himself feel, as if for one moment he is able to take control of his life and desires. Fire is seen as a means of preserving his integrity and avenging those who have slighted him throughout his life. Powerless and poor, Kakang turns to fire to tilt the balance in his favor, even if it is only for one brief, blazing moment. Even towards the end as Kakang stands in front of the blazing flames he set on Tuan Kasims barn waiting to be shot, he is seen smiling, and perhaps an indication that he is willing to accept death when he is at his strongest.

The soiled carpet The rug belonging to Tuan Kasim that Kakang soils, although by accident, is a swipe at the financial security Kakang lacks and aspires to have, as well as a clear statement of his unhappiness towards the rich. Kakang shows obvious resents towards Tuan Kasim and family simply because they are prosperous landowners and in a superior position. The act of soiling the rug eventually leads to the rugs complete destruction, which then leads to another court hearing, another act of revenge, and ultimately Kakangs death. The expensive rug represents comfort, opportunity, and privilege that Kakang feels he has been denied, and in destroying it, he renounces all regard for the rich and privileged.

The village courthouse The village courthouse in Kaki Bakar is simply a multipurpose hall that used for legal proceedings. The fact that the courthouse is not a real courthouse justifies to Kakang that treated unfairly and it highlights his status as a poor outsider. Also because Kakang has been trialed in so many village courthouses, he is unaffected by the seriousness that these courthouses play. Hence, Kakang feels the need to invoke his own form of justice by playing with fire and hurting those who have out casted or slighted him.

Malaysian Culture

Having read Faulkners Barn Burning first, I was extremely skeptical of U-Weis attempt to Malaysianise the story. However, upon watching the movie, it would be hard to imagine it being anything else other than Malaysian. U-Wei has successfully invoked many strong Malaysian elements within the movie. To begin with, the entire dialogue is in Bahasa Malaysia apart from very few instances of Javanese. The characters in this film were all of Malay ethnicity and wore very typical Malay village wear such as baju kurung, sarong, baju batik and tudung. They are seen wearing such outfits doing every daily chore from cooking to reciting the Al-Quran.

We see Kakangs and his family always having their meals on the floor and eating with their hands, which is a very Malaysian trait as well. Kakang and his family eats rice and with lauk (an assortment of dishes) cooked with sambal and lemak. The soundtrack for this movie was also Malaysian. Many times, the recurring track played was that of a traditional song sung by a woman accompanied by the gamelan, gendang and seruling. In addition to that, the kampung setting (filmed in Pahang) paid close attention to the anthropological and sociological setting of the two towns, Lancang and Mentakab, where this story was set.

Personal Opinion

In my opinion, Kaki Bakar was an excellent show of a skilled craftsman, in this case, U-Wei Haji Saari. To begin with, U-Wei chose a strong and talented cast to bring life to these characters. Khalid Salleh who played Kakang, gave the audience a beutiful portrayal of a broken man and his failures. Nasrizal Ngasri who played Kesuma, was a young actor with so such maturity as he understood the pain that Kesuma felt, and delivered it with as much anguish that was originally created in Santoris in Barn Burning. As the entire film was mostly shot through the eyes of Kesuma, the audience saw many of the criminal acts from a very innocent point of view, which for me was a real tear jerker. The ending scene that witnessed Kesuma running into the darkness screaming out al of his late fahers good attributes was very visually stunning and artistic in form.

I also found the cinematography to be good considering the lack of cinematographic skills that Malaysia had at that era. Thw whole film was shot on 16mm and later transfered to 35mm in Australia because transfering of film format was not available in Malaysia in 1995. U-Wei used less lighting than most directors would have dared to to give it that dark look but the movie would not have had the dark and disturbing look if it had been shot today on digital instead.

U-Weis portrayal of class Issue distinctions were well thought out and portrayed a very poor and somewhat under developed society well. He chose his locations to suit the story and gave it a stronger Malaysian flavor. The movie would not have been so haunting and memorable if it were shot in a slightly more developed town. However, the down side of the film was that it did not explore the potential to some of the characters better, unlike that of the book. The sisters could have been given a bit more presence and voice as it would have been interesting to have a strong female character in the movie.

U-Wei also did not give an in-depth view of Kakangs death and how things ended for Harjo who witnessed the killing first hand. The ending could have had more closure instead of being left too open ended. Some things that work in literature do not necessarily have the same effect in film. However, despite very few of the films shortcomings, U-Wei Haji Saari, in my opinion, will remain one of the few creative and unique filmmakers in Malaysia for his cinematic attempts and risks that have clearly paid off.