Selebung - Film Journal

Synopsis

The story involves a few characters Mastura, E.J., Kamal and few others. In this film, Mastura is our protagonist. She and her friends studied in Perth, Australia. However, her best friend E.J. has fallen for Brother Musa from the Islamic Fundamental Group. She decides to married him and Mastura failed to pull her out from them. They left and went back to Malaysia after their graduation. When in Malaysia, Mastura was involve in RESCAID. A group that helps out less fortunate kids in Palestine. In work, Mastura fell in love with her superior Kamal. Initially, she founds out Kamal was married but was revealed that he is divorced. E.J. was sent to Malaysia by Brother Musa after the loss of their child. Mastura persuaded E.J. in joining RESCAID, she acceptes eventually. As RESCAID flourished in Malaysia and gain international groups attention, they were threaten by extremist. Mastura was hurt during a terrorist attack by the extremist, she went into coma. Kamal was devastated, but RESCAID members persevered and gain trust from the world. Mastura was then saved by hopes and trust.

Personal Fav's

This movie was directed by Shuhaimi Baba one of the partitioners of the early Malaysia Film industry. Personally, i did not gain chance of watching Shuhaimi Baba's work. This exposure had help me gain an insight of how early Malaysian films were like. I like style of editing by Shuhaimi Baba, as she prefers to tell a story using fragments of memory like a normal person would do. In several scenes like why E.J. was sent back to Malaysia by Brother Musa. Initially, the audience will thought that Brother Musa had betrayed her loyalty or mistreated her as Brother Musa's character build wasn't strong. Only fragments of him had shown on screen which might implying him as a ungrateful bastard towards relationship due to his influence on religion. The fragments of the incident why E.J. was sent back slowly shown when Mastura had to face her again in Malaysia. Like anyone who is being traumatized, the memories haunts back Mastura and narrates towards the audience how Brother Musa is a caring person not from the initial build of the character and the regret of Mastura should have persevered to save E.J. from marrying Brother Musa. Mastura knew that Brother Musa's first wife, Hani is not mentally stable.

Furthermore, it seems Shuhaimi Baba is one of the pioneer of Film De Femme genre. It is very rare to see a director able to pull off with using a female to explain the situation during the era of Malaysia. This perspective of how Malaysian handle the stress from other forces and the Malays fighting over modernize Islamic culture and the pre-revivalist Islam culture. As from the film, we can obviously find Shuhaimi Baba's view of the female in Malaysia context was striving over. Respect.

Less Fav's

One of the intolerable parts of this film is the film score, I know we can't complain about certain parts of abrupt cuts in the film as this was the advance technology can't help. It seems certain part of the original film reel is slightly damaged. Hence, that wasn't the argument. The film score itself was done by none other than M.Nasir himself. I had to comment as in parts of the film the background music would suddenly go out loud which will weaken the mood of the film and without fades of the sounds the few parts it left me puzzled why. For instance, in the elevator scene which the extremist was making his escape. The guard's sudden action triggered a weird moment of intense sound effects. That part of made me laugh, which it should be a surprise of how ironic the situation was.

Characters

After picking out the personal favorite's of the film. Let's break it down more, starting from the character build out.

1. MASTURA ( Played by Deanna Yusoff)

In this film she is the representation of the modern female as the initial build of Mastura is shown by stating she is studying abroad nevertheless where she is studying. Studying abroad requires determination and independent. In addition, there's the scene where she stayed at perserved through her failed modules during her semester. This slowly builds up to her her character of being independent and determination of living outside of her comfort zone. In later of the film, she also showed strong characteristic by handling the tasks at work and RESCAID. However, female are still female. After all the perseverance, she still had to face her fears. In the second act of the film, Mastura's character was soften because she had to face the past and the regret of her decision done for E.J. , Mastura's other side was reveal to the audience. All the strong headed, independent Mastura was beaten down like a girl afraid of facing her parents when they knew she screwed up her assignment in school and got a call from the teacher. Besides that, all people will bow down towards love. That does not exclude our Mastura, she fell in love Kamal.

Mastura too is a significate of post-islamic liberal, she comes from a kampung which meant she comes from a pre-Islam revivalist community. However, she appeared in baju kurung when attend E.J. wedding. She had not forgotten her roots as what religion she's in. Signify a liberal approach of her. Multiple reassurance of E.J. is in good hands and the warning from Hani telling her not to be like Zek who gain too much contact with men shows the tolerance of Shuhaimi Baba and her character of Mastura.

2. Kamal ( Played by M.Nasir )

He is the typical Alpha Male you would see in the company. Suave, rich, high educated, and connected. It seems he's character is created for to show authentic masculinity for the women. As a RESCAID gain more funds and attention through his help and some fund raising campaign. To further show his masculinity in the film, he had went on slightly extreme ways of courtship towards Mastura which did win her heart. Again, he wasn't able to lose Mastura as a part of his ego of gaining women that is the apple of his eye. He jealousy interfered in a small part of the film as Mastura's fame gain, more men are impressed by her charm and ability. Kamal questiones her love towards him, after getting a happy answer he only left her go. It wasn't portrayed much, after the downfall of Mastura. Kamal too suffered as his loved one was in coma, here Shuhaimi Baba portrayed men are not essentially to be authentic masculine to gain women's heart but by sincerity. An attack towards the idea of authentic masculinity. Another more subtle attack on that idea was where Dr.Sardar consults Kamal when she receives the threat from the extremist, Kamal's idea was continue the aggressiveness of the campaign when Dr.Sardar questions about it.

3. E.J. ( Played by Ida Nerina )

The women who is still in pre-Islamic revivalist. She was first establish with strong attributes as a kampung girl able to obtain scholarship and study abroad. However, she follows Brother Musa. The leader of the Islamic Fundamentalist group. Seemingly, Mastura tried to persuade her from leaving Brother Musa and continue her final year of degree but Shuhaimi Baba is shown portraying E.J. as a foil for Mastura. E.J.'s is portrayed weak and acts as a follower in all ways. Informing the audience on how the difference of female roles in pre-Islam revivalist and post-Islam liberals.

4. Dr.Sardar ( Played by Liza Othman)

Dr.Sardar is the character who represent the neutral stance in the film. In the film, she was stressing out that RESCAID works for the cause of humanitarian not religion to avoid the unnecessary conflict that happen due to the sensitive religious issue which might trigger the Israelis. Furthermore, Dr. Sardar too is another symbol of modernization of women through out the age. At the establishment of the character, she said she is envious of men are able to fight for their country. She latter questions why women are unable to do that. In many ways she is as strong as Mastura. As a Jordanian working in RESCAID Malaysia and being the leader of it requires determination and leadership.

5. Zek

Although she is a minor character in the film, Zek is actually shown as threat towards post-Islam liberal. As she is stated by Hani, Brother Musa's first wife a women who is in very close contact with men. She is portrayed as a women without sense of shame in very subtle way.

Mise en scene

Props used in the film were relatively close towards the era. A lot paperwork were seen holding by Mastura as the significate of her holding the main power of the team. As paperwork does meant a job that is keeping all the files and writing letters. Writing letters can says that it is a work that requires thinking and understanding.

Costume in the film were either the fashionable attire and office attire it also has the traditional Malay attire. In the film, the traditional Malay attire was wore by E.J. through out the whole film. This signifies the conservative community in Malaysia and the more conservative thinking of the people. As baju kurung literally means an attire that would caged you down based on the religion, in that sense, Islam. Furthermore, men are always shown wearing suits and normal t-shirt and jeans combination except for Brother Musa who is the leader of the Islam fundamentalist group. That shows our authentic masculinity which says out that men are the one who are able to adapt towards the modernity of the society.

Locations in the film were used are majority in Malaysia. The first RESCAID headquarters were Ipoh, the significate of it to tell out how rural and helpless they were initially. Only later when they being to gain fame, they moved to the city centre Kuala Lumpur.

Mise en shot

Lighting in the film were significate dark. I am not sure of the reason it was deliberately a lighting or the quality of the film I was watching at that time was darker. However, it felt that Shuhaimi Baba was trying to portray the dark times of femininity and the struggle over authentic masculinity. The lighter times were during the time Mastura and her friend is pursuing their degree in Perth, Australia.

Shuhaimi Baba's style of editing is often abrupt cuts and it is a way of telling people the fragments of memory being traced back and flashed back. In this film, it looks very like a way for audience to interact by placing all the puzzle into piece rather than leaving their brains outside the cinema.

Sound in this film were too fragment to actually listen to it. Some parts reached peak, however there is good use of certain sound effects to suit the mood during the film.