SELAMAT PAGI CINTA AND IT’S `YOUNG’ LOVE.

SELAMAT PAGI CINTA AND IT’S `YOUNG’ LOVE.

Selamat Pagi Cinta (2008) or should I translate it as Good Moring My Dear Love, is a love story constructed from a point of view of the youngs’. Tell a story of 2 sad ending loves. First, the love diary of Azam, a university student who has to let go of his newly cherish love for marrying another man. Second, the love story of Julia’s. She has lost her love when her newly wed husband dies from a deadly disease. Selamat Pagi Cinta (SPC), outlines a simple storyline but carries a certain depth as we distinguish the issues that lay beneath the text.

The love diary of Azam, centre on a cliché love story: the forbidden love between classes but not as tragic as it is normally seen. Thus, Azam who is actually already `give up’ the fight since he first sees Suci’s big mansion, takes the relationship in a slow pace. It is this momentum that forms a lack in its dramatic drives. Hence at the end we could not manage to synchronise with Azam’s frustration emotion of his shattered love.

To a certain degree, Azam’s `non-fighter’ characteristics are clearly explain by the director indications through his violin and his obsession in literature especially poem. As we seen later in the film, his `fighting weapon’ for his love is just merely his owned composed song of his tragic love. Thus, he plays the song at an empty university’s theatre hall. All we can hear is just the melody of his tragic song resonates loudly throughout the hall, as Suci searches for him in tears. Later we see Azam’s hand sticking down into the frame while holding his violin, when the song ends, behind the stage curtain: as the frame foreground. While Suci who is sitting on a chair cries due to her shattered love: as the frame background.

The positioning of the characters and the frame mise-en-scene does signify the characters’ lost for their fight. But, initially there is no `real’ love story to begin with. Only a story of 2 friends who are starting to nurture their relationship as to establish a second – stage relationship: love, as Azam explains to his grandfather ‘I really like this girl but that doesn’t count as love’.

Nonetheless, Azam’s issues in SPC are more than as what it seen. It is also tells the story of an orphanage who lives with his sick grandfather who has been diagnosis as kidney dysfunction patient. Azam also works part-time at a restaurant as to generate  income for his studies. Later he has to stop his studies and work full-time since his grandfather is admitted into the hospital. It is this `weaknesses’ that triggers a sympathetic emotion for Azam from the audience.  They serve as a reflection of an ordinary phenomenon among audience. Obviously, Azam’s background story serves a certain weight for his side of story rather than his ` sad love story’ in SPC.

If now we turn to another love story in SPC. The story of Julia’s sad ending love. For me, it is this story that forms a total weight in SPC. The story centres on Julia and Ilham only. No parents are involved as commonly seen. This representation identifies the world of Julia and Ilham. Close up on their immature action: action of the young’s, and the serious and `mature’ risks which they have to burden later.

Taking this point further, we learn that Ilham and Julia decision to wed is base on coin flipping. Taking for granted the serious life of marriage, for Ilham, Julia is meant from him since they accidently meet twice in front of the same bookstore in a day. Their marriage life is blessed with love and happiness but later it shattered when Ilham dies of `unknown’ deadly disease.

Clearly in Julia’s story, the transformation of Ilham’s character of before and after he is told of his deadly disease is not clearly illustrate. Thus, might be because of it is told from Julia’s point of view: as she express to Ilham who is lying unconsciously on the hospital bed that `we tell everything to each other. I thought we are best friend, Ilham. But when you are in pain I did not know’

Noteworthy, Julia’s story in SPC has no background story as we saw in Azams’, since as I mentioned earlier it is the story of Julia’s and Ilham’s `loves.  It main focus centres on Julia and Ilham life. Thus, this method of representation is capable of luring the audience sympathetic emotions for Julia’s simple story.

Indeed the emphasising on Julia’s love technique manages to detail out her every day routine such as `at the table routine’. This routine functions as a nostalgic element for Julia and us, as we observed later in the film.  It is this nostalgic element that construct as the depth of Julia’s love story: as such the album and the video memory of them.

Though the film uses the first person storytelling method but the technique of Azam’s and Julia’s storytelling are different: the former - `wide’ storytelling, the latter - `close-up’ storytelling, to a certain extent these storytelling techniques manage to put forward their main issue: their sad love stories in a different angle. Indeed, in this method –the first person storytelling technique- capable of securing them as `the innocent one’. For example, the choice of the `wide’ storytelling of Azam’s story is for us to observed that it is not his fault that Suci decides to choose another man. Since he has other responsibilities which are more important to attend: his grandfather and his part-time work, as he comes from not so wealthy background. Later, the choice of `close-up’ storytelling for Julia’s story is for us to observed that it is not Julia’s fault for to wed early and as we learned she is forced to agree on the flipping coin method.

In brief, SPC put forward the issues of  a`tragic love’. We are place to observed the viewpoint of the young’s perspective of  the definition of love, which everything seem simple and easy but does carries a heavy consequences.

Ayat-Ayat Cinta :The Women Story

Ayat-Ayat Cinta [AAC] (2008), film is an adaptation from a novel by Habiburrahman El Shirazy which has the same title. Offers mix reading between religious and gender. It tells a story of an Indonesian religious student- Fahri, who is studying in a prestigious religious university in Egypt: Al-Azhar. Fahri is shown as a person who is popular among the female students. Thus, his sincerity, standing up for the women and has moderates values brings him admirers.

It is these characteristics as I observed lends itself to a gender reading, which I will discuss later. Despite the fact that Ayat-Ayat Cinta centre on Fahri, the film clearly distinguishes issues of woman.

Women in AAC are conceptualised as Maria, Nurul, Noura dan Aisyah. These women represent four different types of woman but have one in common: they all admire Fahri. They all want to be Fahri’s wife. But as we all know, Fahri who is conceptualised as an ideal figure to these women only choose one: Aisyah.

Aisyah to Fahri is `a perfect wife candidate’. At such, she is chosen by his well known religious teacher – Syeikh Usman, Aisyah is shown as a woman who embraces a deep devotion for Islam, she comes from a wealthy family, and most of all, Aisyah is of course a beautiful woman– hides her beauty behind her veil: her beauty mesmerised Fahri, as for the first time she reveal her faces to him. Her characteristics serve as a mechanism that manages to construct Fahri’s status and image of an ideal figure.

Instead of Nurul an average girl – not as beautiful as Aisyah dan comes from a family that not as rich as Aisyah. Or Noura, a girl who has lost her virginity to her `father’, as she was raped and later we learned that she is pregnant. Or even Maria, Fahri’s Christian friend and who admires him dearly.

Indeed, Fahri decision to wed Aisyah does consequence of heart broken and frustration among others. Thus, leads to jealously, anger and a revenge feelings. Certainly, these `selfish’ feelings trigger hence drive the AAC’s narrative. Noteworthy, these feelings to a certain extent signify a certain threat and harm towards Fahri.

Soon, we see that Fahri, who holds an ideal figure image, is shattered by these women’s selfish feelings since none of them are willing to accept that neither Fahri is no longer avalaible nor accept Fahri’s love only for Aisyah alone.

Nurul, through his parents, seek for Fahri’s consents when they –Nurul’s parents- propose the marriage proposal to Fahri, since they are worried about her heart broken condition that has influenced her states of mind. Certainly, Fahri rejects the proposal since he is already married to Aisyah. Furthermore, Nurul is just a friend to him.

As for Noura, she is a much braver woman. She takes her selfish feeling further by making a false accusation of rape towards Fahri- the person who has helped and saved her from his brutal and evil `father’ – which consequences her of outside marriage pregnancy. This false accusation then illustrates a claustrophobic atmosphere that forms the film’s dramatic drive.

In her statement during her confessions in the court, later in the film, she tells the court that on that day –the day that she was rape- she was on the away to Fahri’s house. Since Fahri did not reply her `marriage proposal’ letter which she wrote `‘dear a man with a good heart. There is no one else in my life accept Allah. How I wish I could be your wife […]’ [my translation]. She then continues to confess to the court that `I love Fahri. My heart shattered when I knew that he is already married. I am afraid of a man who has raped me. But also I am afraid of losing my family’s love.’[my translation]

Likewise, Maria, who is also fail to overcome her heart broken feeling. To such a degree, her deep frustration emotion put her health in a critical state. Hence, consequences her of being in a coma after she was run by a car, as part of the conspiracy to frame Fahri by Noura evil `father’. Maria’s critical condition forms a hopeless future towards Fahri: as to set him free. Since Maria holds a key of truth which could reveal the real situation. The only solution to cure Maria’s deep frustration is by, Maria to be wed by Fahri. Fahri rejectes this idea at first, as I mentioned earlier, that he loves no ones but Aisyah alone. Moreover, he admits that polygamy for him is a responsibility that could not be taken lightly. Thus, he is not strong enough to bare that responsibility.

In the light of the above discussion, Aisyah, Fahri’s wife, needs Maria’s help as to set Fahri free. Furthermore, she wants her unborn child to have a father. Noting this point further, Aisyah actually is the person who urges and persuades Fahri to wed Maria, as she expresses ‘there is a Muslim soul inside Maria’s body. Please marry her. Besides, your child needs a father.’ [my translation].

For me, her persuasions can be analysed into two levels. First, the level of selfish feeling. In this view, Aisyah’s persuasion can be seen as her way to `set Fahri free’ as to give her unborn child to have a father. Despite Fahri’s rejection, reasons and feelings. Second, the level of sacrifices. Here, in this level she forces herself to willing ask and let Fahri weds Maria since inside Maria there is a `Muslim soul’. Hence, that soul needs to rescue and to be cared for.

Indeed, the selfish feeling among AAC women has put Fahri as the prime victim that needs to be rescued. Rescues in a manner of denying his feelings and suppresses his `ideal figure’ ego which has been advised by a friend of his in the cell. The denial and suppression of his unconditional loves towards Aisyah, actually safe him. He agrees to wed Maria as to free himself so that his unborn baby has a father and save the `Muslim soul’ inside Maria’s body.

For Noura and Maria, their `woman’s’ capability of self expression has constructed a threat to the patriarchal society codes, such as towards Fahri’s marriage. Therefore they need to be punished as to ensure the safety of this society. However, despite their wrongdoing, Noura and Maria, at the end of the film, are not punished but, instead is forgiven by Fahri.

For Fahri, Noura wrongdoing: her false accusation towards him, is forced by fear of her safety from her rapist and fear of losing her family’s love if they knew that it was actually her fault, since she was rape while secretly went to find Fahri, alone.

However, as for Maria, she is forgiven due to the reason that she has redeemed herself by becoming a good wife to Fahri as well as a good companion to Aisyah. Her redemption and her seeking for Aisyah’s and Fahri’s forgiveness before she dies - as she realises that she has `harm’ their marriage- at the end of this film, has managed to put Maria at the same level as Aisyah in Fahri’s heart. Which we can see in the scene that follows, a montage of Fahri and Maria walks happily in a bright and spacious desert. This scene clearly signifies the acceptance of Maria in his heart and represents Maria as a good wife and Muslim. At this moment, Fahri’s image which has been shattered now reform: as an ideal husband to both Aisyah and Maria and as a new ideal figure to us.

In brief, Ayat-Ayat Cinta, tells the stories of women. The story serves as their self-expression of a long suppression which will circumstance a certain threat and harm towards the society.

Hak Cipta Terpelihara

Hingga Hujung Nyawa

Hingga Hujung Nyawa adalah karya  novel saya yang ketiga dan paling `baru' walaupun sudah lama berada di pasaran. Novel ini adalah diadaptasi dari filem Hingga Hujung Nyawa.

Proses yang dilalui bukanlah mudah kerana saya ingin cerita Nora yang ditulis paling dekat dengan cerita Nora yang divisualkan. Kreativiti saya sebagai penulis juga terhad. Ini adalah cabaran bagi penulis seperti saya. 

Bercerita tentang Nora di kala itu, saya menyelami watak Nora gadis kampung yang miskin dan lupa diri ketika dibandar. Menyelami benci Nora akan kemiskinan diri. Risau dan bimbang Nora pada sayang Kamil yang mungkin akan hilang apabila mengetahui siapa dia sebenarnya: Gadis kampung yang miskin. Manakan sama tarafnya dengan Kamil, anak orang berada. 


Cerita Nora sebenarnya bukan cerita dongengan. Cerita Nora cerita yang lumrah saya lihat di depan mata. Atau dengar ditelinga. Ramai anak-anak kampung `lupa diri' bila asyik dengan `kemewahan' dan kemodenan kota yag penuh cabaran ini. Sudah tidak mahu lagi dikatakan orang kampung.


Nota: Artikel - analisis filem Hingga Hujung Nyawa: Si Tanggang Wanita di Dalam Hingga Hujung Nyawa oleh Haswida Abu Bakar disiarkan dalam Dewan Budaya: September 2004

THE PHILOSOPHY OF HORROR by NOEL CARROLL: A REVIEW FROM MALAYSIAN CINEMA PERSPECTIVE

A Review

Malaysian Cinema Perspective

 Year 2000 was mentioned as the year which horror genre films made its comeback to Malaysian cinema after ten years of silent. Starting off with Mistik on January 2000 which then received an overwhelming response from audiences, horror genre crafted a new dimension in Malaysian cinema since then.

Of course, is not my attention to discuss Malaysian horror films in general but an attempt to manifest Carroll framework into two of our  recent horror films titled Jangan Pandang Belakang ( 2007) ( Don’t Look Back- [my translation]) and Waris Jari Hantu (2007) (The Heir of  Spiritual Tiger Custodian- [my translation]). My objective is to further the evidence that made by Carroll in the context of Malaysian horror cinema perspective.

In outlining the background of these two films, both of these films is base on our folklore and belief. Both of them is base upon the heir of a spiritual custodian.

Carroll has described the characterisations of a monster as horrific being: impure and disgust, which functions as key element that capable of luring pleasure from audiences. Carroll also states that two most basic structures that represent horrific figure are fusion and fission. In my case, both horrific figures represent by fission structure. In Jangan Pandang Belakang, the horrific figure which represented by demonic figure that cast as an evil spiritual custodian of the family. In this film, the monster is given no name but acknowledged as an evil spirit who disturbed protagonist’s life – Dharma.

As the film starts, we acknowledge and observe the existence of the monster which is being captured, at the permission of the family members then later is kept in a bottle. The bottle then is thrown into a sea. The introduction moment is preceded to us by establishing scenes through a mysterious form.  This bottle then is found by Rose [Dharma fiancé] and accidently set it free. In this regards the disturbance of the horrific being therefore is all about searching for its new custodian.

The evil spirit that is believed to have been protecting Dharma family for generations is characterised as fearsome in a way of being able to possessed and disturbed character mental state and life. The horrific figure impurity or disgust are illustrated as dark and faceless, long hair, long sharp black nail, powerful and wearing a long white costume. This identification of `disgusting’ and `fearsome’ are base on folklore which in fact make sense on derivation the pleasure of fear factor from audiences.

However, the Tiger in Waris Jari Hantu embodies between two characters, Tok Wan Rimau and the spiritual tiger in human body ( Tok Wan Rimau’s body). This shape changing concept is similar to the western horror such as werewolf. But in this case of the shape shifting process, the shape shifting does not occur during full moon. Instead, it occurs, if only the family member or members or the village being harm. Unlike werewolf, spiritual tiger is believed to be a harmless to its custodian or to the village people. The horrific being in Waris Jari Hantu, then can be described as a tiger with a very powerful and mystical strength.

For Carroll the main features of horrific being are fearsome and disgust. Thus, in the case of Waris Jari Hantu, I do however argue that the spiritual tiger do not seem to be disgusting or unclean compared to the characterisation that embraces by the unnamed spirit in Jangan Pandang Belakang which is also a keeper. Thus, the horrific figure that embraces by Jangan Pandang Belakang’s monster fit perfectly into the characterisation of which Carroll terms as fear and disgust. As he puts it’s the element of fear is harmful, lethal, powerful, evil and demonic. Meanwhile, the element disgust is impure such as revulsion, repulsive, nausea and unclean.

Emphasising on this matter, I came across what Carroll says as entity base.

Noting Carroll’s point, the spiritual tiger in Waris Jari Hantu falls under the category a good `guys’ monster. Thus, is significant with the story’s narrative structure. 

Carroll’s book The Philosophy of Horror, clearly states that the key features of the horrific being in horror fiction are fear and disgust but for me, this argumentation still flexible depending on the theme and the narrative formation.

For instance, the capability of the spiritual tiger to spark slightly the same pleasure as the evil spirit in Jangan Pandang Belakang, is based on our Malay[sian] folklore. At such, it is important to note that there are still families in contemporary Malaysia who inherit this custodian tradition and passes them to their heir from generations to another.

Indeed, the belief of the spiritual tiger custodian’s does play an important element to lure audiences’ curiosity and interest as to construct a questions and answers that will trigger the curiosity and desire to know thus lead to pleasure fascination.

Earlier I did mention that both the horrific beings in my discussion are spiritual custodian. But each has a different category of horrific being which I described as good and evil horrific beings. Obviously, in Jangan Pandang Belakang and Waris Jari Hantu, the framework of `narrative suggest’ that mentioned by Carroll, has a different set of `[…] the whole narrative structure in which the presentation of the monster is staged.’(Carroll,1990:181). Obviously, both narratives involve a different set of emotions of the desire to know. Of course, it engages its audience with a different set of curiosity, interest and fascination. Further, each monster in my discussion projected a different questions and answers driven by each of their narrative structure.

As we observed, Waris Jari Hantu’s narrative structure is driven by question of; first, will the spiritual tiger managed to find its new custodian before Tok Wan Rimau dies? Second, if it does, who will be the new custodian? These questions and answers structure projects the monster as entity base which refer as good guys. The pleasure of fear which been driven in this film, is the fearsome of the mystical tiger hypnotised as its strength and the mystical identities. But as for the disgusting elements, the spiritual tiger, as discussed earlier, could not fit Carroll’s notion of disgust; impure and unclean. Instead, the spiritual tiger is shown as pure and  as a `hero’. However, as a whole narrative structure of Waris Jari Hantu, impurity concept of the tiger might be slightly arouse during a short process of shape changing between human to the spiritual tiger.

Meanwhile, in Jangan Pandang Belakang, the narrative structure projects the creature as an evil spirit. Due to this fact, the narrative structure is driven by questions of whether if the evil spirit could be destroyed?  If yes, how and by whom? In the case of Jangan Pandang Belakang, it offers the elements of fear and disgust that perfectly fit to the Carroll’s concept.

According to Carroll’s view `objects of art-horror are both disgusting and fascinating, both disturbing and interesting’. (Carroll,1990:191). For Carroll the fascination of the creature or horrific being comes together with disturbance. Its does counterbalance the disturbance that created by the monster; the greater disturbance created by the fearsome and loathsome monster, the higher fascination feeling will be arouse by the audiences. The relation between fascination and disgusting serves as  a tool to generate pleasure and later attracts the audiences as to response to the paradox of horror.

Given these characterisations as the elements of pleasure –generating, in Jangan Pandang Belakang and Waris Jari Hantu, I do think that the element of fascination in each of this film is different. For example, in Waris Jari Hantu, the disturbance created is less threatening compared to Jangan Pandang Belakang.

Further, the mystical tiger falls under the entity-base (good guy) category, which has only the elements of fearsome features. As we observed, there is no confrontation with the monster as the narrative disclosure. Instead, the confrontation is all about the willingness of becoming the new custodian of mystical tiger. Nonetheless, this type of disclosure will fail to generated pleasure since there is no link between disgusting and fascination. Since the disgusting elements of the horrific monsters is therefore absence.

Meanwhile, Jangan Pandang Belakang, definitely fits clearly to Carroll’s notion of narrative structure. The creature is both fearsome and loathsome, and horrified. Therefore, according to Carroll these horrific elements are capable of luring the audiences fascination. The disturbance of this horrific being is shown as dangerous and lethal to human – character, such as Dharma. At such, evil spirit possesses and haunts Dharma and leads to the disturbance of Dharma mental state. Clearly, in Jangan Pandang Belakang, the ability to destroy the creature, capable of luring the desire of pleasure to the audiences.

Conclusion

The Philosophy of Horror by Carroll is significantly investigating the paradox of horror in horror fiction. Throughout the discussion through Malaysian horror films, I discover that the notion of impurity and fearsome of horrific being and narrative structure that crafted by Carroll is a key device to derived pleasure. Therefore the level of impurity and fearsome that was created to the creature set a certain degree of fascination towards the audience.

 

At this point, for me the certain degree of fearsome and impurity is related to the certain degree of fear that hypothesised as threatening to audience. This certain degree of fear which signals by the mind or thought will derived a sort of fascination and projects certain degree of curiosity, interest and pleasure.  The thought theory that proposed by Carroll is firmly

support by the general theory which emphasises

on horrific being characterization and narrative structure.

References

  Carroll, N. (1990). The Philosophy of Horror: Routledge

Nota: versi Melayu artikel telah disiarkan di dalam Majalah Dewan Budaya : Ada Apa Dalam Filem Seram?   keluaran April 2008. Artikel yang disiarkan di dalam Dewan Budaya adalah lebih `ringan' dari aspek akademiknya. Namun punyai objektif penyampaian yang sama.

Hak Cipta Terpelihara: Haswida Abu Bakar

Terkenangkan Suhaila

Jemari terus diam. Bunyi ketukan dari `keyboard' tiba-tiba mati. Hanya terdengar sayup-sayup alunan lagu Cuba dari Faizal Tahir. Terbayang tika tu raut wajah Suhaila. Wajah yang suatu ketika dulu sentiasa ceria, bangga dan megah dengan kecantikan yang dimiliki tapi berubah menjadi `keras' pada hari-hari terakhir aku disana. Wajah yang membekung dendam, marah dan penyesalan diri.

Bait-bait lagu yang dinyanyikan oleh Faizal serupa dengan cerita Suhaila yang pernah aku kenal. Tak lama berentetlah bayangan cerita Suhaila, bersusun-susun mengambil gilir di depan mata.
Bagaimana dia sekarang? Apa khabar dia sekarang? Adakah masih di kampung atau sudah berpindah ke daerah lain? Masih mengajar di sekolah yang sama atau sudah bertukar ke sekolah lain? Tentunya anak yang satu itu sudah besar sekarang. Anak yang seketika itu baru berusia 60 hari kini sudah 10 tahun rasanya. Sudah lama aku tinggalkan kampung itu. Sudah hampir 10 tahun rupanya. Adakah Suhaila sudah berkahwin lain atau masih menunggu Amran?

Amran...pemuda kampung yang sangat memuja Suhaila. Pemuda kampung yang tiada kelebihan pada rupa paras. Punyai kulit berparut sana-sini kesan jewarat lama. Kurus dan agak tinggi. Berambut pendek dan berkulit sawo matang gelap. Pendiam.

Bait-bait lagu Cuba itu sebenarnya meninggatkan aku akan Amran. Akan nasib dan cinta Amran pada Suhaila. Bait-bait lagu itu persis benar suara hati Amran setiap kali dia dan Suhaila berdua di dangau kecil beratap nipah dan bertiang buluh, di tengah sawah. Tiap kali itulah Suhaila akan bercerita itu dan ini tentang Nordin;

cuba kau dengar
cuba kau cuba
diam bila ku cuba
untuk berbicara
dengan kamu

pernah kau ada
bila ku perlu
tuk meluahkan
rasa hati

dan bila kau bersuara
setiaku mendengar
agar tenang kau merasa

siapa sebenarnya aku padamu
mungkin sama dengan teman lain
yang bisa kau buat begitu

dan bila
tiada lagi teman bermain
kau pulang dapatkan aku
itulah aku
padamu

cuba kau lihat
cuba kau cuba
renung ke mata aku
bilaku kaku melihatmu

pernahkah kau ada
bila perlu tuk
menyatakan rasa sakit
dalam diri

dan bila kau perlu
setiaku menunggu
agar senang kau merasa

[...]

maafkan kerana aku
tak pernah terlintas
tuk menulis padamu
salahkanku

tak mungkin lagi
aku meminta
untuk kau mendengar
untuk kau melihat
ke mataku

Bagaimana Amran sekarang? Sudah pulang ke tanahair atau masih dirantau? Sudah hilangkah rajuk atau masih bertakung? Masih ada lagikah cinta untuk Suhaila atau sudah berdebu ditiup angin? Sudahkah berganti atau masih setia pada cinta pertama?

Ingin benar aku ke sana lagi. Menyelongkar dan menjawab rententan persoalan ini. Namun kalau ke sana cerita siapa yang harus aku selongkari kini? Cerita Amran atau Suhaila?