'Ca-Bau-Kan', a promising director's debut

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When a book is adapted into a movie, one naturally raises the question: Will the film stay true to the book?

And the movie Ca-Bau-Kan, which is based on Remy Sylado's novel of the same title, stays true to the original version, only that it should have been titled "The Life of Tan Peng Liang".

The title Ca-Bau-Kan suggests the story will be about the travails of an Indonesian woman kept by a Chinese man as a concubine. Instead, both the book and the movie mainly tells of a Chinese-Javanese trader (Tan Peng Liang) who eventually helps Indonesia achieve independence.

Ca-bau-kan, itself, literally means "woman" in Hakka Chinese -- who make up the majority of Chinese in Indonesia -- but in Batavia (the name given to Jakarta during Dutch colonial rule) at the time it could also mean "prostitute", or the concubine of a Chinese man.

The story about ca-bau-kan in both the book and the movie only comprise about one-third of the storyline, and if it is aimed to correct the age-old misinterpretation of its meaning, then it misses it completely.

Instead, the ca-bau-kan is portrayed as weak and submissive; someone with no control whatsoever of her fate and has no intention of changing it.

Back to the movie, despite the more obvious weaknesses, Kalyana Shira's first film presentation promises good things for Indonesian film fans, although its scheduled release of Feb. 21 is only two weeks apart from teen flick Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (What's Up with Love).

Set in Batavia between the 1930s and 1950s, Ca-Bau-Kan opens with the traditional Betawi (indigenous Jakartan) style wedding of Tinung (Lola Amaria) to the first of many men in her life.

A narrator, supposedly the voice of Giok Lan (Niniek L. Karim), tells viewers of her mother's early life and plight until she is forced to offer her body for money at Kali Jodo river, which literally means "mating river". The movie then flashes between the past and present. The present being Giok Lan's search for her roots, starting with her arrival in Jakarta from the Netherlands where she now lives, to her encounter with her father's enemy in a sanatorium.

Giok Lan's role in the movie, however, lacks the strength of her purpose in the book, and Niniek L. Karim's performance fails to deliver the deep tragedy that lies in Giok Lan's past (she was sold to a Dutch couple).

In Tinung's case, after a stint at Kali Jodo, where she gains a reputation as si chixiang or the famous and most sought-after, she is taken to the house of Tan Peng Liang (Moelyono) -- the first man called Tan Peng Liang in her life -- in Tamim alley, Bandung, to be his ca-bau-kan.

Tan is a loan shark who doesn't think twice about killing his debtors when they don't pay up, a trait that makes Tinung fear him and run away.

The second and main Tan Peng Liang (Ferry Salim) enters the scene at the Cio-Ko festival to celebrate the birth of the Chinese God, Tiong Gwan Tee Kwan, when he encounters Tinung and her aunt, Saodah (Lulu Dewayanti).

A Chinese-Javanese from Semarang, Central Java, Tan's flamboyant manner irritates the pride of the local Kong Koang or Chinese business elite, especially Thio Boen Hiap (Robby Tumewu).

Animosity between Tan Peng Liang and members of the Kong Koang represent a major conflict in the movie and shapes the destiny of Tan's life.

A second encounter between Tan and Tinung happens at the Lunar New Year celebration Peh Cun on the shores of Kali Pasar Baru river, where she performs a traditional song and dance cokek.

Without taking too much time, Tinung is taken to Tan Peng Liang's home and kept as his ca-bau-kan, where she lives a happy life for a while.

Then the movie focuses on Tan Peng Liang, and follows him through his escape from jail after being accused of dealing in counterfeit money, his journey to Thailand, where he begins his business of shipping arms for the Indonesian rebel movements against the Dutch, and his return to Batavia to find Tinung.

Director Nia diNata, who makes her debut with this film, said she had tried to balance the roles of Tan Peng Liang and Tinung, and for that reason, many of Tan's roles in the book have been eliminated.

However, as Tan has a significant part in the story and his character is strong and domineering, it leaves little room for Tinung's character. And that it is why the film should be titled "Tan Peng Liang's Adventures".

The filmmakers however deserve credit for their efforts to bring the right atmosphere that the film deserves, making the quality of its cinematography one of the best yet seen in Indonesian movies, offering a rare view of Betawi-Chinese culture, which is hard to find today.

But, as always in Indonesian productions, a sense of detail is lacking. The costumes worn by the leading characters might have a realistically-worn look, but a group of refugees traveling thousands of miles through forests and rice fields with Bayclean- white shirts? Come on!

Brilliant acting comes from Ferry Salim and Lulu Dewayanti, the latter successfully portrays Tinung's materialistic, self- centered and coquette aunt.

Ferry's Tan Peng Liang displays a conflict of personalities; ruthless yet loving, arrogant but humble. He is even convincing in his adoption of a local Chinese-Semarang dialect for the role.

While Ferry has more room to develop his character, Lola has little to work on. With her submissive character, little or even nothing to say, Tinung has no personality other than someone who is always being ping-ponged from one man to another.

If viewers are willing to overlook the shortcomings and revel on the pluses, Ca-Bau-Kan will give them an entertaining presentation.

Inbox: =========================================== Ca-Bau-Kan, **1/2 out of four stars Drama/Romance, 120 minutes; Starring Ferry Salim, Lola Amaria, Niniek L. Karim, Robby Tumewu, Alex Komang, Lulu Dewayanti; Script written by Nia diNata and Puguh P.S. Admaja; Directed by Nia diNata; A Kalyana Shira Film presentation. ------------------------------------------