Early Malaysian films emerge as savory multicultural 'rojak'
Early Malaysian films emerge as savory multicultural 'rojak'
Paul F. Agusta, Contributor/ Pfa0109@yahoo.com
During a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur, The Jakarta Post film
contributor, Paul F. Agusta, had the opportunity to meet with
several important figures in Malaysian cinema to discuss
developments on the movie industry there. He will be sharing what
he discovered in a series of three articles, of which this is the
first, on the history and current state of moviemaking in our
neighbor to the north.
The history of Malaysian cinema is a surprisingly rich dish of
multicultural input reminiscent of the spicy Malay fruit salad
known as rojak. Malaysian film mixes a variety of elements
deriving from cultural sources as diverse as the British Isles,
China, India, and Malaya (as Singapore and Malaysia were known
collectively in the early 20th century).
From its bright beginnings with Laila Majnun (1933) produced
by Motilal Chemical, a Bombay-based supplier of cinema projector
lamp carbons, through the long-lasting influence of the Shanghai-
based Shaw Brothers, up to the introduction of the Hollywood
inspired studio system in the post-World War II era, Malay cinema
functioned to spotlight the various cultural roots that were to
define what it would mean to be a Malaysian in later years.
"The invention of cinema is the most momentous event. Cinema
is a gift of God. It provides a window to humanity. We must be
aware of its history," Hassan Muthalib, Malaysia's highly
respected film historian and theorist, said one early April
evening over steaming mugs of teh tarik at a busy roadside stall
on Jl. Wisma Putra in Kuala Lumpur.
Malay cinema is indeed a window into the soul of the
culturally diverse populace of the land that became known as
Malaysia.
Proof of this lies in the source material of early Malaysian
films. A prime example of this is the Persian-Arabic folktale
that inspired Malaysia's maiden cinematic voyage, Laila Majnun,
as well as the first few productions by the Shaw Brothers that
adapted traditional Chinese tales into a Malay setting, and the
Indian influences of early directors, such as B.S. Rajhans, S.
Ramanathan and L. Krishnan.
The early movies produced by Run Run Shaw and Runme Shaw,
starting in 1938, such as Bermadu (Polygamy) and Mata Hantu
(Ghostly Eyes) that carried heavy references to traditional
Chinese stories failed to connect with the psyche of the Malay
audience, so the enterprising and groundbreaking duo quickly
rectified this problem by borrowing more familiar Indian themes
and stories, as well as by involving Indian directors in their
productions.
The result was a blend of storytelling and musical themes,
which better pleased their target market.
Even the Japanese occupation proved auspicious for the
development of Malaysian cinema, through still another injection
of diverse cultural information. The screening of powerful
groundbreaking films by Japan's master directors Kenji Mizoguchi,
Akira Kurosawa and Yasugiro Ozu greatly influenced post-war
filmmakers in Malaya, in particular cinematic deity, P. Ramlee,
whose legacy continues to inform contemporary mainstream
productions.
With the exit of the Japanese occupying forces and the influx
of the Americans, the influence of the Hollywood studio system
made itself felt. The greater efficiency economy and productivity
inherent in this imported system allowed the Malaya filmmakers to
open the door to what was to be known as the Golden Age of Malay
films between 1949 and 1975.
The Shaw brothers revived their movie making activities with a
vengeance and opened Malay Film Productions, which brought in
more directors from India. In order to gain even more headway
into a market they had only begun to explore before the war, the
Shaws allowed these directors to write scripts as well as direct
them.
These imported directors took popular Indian stories and
translated them into English. These tales were then translated
into Malay by local writers and served up with garnishes of
lavish song and dance sequences. These films charmed the Malay
public not only because they were highly entertaining, but also
due to the striking similarities between the Malay and Indian
cultures that the stories revealed.
The Shaw brothers had hit on a formula that was to inspire a
number of other local studios like Lok Wan Tho's Cathay
Organization and Ho Ah Lok's Keris Film Productions. These two
companies eventually teamed up in 1953 to become the Malay film
powerhouse Cathay-Keris Film Productions.
This new film business entity was to give the Shaw brothers a
real run for their money in the decades to come.
The sharp competition between Malay Film Productions and
Cathay-Keris created some of the most spectacular and memorable
movies in Malaysia's cinematic landscape, such as Panggilan Pulau
(Call of the Islands), 1954 and Bujang Lapok (The Ragged
Bachelors), 1957, from Malay Film Productions, as well as Cathay
Keris Film Production's Chinta Gadis Rimba (Love of a Jungle
Girl), 1958, and Dendam Pontianak (Curse of the Vampires), 1957.
This vying for the hearts of Malaysian moviegoers also made
households names of gifted Malay actors, such as Aziz Jaafar, P.
Ramlee, Hashimah Yon, Fatimah Ahmad and Umi Kalsom, in both
Malaysia and Indonesia.
-- I-box:
Check this two websites for more information about the earlier
film development in Malaysia:
* www.felix-entertainment.com -- Legendary Malaysian
Actor/Director P Ramlee.
* www.shaw.com.sg -- Runrun and Runme Shaw of the legendary Shaw
Brothers Film Productions, pioneers of the Malaysian film
industry.