`True Lies'

`True Lies'

From Sinar Pagi

A local newspaper carrying the story of True Lies on its front page on Sept. 27 incited the public to pressure the government to ban the film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I saw the film twice along with capacity crowds in Pamulang, mostly Moslems for that matter, and resent the opinion Umar Kayam expressed in the paper.

It seems that Kayam identifies the Arabs in the film as Islamic. Viewers perceived them as human beings who call themselves terrorists. All societies around the world hate terrorists irrespective of their race or religion simply because of their cruelty.

Umar Kayam should think before he speaks. Don't look down on True Lies. The audience were left hating those sadistic Arab terrorists. Umar Kayam who has a stake in film development should improve the quality of Indonesian films whose scripts are now plagued with filth. He should learn to make a crowd-drawing films like True Lies or Speed.

Or he should go to Hollywood as I once did where I saw the filming of Jaws.

Indonesian films draw small audiences when run in Pamulang and they can stay only for a few nights. Take the one starring my own nephew, Ayu Azhari, that at least drew a crowd. The cinema owner, I think, still did not realize a profit.

Hence, please do not judge True Lies from a religious point of view, but from humanity aspect. All religions, not only Islam, condemn sadistic and inhuman acts.

H.G. MALIKMASS

Jakarta