Invitation to watch 12 of the 120 MALAY MOVIES

One of FAQ for this book has been: "How do I get to watch these movies ah? How ah how ah?"

Well, keep the next two weekends free and you can watch 12 of them! These are 12 that I lavished particular praise on. I made sure not to include any P. Ramlee movies, because those tend to be easily available already. It would be my pleasure to introduce you to films that you may not have seen, or not seen recently.

The venue is in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (you may confirm here) which, unfortunately has no LRT station. But it shall be a cosy event, admission is free, and bring your own kuaci. I will introduce each movie.

This is a song from the very first movie we will show. Unfortunately the synching on Youtube is not as good as what you will see on Saturday 2pm, but you get the idea:

For Tunku Abdul Rahman's 108th birthday, my chapter on his RAJA BERSIONG from 120 MALAY MOVIES

On the set of the movie.

Raja Bersiong (1968)

Directed by Jamil Sulong
Starring Ahmad Mahmud, Sarimah, Aziz Jaafar, Zaiton & Normadiah

This is the most expensive movie in this book .

It’s based, of course, on the same Kedah legend that was made into the 1963 movie. But this is in wide-screen colour, with a Japanese co-director and cinematographer, and a screenplay by the Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman (his second and last after Mahsuri). It cost ten times the average budget for a Malay movie but was a flop when released. It was one of the final nails in the coffin for Shaw’s investment in Malay cinema.

Its place in cinema history aside, I can’t help seeing this Raja Bersiong as the end of a different kind of Malaysia, too. This film used to be shown on TV but has been noticeably absent for years; I guess its depiction of religion is a key factor. The colour Raja Bersiong seeks to be more faithful to the Hindu-Buddhist roots of Kedah royalty, and there are numerous scenes of Malay actors going to the kuil (temple) to pray, which our censors no longer allow.

There is also a distinct Thai flavour to the costumes and dances, which might seem surprising until you realise that Kedah had strong cultural ties with Siam and became (a few centuries after the events of this myth) a Siamese protectorate.

While Malek Selamat in the 1963 movie starts off (and actually remains) a sympathetic king with an unfortunate addiction, Ahmad Mahmud here is a raging psychopath almost from the beginning. At the 10-minute mark, he is visited by a demon, and from then on, all bets are off. Crucially, he is shown as decadent and venal even before consuming the spinach soup which had traces of blood in it. When the next day’s soup doesn’t please him nearly as much, he badgers the cook (Normadiah) to find out why:

Apa lebihnya rempah
Apa kurangnya rencah
Gulai sayur bayam
Hari ni dan semalam?

When told by the trembling woman of the unintended secret ingredient, his eyes start to glow. He barks to his henchman to take a jailed traitor, drain him of blood, and then use that blood for his special spice from now on:

Kau pergi ke penjara
Pilih seorang penderhaka
Ambil darahnya
Buat rencah santapan beta

Yes, this is the first film we have seen since Panca Delima to consist of rhymes. (This time, I summarised at the beginning instead of translating.)

The anti-feudal theme is especially strong here. This might seem surprising because Tunku Abdul Rahman himself was of royal blood. The movie is also about the pressing need for a change in leadership; the king was out of touch with his subjects. Is there a deliberate self-critique by Tunku going on? Did he already know that there were people within the Establishment who were plotting to get rid of him?

We recall the words of the warrior Aziz Jaafar (whose girlfriend Zaiton would be raped by the horny king) urging an immediate coup d’état against the undead creature on the throne:

Tak guna berbicara panjang
Singkirkan raja dari sekarang

The priest urges a more peaceful — but, to secular ears, more batty — way out: they should consult a gajah sakti (sacred elephant). This elephant actually does appear in the end, and helps resolve a pressing issue of lineage. The new, worthy heir to the throne was born in the house of a commoner,
and this is a clue that democratic egalitarianism promises a better future.

This Raja Bersiong isn’t the intense character study of the first film but it’s splashy and enjoyable. Ahmad Mahmud and his queen Sarimah look great, and I love the way she maintains haughty decorum when it’s obvious to anyone that he is now a dangerous loony. Our interest dips a bit when he redeems himself in the second half, however.

What this movie made me realise is the extent to which the discursive terrain of Malaysia has been dominated by the south of Peninsular Malaysia. The Kedah kingdom started earlier than Melaka, but it is Melaka that gets privileged as the foundation point of our history. This despite the fact that two of our most influential Prime Ministers (Tunku Abdul Rahman and Dr. Mahathir) were from the north. What gives?

Is it because the Portuguese and therefore the West took over Melaka first in 1511, and the other states lost their feudal autonomy much later? The story in Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat would have been yawningly familiar to any local schoolchild, but I dare say that the story of Raja Bersiong got a big boost from the two movies. The task of investigating other aspects of Malaysian history and mythology is something well worth doing.

The colours are a clashing riot and must have looked much better on the big screen. As it is, there is no DVD or even VCD of this film in release. I had to watch a bootleg pan-and-scan version. The whole thing is also available on YouTube, of all places. This is the final irony of Raja Bersiong: despite its lavish cost, it is now on the same level as any video footage that a teenager with a bit of spare time can upload. In other words, it’s democracy in action.

* 120 Malay Movies is available in shops! Or you can order it directly from me by emailing info@mataharibooks.com

How to get the remaining copies of the first edition

I have 73 copies left of the first edition of 120 Malay Movies. (I had 75 this morning.) If you'd like to order directly from me, fret not! you can still do so.

Email info@mataharibooks.com to order directly from me. Offer valid for Malaysian residents only, alas. Because people overseas have Amazon!

The first edition is also stocked in the following shops (each has fewer than 50 copies):

1. Kinokuniya KLCC
2. Silverfish Books
3. Da Huang Pictures
4. Kinibooks

The second edition, when it eventually comes out, will be more widely available.

Three reviews are now online:
- Farish A. Noor
- The Malaysian Reader
- Ajami Hashim (even though he says he hasn't finished it yet).

I have started writing a new book (it is not cinema-related). Extracts from the first draft will be posted online, on a daily basis, starting Wednesday Monday 16 August. Selamat menyambut bulan Ramadhan, yo!

* photo by Liza Manshoor from the KL launch.

Back from the printer

At 11:15 am today, the books were delivered by the printer. This is good news because the launch in Singapore is 4pm tomorrow!

It looks and feels pretty good. I really like publishing hardcovers and plan to do more!

Three consecutive sample chapters

Click to enlarge!

Launches and postal orders for 120 MALAY MOVIES

After two years, it's finally here!

120 Malay Movies will be launched at the Singapore Art Museum on Saturday 31 July at 4pm. I will give an hour-long talk which includes a short DVD presentation. You may confirm on Facebook here.

Why launch in Singapore? Well, because most of the films in the book were made there, of course!

There will also be a KL launch on Friday 6 August, 8pm at The Annexe Gallery, Central Market KL. This is the venue that has hosted most of my launches and I feel right at home! I've got your Facebook page riiiight here.

If you live in Malaysia and would like a copy, you may order straight from me. Email me at info@mataharibooks.com. The books will be posted right after the Singapore launch.

For those outside Malaysia and Singapore, the book can be pre-ordered now on Amazon.com.

The first edition (hardcover, 500 copies, 432 pages) won't be sold in the big bookshops. If and when it sells out, then a decision will be duly made on a wider release ;-)

If you need a synopsis, well, this is what Page 1 of the book looks like:

The cover

No, your eyes do not deceive you; the only words are on the spine ;-)

This is just the front:

I'd love to see how bookshops react to this. But I won't find out so soon. as I won't be giving the first edition (500 copies, hardcover, 432 pages) to the main bookshops. It will be sold directly and at events, and at only three independent establishments that need your lurve!

Details on the launch(es) will be posted very soon.

* Design by Liza Manshoor.

The full list of the 120 MALAY MOVIES

These 120 represent about a third of all the Malay-language films made in Singapore and then Kuala Lumpur from 1948 (the date of the oldest surviving Malay movie) to 1972 (the year I was born, for isn't an 'old movie' something made before one's birth?)

I couldn't possibly watch all the films made then for the simple reason that a few dozen are lost. Among the surviving ones, some are in such bad condition that the actors sound like they are speaking in tongues. Besides, my aim was never to be comprehensive or exhaustive but to follow ... a train of thought. 

It's not meant to be a Best Of as not all these films are, by objective standards, the greatest. There are also quite a few prominent titles not on the list. So how did I choose the 120? Simply by picking what I, as a viewer, felt like watching (or re-watching). I watched in chronological order; so if, for example, I'd already seen two movies with the same lead couple, I would sometimes want to skip the third. It was a matter of instinct, but sometimes I'd follow a certain genre (such as the pontianak one) or director because they interested me.

I also chose to have as complete a list as I could of the three most interesting directors whose careers ended by 1972: K.M. Basker, P. Ramlee and Hussain Haniff. 

As for the question of why 120 instead of 100 or 150 or even 200, the answer is quite naughty. And it will be explained in the rather long Introduction in the book :-)

So! How many of these have you seen, and which did you like?

1. CINTA (Directed by BS Rajhans, released on 31 October 1948)
2. NASIB (BS Rajhans, 25 July 1949)
3. NILAM (BS Rajhans, 28 Sep 1949)
4. RACUN DUNIA (BS Rajhans, 16 February 1950)
5. ALOHA (BS Rajhans, 1950)
6. PEMBALASAN (L Krishnan, 1950)
7. DEWI MURNI (BS Rajhans, 1950)
8. PERKAHWINAN RAHSIA (AR Tompel, 1951)
9. ANTARA SENYUM DAN TANGIS (L. Krishnan, 27 February 1952)
10. PERMATA DI PERLIMBAHAN (Haji Mahadi, 1952)
11. PATAH HATI (KM Basker, 2 August 1952)
12. MISKIN (KM Basker, 1 December 1952)
13. TAS TANGAN WANITA (L. Krishnan, 1952)
14. YATIM PIATU (BS Rajhans, 1952)
15. HATI IBLIS (KM Basker, 1953)
16. PUTUS HARAPAN (BN Rao, 2 March 1953)
17. HUJAN PANAS (BN Rao, 15 August 1953)
18. IMAN (KRS Sastry, 1954)
19. PANGGILAN PULAU (S. Ramanathan, 4 July 1954)
20. MENYERAH (KM Basker, 1955)
21. PENARIK BECA (P. Ramlee, 30 October 1955)
22. RIBUT (KM Basker, 1955)
23. HANG TUAH (Phani Majumdar, 28 Januari 1956)
24. SEMERAH PADI (P. Ramlee, 14 July 1956)
25. ANAKKU SAZALI (Phani Majumdar, 27 October 1956)
26. PENCURI (KM Basker, 1956)
27. HANTU JERANGKUNG (K.M. Basker, 1957)
28. MOGOK (KM Basker, 1957)
29. PANCA DELIMA (P Ramlee, 7 July 1957)
30. BUJANG LAPUK (P Ramlee, 30 November 1957)
31. SUMPAH PONTIANAK (BN Rao, 1958)
32. ANAK PONTIANAK (Ramon A. Estella, 1958)
33. SERANGAN ORANG MINYAK (L Krishnan, 1958)
34. SUMPAH ORANG MINYAK (P. Ramlee, 20 Apr 1958)
35. KAKI KUDA (Kadir Sharma, 1958)
36. MATAHARI (Ramon A. Estella, 1958)
37. SERGEANT HASSAN (Lamberto Avellana, 26 Aug 1958)
38. KORBAN FITNAH (PL Kapur, 1959)
39. MAHSURI (BN Rao, 1959)
40. RADEN MAS (L Krishnan, 1959)
41. PENDEKAR BUKANG LAPOK (P. Ramlee, 1959)
42. MUSANG BERJANGGUT (P. Ramlee, 1 August 1959)
43. NUJUM PAK BELALANG (P. Ramlee, 26 December 1959)
44. ANTARA DUA DARJAT (P. Ramlee, 1958)
45. HANRU RIMAU (L. Krishnan/B.N. Rao/S. Roomai Noor, 1960)
46. ISI NERAKA (Jamil Sulong, 1960)
47. NOOR ISLAM (KM Basker, 1960)
48. SUMPAH WANITA (Omar Rojik, 1960)
49. ALI BABA BUJANG LAPOK (P Ramlee, 31 Jan 1961)
50. SULTAN MAHMUD MANGKAT DIJULANG (KM Basker, 1961)
51. HANG JEBAT (Hussain Haniff, 1961)
52. SRI MERSING (Salleh Ghani, 1961)
53. JALAK LENTENG (Salleh Ghani, 1961)
54. PANJI SEMERANG (Omar Rojik, 1961)
55. SENIMAN BUJANG LAPOK (P Ramlee, 6 Jul 1961)
56. SUMPITAN RACUN (S. Roomai Noor, 1961)
57. BADANG (S Roomai Noor, 1962)
58. DANG ANOM (Hussain Haniff, 1962)
59. IBU MERTUAKU (P. Ramlee, 7 March 1962)
60. MATA SYAITAN (Hussain Haniff, 1962)
61. KORBAN KASIH (Hussain Haniff, 1962)
62. LABU & LABI (P. Ramlee, 29 August 1962)
63. LAILA MAJNUN (BN Rao, 1962)
64. LANCANG KUNING (M. Amin, 1962)
65. MABUK KEPAYANG (Hussain Haniff, 1962)
66. BAYANGAN DI WAKTU FAJAR (Usmar Ismail, 1963)
67. CUCU DATUK MERAH (M. Amin, 1963)
68. RAJA BERSIONG (Ramon Estella, 1963)
69. NASIB SI LABU LABI (P. Ramlee, 26 Apr 1963)
70. IBU AYAM (Salleh Ghani, 1963)
71. KASIH TANPA SAYANG (Omar Rojik, 1963)
72. MASUK ANGIN KELUAR ASAP (Hussain Haniff, 1963)
73. GILA TALAK (Hussain Haniff, 1963)
74. TAJUL ASHIKIN (M. Amin, 1961)
75. RUMAH ITU DUNIA AKU (M. Amin, 1963)
76. AIR MATA DUYUNG (M. Amin, 1964)
77. DUA PENDEKAR (Hussain Haniff, 1964)
78. MADU TIGA (P. Ramlee, 12 Feb 1964)
79. KALUNG KENANGAN (Hussain Haniff, 1964)
80. 3 ABDUL (P. Ramlee, 22 Apr 1964)
81. PANGLIMA BESI (M. Amin, 1964)
82. PONTIANAK GUA MUSANG (BN Rao, 1964)
83. MAT 3/4 (Mat Sentul, 1964)
84. CINTA KASIH SAYANG (Hussain Haniff, 1965)
85. MUDA MUDI (M. Amin, 1965)
86. IKAN EMAS (M. Amin, 1965)
87. JIRAN SEKAMPUNG (Hussain Haniff, 1965)
88. RAGAM P. RAMLEE (P. Ramlee, 1965)
89. PUSAKA PONTIANAK (Ramon A. Estella, 1965)
90. SAYANG SI BUTA (Omar Rojik, 1965)
91. MASAM-MASAM MANIS (P. Ramlee, 21 August 1965)
92. SABARUDDIN TUKANG KASUT (P. Ramlee, 1966)
93. ANAK BULUH BETONG (S Kadarisman, 1966)
94. DUA KALI LIMA (M. Amin, 1966)
95. DO RE MI (P Ramlee, 1966)
96. GERAK KILAT [JEFRI ZAIN - GERAK KILAT) (Jamil Sulong, 1966)
97. NASIB DO RE MI (P. Ramlee, 1966)
98. NAGA TASIK CINI (Nordin Ahmad, 1966)
99. DAHAGA (Omar Rojik 1966)
100. UDANG DI SEBALIK BATU (Hussain Haniff, 1966)
101. NORA ZAIN - AGEN WANITA 001 (Low Wai, 1967)
102. DOSA WANITA (M. Amin, 1967)
103. SESUDAH SUBUH (P. Ramlee, 1967)
104. KELUARGA 69 (P. Ramlee, 1967)
105. MAT BOND (Mat Sentul & M. Amin, 1967)
106. ANAK BAPAK (P. Ramlee, 1968)
107. GERIMIS (P. Ramlee, 1968)
108. RAJA BERSIONG (Jamil Sulong, 1968)
109. AHMAD ALBAB (P. Ramlee, 1968)
110. KANCAN TIRANA (P. Ramlee, 1969)
111. BUKAN SALAH IBU MENGANDUNG (Jins Shamsuddin, 1969)
112. 6 JAHANAM (P. Ramlee, 1969)
113. SIAL WANITA (M. Amin, 1969)
114. DR RUSHDI (P Ramlee, 1970)
115. GELORA (P Ramlee, 1970)
116. AKU MAHU HIDUP (M. Amin, 1970)
117. PUAKA (M. Amin, 1970)
118. PUTUS SUDAH KASIH SAYANG (P. Ramlee, 1971)
119. JANGAN TINGGAL DAKU (P. Ramlee, 1971)
120. LAKSAMANA DO RE MI (P. Ramlee, 1972)

Salute to the title designer(s) of the Cathay-Keris studio

Three major studios are represented in my book: Shaw Brothers (Malay Film Production) and Cathay-Keris Films in Singapore, and Merdeka Studio in Kuala Lumpur. Out of the three, Cathay-Keris consistently has the coolest title designs in its opening credits.

Most of the time, it would consist of a graphic element that relates to the title itself, such as:

Sometimes, things got more ambitious. This one, for example, is part of an animated clip in which the eye drops a tear, which them transforms into:

And this is one of my favourites; it starts off as just the title and a house, and then pulls back to have it repeated, until there are dozens in a grid. This is at about the half-way point:

Who was the unknown genius who came up with this concept? There is never a separate credit for Title Designer, so it's most likely an editor. These films don't always have the same editor, so someone must have started it. Then it became a convention that the studio felt the need to uphold; this is what people call branding, I suppose. Whoever it was, I salute thee!

UPDATE (8 July): The answer is Mat Sentul!

How P. Ramlee anticipated Facebook

One of the running gags in Masam-Masam Manis (1965) is that Cikgu Shaari (P. Ramlee) posts updates on his relationship status on the inside door of his closet.

Since he's a bachelor who lives alone, it wouldn't be 'logical' for these updates to be read by anyone other than himself. But the film's canny use of cinematic space actually draws us into a cosy complicity with him; there are several moments where he addresses the camera (and therefore us) directly. So the updates that he posts are simultaneously private and public, since his 'wall' can be seen by his 'friends' (here interpreted here as: anyone who has paid to watch his movie.) The distinction between private and public space thus collapses.

It's uncanny how not only his blurring of private/public space but his relationship updates are similar to what we now have with Facebook.

Maseh Bujang = Single

Dah Ada Kawan = In a Relationship

Burong Dah Terbang = It's Complicated

In this respect, P. Ramlee showed himself to be a nujum (seer) like the one he played in Nujum Pak Belalang six years earlier.

First Malay actor in a Hollywood movie. From THE SPIRAL ROAD (1962)

Ibrahim Pendek (1932-2003) was in over 30 movies. The best of them, like Ali Baba Bujang Lapok, Hantu Jerangkung, and Anakku Sazali never made a big deal about his height :-)

When I saw him at a Finas function sometime in the 1990s, he was still very happy to talk about the month he spent in Hollywood, and it's not just because of the annual royalty cheques he got.

Three other points of interest:

1. As this film was shot in LA, did the rest of the team know what he was saying in his Malay dialogue? It's not subtitled, and is therefore meant to sound 'nonsensical' to its target audience.

2. The reason for Rock Hudson not being interested in a pretty woman is now quite clear, in retrospect.

3. He's not the only actor in the book to have a self-explanatory stage name. There's also Zainal Gemok.

We're still doing the layout and I can't confirm for sure, but this might be the final image in 120 MALAY MOVIES

This is a book that has taken me two years to write, it will weigh in at over 400 pages, and I'm quite sad to say goodbye to it. I have to soon stop tinkering with the thing; it will be a complete entity that can't be changed! But, at the same time, I also want it to be released soon, so I can only hope for the best. And somehow, this picture of Mat Sentul captures that feeling.

12 out of the 120 MALAY MOVIES

How many have you seen? :-)

The popularity of John Milton's PARADISE LOST in 1950s Malay cinema

Well, if you want to be really pedantic, it's the popularity of a single line.

It first occurs, in Malay, in that great sequence of Panggilan Pulau (1954) which cross-cuts between two different things: a 'pagan' victory dance, and P. Ramlee being confronted by villains in a cave who want to steal his treasure. The villain, as he prepares to fight, utters the line "Lebih baik ku memerintah neraka daripada menjadi hamba di dalam syurga!"

Two years later, the line appears again in Semerah Padi but as an English subtitle:

The original line, as said by the adulterous/murderous hussy Normadiah as she's about to get arrested by the proto-JAKIM types represented by P. Ramlee and Nordin Ahmad, is: "Alang-alang menyeluk pekasam, biarlah sampai ke pangkal lengan!"

This is a great transliteration of a popular proverb. I wonder who in Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Production studio used the line in the scripts. It must have been someone familiar with the 17th century Paradise Lost which is, let's be honest, the sort of book that some people know lines from, rather than the whole thing. In the book, it's said by the Devil to show how badass he is.

The novelist Chuah Guat Eng suggested to me that the line probably resonated with people here at that time because it can relate to colonialism. It's better to be independent in a screwed-up country than a non-citizen in a stable one. But the line (in both cases) is spoken by bad people. In fact, both these people were so bad that they would later be killed; the latter situation is the famous sula scene. So perhaps it's not meant to be read as an endorsement of revolution.

But still, it plants a seed ...

How the Devil was reponsible for Putrajaya

The very entertaining Malay film Iman (1954) is about an old geezer who makes a pact with Iblis (the Devil): his soul in exchange for youth! He signs the contract (in blood, of course) and is transformed into Ahmad Mahmood; obviously Ahmad Mahmood circa 1954 lah.

In order to demonstrate how powerful he is, the Devil proceeds to build 'mahligai yang cantik sekali' (the most beautiful palace). He waves his black-clad hand, and lo! This is what happens:







On the one hand, you have to give the Devil his due: his instant method of construction doesn't involve the exploitation of migrant labour. It also, aside from the puff of smoke in the beginning, doesn't seem to involve much damage to the environment: no trees were felled.

This structure is meant to be grand, imposing, and totally out of character with its surrounding area. There would be no love here, just diabolical ambition. (What do you expect when the Devil is your architect? He didn't even consult the client, but went ahead and built just-like-that!)

So now you know where the design inspiration for the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya came from:



The government, for obvious reasons, does not want you to know all this; the folks there have enough public relations headaches as it is! This is why Iman is not even listed as a film in the official Finas database. Coincidence? I think not! But now, the truth can be told. Ain't you glad I'm around?

* Dedicated to all Malaysians who love conspiracies -- which is, let's face it, all of us.

Siput Serawak was a lady with an attitude

Oh, I just love her!

One of my favourite old-movie anecdotes, as related by the late scriptwriter Hamzah Hussin, was about her. She once came up to him during lunch-time and said, "Hamzah, jom makan!" And he said, "Mana boleh, Siput? Sekarang bulan puasa." So she lifted up her dress (she had no underwear) and flashed him, and then said, "Dah batal puasa kau. Jom makan!"

And yes her name really was spelled like that. It was her daughter Anita who changed it to Sarawak.