Mastura is a Malay girl who pursued her study in Perth, Australia. She failed to save EJ from a religious fundamentalist group. On her return to Malaysia, she engaged to a charity body named "RESCAID" to bring a group of Lebanon children to Malaysia. In the middle of the story, Mastura fell in love with Kamal who is the Head of Research Department, but was disappointed with him because she thought that he had married. However, their relationship was healed after Kamal explained to her that he had been divorced long time ago. Throughout the story, Mastura managed to persuade EJ and Kamal to join the charity. “RESCAID” activities were supported by many organizations in Malaysia but violently opposed by certain party and eventually has caused Mastura gone into coma.
Feelings towards the movie
In overall, I love the movie, Selubung (1992) so much. My feeling can be highlighted with several aspects that had been implied in the movie itself. The aspects are moral values, culture, language, accent, religions, feminism, modernization, composition and narration.
No doubt, like other most local movies, Selubung (1992) had brought a lot of moral values to me. It brings me to the meaning of relationships in family, friends, love’s one and last but not least, the people in needs. Although Mastura studied abroad in Perth, Australia, she does not forget her root, her parents and remember the way back to her homeland, Terengganu. She does not change much in her clothing however still maintain her values as a Malay girl especially to her dad with their own accent.
Despite having such a depression or stereotyping towards Malay culture, before this, I was strongly believed that Malay people would probably shall live in such a way on how their religion teaches them and to be practiced all the time, however I was enlightened by the movie. This can be explained when living in a modern society in 1990’s, Malays people was facing such a bigger challenge to have a so called open healthy relationship to the love one. In this case, I would like to touch the part when Kamal and Mastura who were in love to each other seems to forget on how a Muslim should behave, in fact they are doing what is not wrong to the love one in a modern society, in other word, applied what is good in west. Walking together, holding hands and romance to each other seems inappropriate but they started to accept it as long as it does not beyond the limit. This indirectly has portrayed Shuhaimi Baba, the director of Selubung (1992) bravery to come out with such Malay identity to the audience.
Besides that, I would like to touch about the character Halim and Wai Ng who were the volunteer for the Lebanon refugees. This movie touches me when we can see these both characters are actually gone to Lebanon to help those refugees who are in needs. Halim who is in charge of medicine and sources denied Mastura calling him as a hero humbly said that the women and children there were tougher than him. At the end, both of these volunteers died in the building when they were trying to move a wounded refugee from the building.
Talking about their culture, I personally love the movie when the director brought out Terengganu’s accent to the movie. It has indirectly promoted me to understand more on every single word that comes out from the characters therefore lead me to figure out the words that rare to hear but seems heard it before. In the movie, Mastura tends to talk Terengganu accent with her dad when she backs to her hometown. From there I learnt that Terengganu accent is usually ending the word with “…k” and “…ing” in Bahasa Malaysia. Moreover, I love the way the director shows a group of people who play the tradition instrument at the seaside. It is actually leading me to seek out of their culture by their songs besides knowing that Mastura is from Terengganu and she is a villager. From there, I understand that the local practice is called “Puja Pantai” (Women Filmaker: Refocusing 2003) performative art.
The movie loves to portray the modern and radical Malay Muslim girl. It touched me a lot when I tend to understand the differences, also, a big contrast between the two characters, Mastura and EJ of the movie who are living in a modern society. Mastura who is being portrayed as modern Malay Muslim girl, while EJ as radical Muslim movement. For example, the director shows two different personalities of Malay in terms of the meaning of love. In the movie, Mastura hardly to accept the fact that Kamal was actually married but unknowing that he had divorced long time ago. However, EJ in this case, does not mind whether Brother Musa was actually already have Hani who is the first wife as her religion accepts polygamist.
I also like their camera composition. Having such “jump scene” in the movie seems not professional by most people. However in my case, it brings me a lot of question marks in my mind when I wanted to know more about their conversations. What I mean here is that the director leads or guides me to the imaginations towards every single situation. No doubt, the movie has estimate 1 hour and 30 minutes, it seems too much if the movie exceeded to more than 2 hours and that hardly released. One thing to solve the problem, the director has actually leave some “jump scenes” to the audience, so that all the “jumped” events will become the audiences’ “imagination” or story. For example here, while Mastura talks to her dad while holding coconut drink, after her father touches about her success suddenly a tall building comes out. It seems that director does not touch more in their talk however it leaves an empty space for us to guess what the next talk is.
Mise En Scene and Mise En Shot
In the movie, Selubung (1992), Shuhaimi Baba, the director of the film had clearly articulate spatial elements and coordinates the shots in it. Indirectly, she has well-defined the film in certain way so that the audience can see as well as what she wanted the film to be. Defining the film alone does not bring far to an in depth studies of film as this technical explanation can be described with the element in mise en scence. Mise en scene basically has 4 general areas to be analysed, the areas include settings, costumes. Lighting and staging.
Set design or setting is a very important element in the movie. It can be used to express character emotion or the dominant mood of a film, also to establish aspects of the character. In Selubung (1992), Shuhaimi Baba fully expresses the film by choosing many locations as the setting. For example, she successfully picked an empty building covered or rounded by flame, smoke and wastes, to shows that Halim and Wai Ng are in Lebanon. Director strongly emphasized their location when bunch of children of the refugees approach and treat the place as a home and playground. Furthermore, to establish a romantic scene, lighting and location were combined to create the mood. For example, during the lunching of “RESCAID” campaign for Lebanon refugees, despite showing soft light to indicate a night scene, the director also establish a romantic mood when Kamal rejects Mastura to leave him as he misses her.
In this film, in order to portray two different characteristic of the characters, the director is more emphasized on the wearing of both Mastura and EJ which I mean here is costume or make-up. Mastura in fact symbolized the modern Malay, therefore she does not bother in wearing “tudung” but she does not forget to make up. In other hand, EJ who is sincere to her religion therefore follow the rules of being a Muslim, which is wearing the “tudung” especially when meeting guys. To explain what the current situation of a character is, the director was clearly to shows that the main characters in the movie such like Kamal and Mastura would wear coat or formal wear to indicate that they are working. For Hani and Brother Musa case, we can directly knowing that they are from Middle East country when the director emphasized the covered face of Hani and a long sleeve wear of Brother Musa.
To create such a great movie, the director, Shuhaimi Baba technically plays her role to direct a better lighting, sound and editing. This can be explained under the mise en shot elements. It is well explained when mise en scene and mise en shot are explained together as both are interrelated.
I would like to use the death of Halim and Wai Ng to relate it with lighting, sound and editing. If we notice, we can found that Shuhaimi Baba used few light sources while also using a very tension sound effect to the scene. Sound of people screaming also was putting in, clearly expression of the enemy attacks. Besides this scene, we can found out that the director like to use yellow color effect when Mastura is with family member. This is also a way to indicate a warm and harmony situation especially with the love one.
The jump shot in the movie also leaves the audience many question marks. It is actually the style of director to occupy every single event in limited 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours movie. Besides giving much information to the audience, this method was actually leaves the audience some imagination on how the events would go after and basically explained in other scenes.
Analysis
Through the in-depth study in a Malaysia cinema, the film to be found that is a mirror cultural signification and representation. It is also touched about gender issue, culture and religion.
Adat or culture of Malay can be found in film. Reviewing that Malay adat seems unislamic with the revivalism of Islam in the 1970s. Most of the reason is that, they are influenced by Hinduism or animistic roots. According to a book, Women Filmakers: Refocusing, it was reviewed that Shuhaimi Baba explained the idea of flying moths is mean lucky after discovered that there were still existing superstition about it. The book also explained about “Puja Pantai”, the performative arts like the beating of the large drum, rebana where it is the portrayal of the subalternization of the Malay as poor villagers. It is also emphasized the Malay in the sense of community.
Two types of feminism are strongly emphasized in the film, one is modern Malay Muslim woman and one is typical “kampung” Malay Muslim girl. If we look through to the modern one, we will know that Mastura is representing it. As a modern Malay Muslim woman, she is more independent compared with EJ. Due to her level of education and study abroad, she has been westernized with her wearing. She does not critically wear “tudung” or compulsively turn herself into Baju Kurung. A modern woman knows how to make decision when she decided to choose the guy that she loves. Unlike EJ who representing typical “Kampung” Malay Muslim girl, she tends to be shy, not independent but depends on other. For example when EJ found that the account has enough budget to send over the resource to Lebanon, EJ seems hesitate whether she can make the call to send the resource over there. A typical Malay Muslim girl here also can be referred when EJ is more likely to follow Brother Musa as she is more religious. However, similarity can be found in both of them, they can be concluded to be representing the Malaysian women. This is because they tend to be more emotional, illogical and fragmented in their thinking.
First portrayal of femininity was found in EJ character. She seems being dominance over by Brother Musa. For example, she follows everything that Brother Musa teaches her even to marry him. Second portrayal of femininity however can be found in Mastura characteristic. Mastura tends to be more independent and not controlled by man. She does not need a man to tell her what she should do. She has her own career choice, a productive and satisfactory life and also strong minded. Usually second portrayal of femininity can be found when the character speaks in the mixture of English and Malay in Malaysia cinema to indicate she as well educated. This can be seen when Mastura, Dr. Sardar and Zek speak a mixture language while talking.
Reference
Admin, F. (2009, September 10). Selubung 1992 sdtvrip - xvid-aryzs [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://rapidsharefilemmelayuretro.blogspot.com/2009/09/selubung-1992-sdtvrip-xvid-aryzs.html
Jacqueline, L. (2003). Women filmmakers: Refocusing. (p. 493). Canada: UBC Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.my/books?id=bxO38D-I1UoC&pg=PA231&dq=selubung&hl=en&ei=2GvBTomVPM3JrAfh_tHJAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg
