Film Journal- Abang

Synopsis

The story line of Abang is referring to the relationship between family. Fuad is the eldest son and following with Faizal, Farid and Dila in Datuk Din's family. Fuad has leaving away from the family for 10 years. One day, Datuk Din received a telegram from London, saying that Fuad will be coming back to Malaysia soon. Datuk Din, Faizal and Farid are unhappy after knowing that Fuad is coming back soon.

10 years ago, Mona is Fuad's ex-lover. After Fuad leaves, she has married to Fuad's brother, Faizal. Mona starts to worry after she knows that Fuad is coming back from London. When Fuad return to Malaysia, he starts to work in his father's company. Then, Fuad has did a lot of things for his family. He has educate his brother and stop Farid from doing action of breaking the law.

Fuad has asks Mona to forgive him because of leaving her alone 10 years ago. He feels sorry to Mona because he still loves her but he has no ability to take care of her anymore. In addition, Fuad also transferred all his assets to Mona. Fuad knows that he has no much time left because of his sickness. He trying to complete all the tasks that he wish to do before he left the world.

Review

The part that I like from the film is Faud showing his love towards his family, loved ones, and people who around him. Faud is trying to giving out his help to everyone who is around him. This also shows that, Faud is trying to do everything that he could before he leaving from the world. He did not tells his family members about his is ill because he did not want his family to worry and feel sad for him. Faud left Malaysia for 10 years to get leukemia treatment at London, but when he knows that the treatment is not longer effective for him, he decided to come back to his home.

The clothing and setting also the part that I impressed a lot. Without watching this film, I would not know that actually the modernity of Malays culture in Malaysia. The pre-islamic culture was still emphasized in this film. Clothing of every actors in the film are more on western culture. There are some Baju Kebaya, Sarung, Songkok are still wearing by some actors who did not get influence by the Western culture. The setting like the office and Datuk Din's house are also following the Western culture. For example, crystal light on top of Datuk Din's living room.

The part that I dislike is Mona's acting. I would say that her acting is too over and draggy. From the viewers' perception, I will feel bored and distract by Mona's crying scenes because she has chosen Faizal to become her husband but she still could not forget about Faud. Mona is the important role in the film, but her scenes are always crying and did not shows the important of Mona to Faud. This is because Faud still could playing around at the village without thinking of Mona.

In Abang film by Rahim Razali, the concept is regarding on the hybridity of Malaysian during that time. Hybridity is means the idea, concept or themes of ones are being learn, adapt and practice by the other ones. The hybridity that we could found in this film were the culture, language, clothing and more. Viewers could know Abang is also reflecting the upper class level of Malays in Malaysia through Datuk Din's family. They owned big house, cars, office, business and so on. The most important thing is all the children have been sent to overseas for better education.

The hybrid language also occurred in this film, because all the actors are trying to use English words like I, Hello, and Bye in the conversation. Due to during that time, many Malaysians were being sent to overseas for better education and they already adapted the foreign culture. Then, they already used to it and cause them to speak in mixed language between Malay and English language. I would say this also symbolized their status in the society, because this represent they have the ability to study at overseas as well while not everyone could afford for it.

Although the culture and language are being influence by foreign culture, but the only believe that did not get influence is religious. Malays in Malaysia are still holding the Islam religion. In Abang film, viewer could know that Fuad is believing strongly in Islam, and he even used the religion to educate Farid to ensure Farid did not forget his root. When Fuad went back to his village, he also went to mosque to pray with all the other prayers and donate money to the community. Foreign cultural elements which do not contradict with the cores value of Islam culture are encouraged to be accomodated. (Siti Zanariah, 2011) Malays still following their cores value of Islam and did not get influence by foreign culture or religious.

Lastly, the director Rahim Razali had also used the multiracial actors in the film. Viewer could get to see Chinese actors acting as audiences in the film when Dila is singing on the stage. Multiracial society is the uniqueness of Malaysia culture and with multiracial. People from different races are trying to adapt each other culture, in order to live peacefully in the same country. Malaysians actually have used to multiracial people living in around each other.

References

Siti Zanariah, A. I. (2011). Culture Hybridity: Adapting and Filtering Popular Culture In Malaysian Television Programmes, 13(1), 1-14.