The story line of Selubung is regarding on the year of 1969. Mastura and E.J., the both best friend are studying abroad at Perth, Australia. Unfortunately, E.J. has choose the different path from Mastura which she choose to follow Brother Musa and stop her studies. Mastura feels sad because of E.J.'s decision, but Mas still support E.J.'s decision. After Mas graduated, she is helping RESCAID to work as a volunteer while she also working in TCT company.
Kamal is Mas's manager and trying his best to help Mas in RESCAID work. Then, both Kamal and Mas fall in love to each other and the development of their relationship starts. There are a lot of problems facing by RESCAID and Mas get hurt by an explosion at RESCAID office lift. Mas get hurt badly and become comma. Kamal feels sad and always accompany beside Mas until she wakes up.
Analyze of the film
In this film, viewers could obviously know that Shuhaimi Baba's is focusing and reveal on the real society situation during 1969. During 1970's, Islamic revivalism occurred in Malaysia due to Islam is the official religion in Malaysia. Government is promoting Islam as the main religious during that time. Although, base on the 1957 Constitution of Independence, Islam is the religion of Federal Constitution and Sultans will be the head of religion in their own states. (Yousif, 1998)
During that time, National Cultural Policy (1971-1990) have provide Malays to studying abroad because "most of the Malays were on government scholarship. The large number of Malaysians studying abroad which shows that Malaysia was investing more per student in overseas institutions than in local university." (Sivalingam, 2006) So, the second scenes of the film was the setting at Perth, Australia where Mas and friends are studying at there.
This shows that after the Malaysia Independence, there are Islam or Muslim followers in the country. From the first scene, viewers could know that the Malay children are all wearing Baju Kurung, Baju Melayu and Songkok. Through their dressing, this shows the post-islamic culture of the people in the kampung. In the film, there are few only scenes that showing Mas is wearing Baju Kurung and Tudung when she located at mosque and kampung. This shows that she is believing in Islam and showing the respect to the religion. Due to she has studied abroad in Western country, she still behaving the modernity of feminism.
In Shuhaimi Baba's film has focus in second portrayal of femininity. The second portrayal different from the first portrayal of femininity is there are no sexuality desires portray on the female character in the film. The second portrayal still portray female as the modernity, independent and high educated. For example, in Selubung, Mas is being portrayed as the modernity female which through her dressing, standing, studing in Australia, important role in the company which could having meeting together with all the males and leader of RESCAID.
Although from a lot of aspects showing that Mas is a strong women, but she still needs love from man. Masculinity also plays an important role in the film because no matter how strong is the female, at the end she still needs real love. This is also one of the purpose of second portrayal of femininity which Shuhaimi Baba wanted to simplify the femininity status from the first portrayal which could engage to all the viewers with no offence.
In the film, E.J. is Mas's best friend, but she was being portrayed the totally opposite personality from Mas. The first scene E.J. appeared on the screen still showing she is modernity through her dressing and hairstyle in the dark room when they are watching the television. After that, E.J. always wearing Baju Kurung and Tudung on the second scene when she wanted to go to listen to Brother Musa's talk. She was attracted by Brother Musa and this showing that E.J. also fulfill the second portrayal of femininity. It represents that the full of modernity female will be dependent to the male when she get attracted by him.
The relationship of E.J. and Brother Musa also involved the local and global tensions in Islam religion. Shuhaimi Baba reveal the film's strong proclivity towards secularism while showcasing the example of dakwah. In the past, dakwah movement grew in university or colleges during early 1970s. (Khoo, 2006) This would be a sensitive content to include into the film.
The ending shows the success of RESCAID and could get the support from the government to help children in the Middle East. After the scene, the previous of Mas and Kamal were occurred again and it leave an open ending for the audiences to think about it.
In conclusion, there is no like or dislike part from this film because this is the director's style that she used to portray in this film. I would say, the story is interesting.
References
Heide, W. van. der. (2002) Malaysian Cinema, Asian Film
Khoo. G, C. (2006) Reclaiming Adat : contemporary Malaysian film and literature.
Islam and Modernity. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2011, from http://www.ibaradio.org/Islam/living_islam/LID.htm
Sivalingam, G. (2006) Privatization Of Higher Education In Malaysia. Unpublished Thesis. Monash University Malaysia.
Yousif. A, F. (1998) Islamic Revivalism and Non-Muslims, in Religious Freedom, Minorities, and Islam: An Inquiry into the Malaysian Experience, 159-88.
By,
Tay Jia Wen
0901625
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