WRITING a biography on important people is no easy task, what more turning one into a movie.
However, local filmmaker and thespian Syamsul Yusof took a bold move in recreating the struggles of one of Malaysia’s most renowned historical figures with Mat Kilau – Kebangkitan Pahlawan.
If most Malaysians remember their country’s history, they should be able to recall the mentioning of this namesake in their school textbooks.
According to records, Mat Kilau was a Malay warrior who defied British colonisers in Pahang during the mid-1800s.
He was celebrated for his courage and leadership in preserving the honour of the Malays despite the odds presented by the English invaders.
Mat Kilau was also renowned for his excellent mastery of Pencak Silat, the traditional form of Malay martial arts which is heavily depicted in this local masterpiece.
In fact, a great deal of the movie is dedicated to these scenes, portraying the amazing combat skills of Mat Kilau and his faithful comrades in action.
It is also these visual bits that created quite a stir among local filmgoers, as the action clips were used as the main anchors of the film’s promotional trailers prior to its launch.
With great semblances to that of kung fu blockbusters of the oriental east, one can’t help but wonder if those Hong Kong hits were Syamsul’s main points of reference when recreating his interpretation of this epic-like Mat Kilau.
Yes, do take note that this is a rather dramatised interpretation of the Malay hero, in accordance with Syamsul’s filmmaker visors.
However, the producers of the show stressed that the storyline was based on actual historical events, right down to the various characters portrayed in the tale.
Discounting the actor who played Captain Syers (who could not pull off a convincing British accent at all), the rest of the cast members gave an excellent performance in delivering their roles.
From the very start of the movie, local powerhouses like Elly Suriati, Johan Asari and a slew of other big names captivated the audience with their innate passion for acting.
But acting skills aside, like most Malaysian movies, Mat Kilau still has a lot of room for improvement.
As financial prowess plays a major role in any kind of product, this film could have done much better if more investment was placed on certain aspects of the production.
This budget constraint slowly creeps in once viewers notice little questionable details in the film.
This includes the fact that every single British soldier in the movie (minus the unconvincing Captain Syers) is portrayed to be of Indian descent.
Though we are aware that India was a great British colony, and many Indians then were engaged as soldiers by the empire, it seems quite strange that there were no other Caucasian soldiers seen in the movie!
Evidently, ‘white’ actors cost a lot more than your average Malaysian ‘extra’, but I guess the producers worked with what they have.
Despite these minor setbacks, Mat Kilau is still worth watching, and something Malaysians should be proud of.
Likening it to famous epic kung fu flicks is already a huge compliment, taking it to another level of production.
And though the lead role of Mat Kilau is played by dashing Singaporean star Adi Putra (and not a more familiar Malaysian actor), he certainly lived up to the character, giving it the soul it required for the screen.
This was further enforced by very convincing performances from Fattah Amin and Beto Kusyairy who played the roles of Awang and Wahid, two of Mat Kilau’s most trusted compatriots.
With a huge chunk of well-choreographed action, soulful acting, and a historical storyline to boot, Mat Kilau is proof that there is still hope for the local film industry.
And if the late Mat Kilau was still alive to see this dramatic interpretation of his bloody struggle in defending his nation, I would like to believe that he should be extremely proud.
Mat Kilau is screening in all local cinemas. – The Vibes, June 24, 2022
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