THERE'S no mistaking that Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan (Mat Kilau: Rise of the Warrior) is a phenomenon, becoming the highest-grossing Malaysian film of all time in less than two weeks. Of course, hitting that level of success has inspired both a backlash to the movie by critics, and a backlash to the backlash by its defenders.
Fenomena #MatKilau! ???
— GSC x Mat Kilau ?? (@GSCinemas) July 12, 2022
Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan adalah filem #1 di Malaysia selama 3 minggu berturut-turut, dan telah mengutip lebih RM71 juta box office dalam & luar negara!
Congratulations Syamsul Yusof & Studio Kembara! Thank you Malaysia! ?? pic.twitter.com/BPac0nHF9n
This discourse is not surprising given how racially and politically polarised Malaysia can get, especially considering how Mat Kilau interweaves a historical setting and conflict (though fictionalised) with themes of Malay supremacy and religious purity, while just about every other ethnic group are either nonexistent or complicit in the British subjugation of Malaysia.
Now, of course, a movie does not have to be all things to all people, if director Syamsul Yusof wants to tell the story of Malay defiance in the face of colonialism, it is his right to do so. In fact, one of the very first things audiences in the cinema are shown is a disclaimer that while the character of Mat Kilau is real, the events of the movie are fictional in nature.
But if Sikh groups are offended by the depiction of their people in the movie, that is also their right. While it is unquestionably true that the British employed ethnic groups like the Sikhs as troops in their empire, Sikhs did not commit the acts that are explicitly depicted in Mat Kilau – they did not gleefully gun down innocents. The movie has them in the role of hapless henchmen to be slaughtered by the dozen at the hands of Malay heroes.
Which underlines the fact that Mat Kilau is not a historical drama, despite its setting, instead it is more of a straightforward action movie with the British colonisers and their puppets – Sikhs, Chinese schemers, mercenaries from Borneo – serving as the villains.
Heroes and villains
In terms of its story, Mat Kilau is very black and white, in fact almost painfully so. It is 1890, and the British are expanding into Pahang to exploit its resources and levy burdensome taxes on the citizens.
They – and the people who help them – are comically evil, while the Malay warriors, as embodied by Mat Kilau are heroic and virtuous, powered by an unshaken love of family, country and religion. They clash a few times, and good triumphs over evil.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with making a movie like this, even if the drama is simplistic and manipulative, with many dialogue scenes repeating the same ideas. Every character is one-dimensional and they have the same conversations that begin and end in the same way – oftentimes shouting most of the time. Themes of Malay supremacy and Islamic ideals are underlined and underlined again.
This is not a subtle movie, and it doesn’t have to be, but for those looking for more than good guys beating bad guys, there’s not much there. At the same time, it is no surprise that it has struck a chord with audiences, especially Malays, because it celebrates traditional values in the face of foreign encroachment.
The blurring of fact and fiction, and the emotions that it spurs among certain audiences is probably what some quarters of society are fearful of. After all, people are not generally swayed by facts, as emotions tend to rule the day. Reducing other ethnicities into stereotypes plays into that.
Watching the Mat Kilau, one can’t help but think of other similarly nationalistic movies from overseas. A common comparison has been Ip Man, the 2008 modern martial arts classic from China, starring the awesome Donnie Yen. Like Mat Kilau, that film tells a highly fictionalised story of a real person. Wrapped up in the cloak of nationalism, Ip Man is also the story of traditional values rising up against a foreign power.
The Japanese in Ip Man are also evil and brutal, though if you read the history of their occupation, this depiction is not far from reality. However, Ip Man is remembered more for its exceptional fight scenes, which Mat Kilau falls short of. The action scenes are pretty exciting and the hits have impact – it’s also pretty bloody, which is a positive – but the annoying shaky cam often gets in the way.
Why Mat Kilau?
Plenty of countries around the world make nationalistic movies about their past that are not entirely accurate – the US makes plenty – so why the furor around this one?
Personally, a lot of it can be boiled down to factors beyond the movie itself. Non-Malays contributed to the fight against the British, then against the Japanese, and after that, they opposed communism, but they don’t feel like they get enough credit in mainstream culture. Meanwhile, the role of Malays is celebrated and highlighted, seemingly to the point of their exclusion.
This is not the fault of the Mat Kilau movie, but its celebration by moviegoing audiences and others means it has become the latest lightning rod for this type of argument. It reflects a continuing unease in a polarised socio-political climate.
The movie itself is a predictable crowd-pleaser. It is predictable in many ways, including how it has captured the attention of audiences who want simple stories of virtuous heroes vanquishing villains. Mat Kilau’s celebration of Malay and Islamic values is a reminder of who the majority are in this country and what they want from their entertainment. – The Vibes, July 14, 2022
.jpg)
