[Review] The Hijra' aka Guru Bangsa Tjokroaminoto film (2015)

Coming to this film, I was expecting another pro-islamic film as I have seen so many times before from an Indonesian and also Malaysian production. Though because knowing this was an Indonesian production, I was expecting something with a very deep meaning through the usage of hadith (collection of saying by Prophet Muhammad) and words from the Quran. Also I was expecting a hard hitting love story between two social classes. 

Aside from the fact that Christine Hakim is in the film, I was expecting this film is going to be a bore and predictable. Since it is a biopic (mostly factual; partly fictional), it would a little bit predictable if I knew the history of Indonesia (which I do not) and if I bother to read the basis of this film before hand. The reality of it is that I came out of of my seat slightly amazed by the sole spirit of a human only by holding faith in his religion.

Guru Bangsa:Tjokroaminoto Working poster (Pic Cred: google) 

Roughly the story is about the beginning of the rise of nationalism in Indonesia after years of being bullied and being under the Dutch rule. The historical figure under the microscope was Raden Hadji Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto (Tjokro). Tjokro was born among the more privileged, but he never forgets about those who had lesser than him. Thus as he grew up under oppression of the lowly ranked pressed Dutch officers, he began to grow and became a figure of which everyone came to love and supported. A little extradite here, he was the late father inlay of Indonesia’s first President Soekarno (whose real name was Kusnoe, which I did not know before). The full synopsis can be read here.

(Vid cred: YouTube)

As I have said earlier, I am not at all familiar with this figure or his history or even the Indonesian history surrounding the time. This movie was set circa late 1880’s to 1930s or 40s. I know little about history of Malaysia circa these time period much less the history of Indonesia. Although I do know that at this was before, during and  after world war 1 (1914-1918), thus a lot of people from the colonised countries such as Nusantara (Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei because we were not known as those countries back then) would lent their soldiers and young men to fight in the war. Though mentioned, they were not directly depicted in this film, which I found a little odd. 

Another thing that was a little challenging for me and I know for a lot of other people especially younger generation (generation X,Y,Z) was the duration of the film. The run time was 161 minutes. That is 19 minutes lack of three (3) hours. THREE hours in the cold barely filled cinema, is not a great place to talk about history. Especially slightly less known history. Through out the film, the main character (Tjokro), I’m my humble opinion, did nothing but talk. He did not actually fight the Dutch nor did he stand up to them at any given time. He is more of a peacemaker. This is true throughout the film except for the beginning where he poured hot tea in a cup until it over flowed and dripped onto the officer’s lap. 

Though maybe this fact was a exaggerated a little because Tjokro keep pressing on the fact that he would not act with unnecessary roughness (tidak mengunakan kekerasan). He is super considerate and all listening to his ‘people’ and he is very much a saint. Yet, other than getting people to trust him, I do not see why is he a very prominent figure in the birth of a nation. Although, I got to know from a friend that he was known as the Javanese King without a Crown (Raja Jawa Tanpa Mahkota) because he would not bow down the like of the Dutch and would stand with his beliefs. 

Other than the fact that this film has an awesome set of casts (as an outsider, I recognise many of the actor/ess in this film), the fact remains that the taste of it was a little bland. The narration was a mix of when Tjokro was imprisoned and flashbacks of the events that led to the imprisonment (which I would say an over use style in narrating a biopic) made the story easy to understand but with out any climax. There were very little spikes in events and also very very little action. The climax and the end almost blended together to the point that if you watch the first half hour and the last 40 minutes, you would probably get much of the story without watching the whole two (2) hours and 41 minutes of the story. 

Although this film is not a total bust. Though it was not his life story that touched me as much as the sub-plots of families and traditions that were highlighted through out the film, which broke me in the first 30 minutes of the film. At one point of the film, Tjokro’s mother in law gave his wife (her daughter) a piece of long ‘batik’. A symbol that might be understood if you have a mother from Nusantara (does not matter if you are from Indonesia or Malaysia or even Brunei) would understand. Basically, one’s mother would give her ‘batik’ to her daughter as a gift which symbolises that she would keep her daughter warm even though she could not be there physically. 

Then there was the fight to make their own language as the mediation language that bridge everyone from the upper class lords and ladies to the lower class merchant and farmers. In which they finally got the such singer to sing in Bahasa Indonesia. Another thing that disappointed me a little was that Tjokro was from Java and naturally he would be speaking in Javanese with most of his people except when he was out of Java. Mostly he speaks in a more neutral non-dialect Bahasa Indonesia even with his wife and kids. I would much love to hear more Javanese in this film. 

Another thing was depicting the man himself, even with the fake moustache, Reza Rahardian was amazing in embedding the character. At least I thought he was. In his walk, the way he talks and the his stature in general tells you that he was born in a more aristocratic family, but his gentleness and his super awesome voice, made him the perfect man, even if he was not portraying the historic figure or Tjokro. 

Well, I had fun watching this film and shedding some of my much needed tear shedding, and even got to meet one of Indonesia favourite prima donna Mrs. Christine Hakim. Her smile and her brightness is far from the character she was playing. That was how awesome of an actress she was. 

All in all I would give this film a six out of 10 (6/10) stars for this film. If not for anything for the awesomeness of Reza Rahardian and Christine Hakim. It was an awesome experience at the Tokyo International Film Festival and just as a disclaimer, I did come to the cinema on my own free will but I did not pay for the movie. I came as a part of an assignment of Co-Festa Ambassador of Malaysia in Japan. The ticket was paid for and the seat, the seat I tell you was awesome. It was a freaking Box seat with leather covers and super extra space and covers for privacy. Privacy of me to sob like a little baby because I miss my mommy and am totally going to sleep with her batik tonight. 

Love and Kisses, 

GWRL

P/S: I took a picture with one of the actress from the film as well.

Me with Christine Hakim