I have no expectation for this film, not only it was based on a popular and best seller book, but I already read the book and understand the story. So I just come for the so called visual ride.
While my friend, who also already read the book, hates the film, she said that many stuff were left out. As for me, I think we cannot compare between books and movie, they are two different stuff. Besides, the director has full liberty to have his own interpretation.
The first day of the opening of SD Muhammadiyah (Primary school withmore slamic education) is a thrill for two highly dedicated teachers, Muslimah (Cut Mini) and Harfan (Ikranagara), together with 9 other students who waited at the desolate and shabby school in Gantong Village, Belitong (an island located in the province of South Sumatera). The school must have 10 students, otherwise it will be closed.
Mind you, Belitong in the 70s is a poor island where kids chose to work as hard labor instead of going to school. As expected, comes the student number 10 and those 10 students were named Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warrior, well perhaps it is not a good translation of the title itself, but I prefer that name since I also like Greenpeace) by Muslimah. Five years with Muslimah, and Harfan the students must face considerable challanges, the unfriendly nature, their shabby class which resembles a goat cage and lots of financial and social problems.
Despite all of the above mentioned problems, some dare to have a dream and take a shot on it, like Ikal (Zulfani), Lintang (Ferdian) and Mahar (Veris Yamarno) with their wit has become the spirit to learn and do more for their school.
This is a very different movie than most Indonesian movies I have seen. No more Jakarta-centrist approach, the kids were Belitong's native and they speak in Belitong accent therefore they acted as naturally as possible. As for the picture, I think the 2.35.1 aspect ratio would do good, since the director took so many long shot, but like many Indonesian movies, they use 16:9 aspect ratio. Unfortunately no sweeping aerial shot to capture the beauty of Belitong.
I personally like this film, about the idea that we have to "give more instead of taking more", that even for the students in a remote village, they had the spirit to be a better person.
If there's any flaw, it is the choice of Tora Sudiro, a famous Indonesian actor, which I found as a distraction since he is famous and the film is suppose to be about a message, not a parade of famous people.
As the credit roll, it remind me that such school still exist in Indonesia, somewhere in the middle of nothing, filled with kids who wanted to study and make the most of it. Well, it is such fact that will provoke people, especially who watched it in the city (lots of teenagers watch this film and I hope that they should be thankful with what they got, stop dreaming of having a hedonistic and shallow pursuits) and if those kids in a remote village can make it they can do it because they had the will and courage.
While my friend, who also already read the book, hates the film, she said that many stuff were left out. As for me, I think we cannot compare between books and movie, they are two different stuff. Besides, the director has full liberty to have his own interpretation.
The first day of the opening of SD Muhammadiyah (Primary school withmore slamic education) is a thrill for two highly dedicated teachers, Muslimah (Cut Mini) and Harfan (Ikranagara), together with 9 other students who waited at the desolate and shabby school in Gantong Village, Belitong (an island located in the province of South Sumatera). The school must have 10 students, otherwise it will be closed.
Mind you, Belitong in the 70s is a poor island where kids chose to work as hard labor instead of going to school. As expected, comes the student number 10 and those 10 students were named Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warrior, well perhaps it is not a good translation of the title itself, but I prefer that name since I also like Greenpeace) by Muslimah. Five years with Muslimah, and Harfan the students must face considerable challanges, the unfriendly nature, their shabby class which resembles a goat cage and lots of financial and social problems.
Despite all of the above mentioned problems, some dare to have a dream and take a shot on it, like Ikal (Zulfani), Lintang (Ferdian) and Mahar (Veris Yamarno) with their wit has become the spirit to learn and do more for their school.
This is a very different movie than most Indonesian movies I have seen. No more Jakarta-centrist approach, the kids were Belitong's native and they speak in Belitong accent therefore they acted as naturally as possible. As for the picture, I think the 2.35.1 aspect ratio would do good, since the director took so many long shot, but like many Indonesian movies, they use 16:9 aspect ratio. Unfortunately no sweeping aerial shot to capture the beauty of Belitong.
I personally like this film, about the idea that we have to "give more instead of taking more", that even for the students in a remote village, they had the spirit to be a better person.
If there's any flaw, it is the choice of Tora Sudiro, a famous Indonesian actor, which I found as a distraction since he is famous and the film is suppose to be about a message, not a parade of famous people.
As the credit roll, it remind me that such school still exist in Indonesia, somewhere in the middle of nothing, filled with kids who wanted to study and make the most of it. Well, it is such fact that will provoke people, especially who watched it in the city (lots of teenagers watch this film and I hope that they should be thankful with what they got, stop dreaming of having a hedonistic and shallow pursuits) and if those kids in a remote village can make it they can do it because they had the will and courage.
