In 2008, a box office miracle not seen since the phenomenal success of Ada Apa Dengan Cinta resurrected the local film industry in 2002 happened in Indonesia. Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Soldiers), an education-themed family film based on the novel by Andrea Hirata and made by the same production team behind Ada Apa Dengan Cinta filled cinemas and caused lines to form for months. By the end of its theatrical run, Laskar Pelangi has amassed a record 4.6 million audience. The film was well received enough to be submitted as Indonesia's official entry to Academy Award category for best foreign film 2008 as well as the official selection of Berlin Film Festival 2009. Thankfully, the film lives up to the hype. Despite the occasional preachiness and the near-propaganda ending, this heartwarming, sincere pro-education parable is one of the best indonesian films ever made this decade.
Laskar Pelangi opens in 1999 with Ikal (played by Lukman Sardi) reminiscing about his childhood as he returns to his hometown in Belitung, Indonesia. In the 1970s, Belitung is a thriving Tin Mining town and Ikal (child played by Zulfanny) is sent to a free local muslim elementary school, SD Muhamaddiyah. On the first day, the school already runs into trouble as it's one short of the required 10 minimum pupils for the school to function until one arrives at the last minute. This is the first among many difficulties that would continuously threaten the school's existence for 6 years of the 10 kids' education, the least of which include lack of money and resources, competition from better local schools. Nevertheless, under the guidance of their caring teacher Bu Muslimah (Cut Mini) and principal Pak Harfan (Ikranegara), the 10 kids (who call themselves "Laskar Pelangi"), including the smart Lintang (Ferdian) and the artistic Mahar (Veris Yamarno) persevere to complete their education and, along the way, winning contests and respect from their peers.
It's easy to see why Riri Riza (Gie, 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya) is considered to be one of the best working film director in Indonesia. By casting local Belitung kids in the "Laskar Pelangi" roles and having all cast members speak in local belitung dialects as well as shooting on location in Belitung, this film ensures authenticity in an industry that rarely values it. The decision to shoot on location in Belitung also pays off in spades as it becomes a rare indonesian film to be set outside of the capital city Jakarta. Furthermore, by using natural filming style that recalls Abbas Kiarostamis' films, we get to see some rare, beautiful sights of indonesia: sandy beaches, cliffs, coconut trees, muddy pathways, villages and factories that give a peek at a working class life. The cast is also bolstered by who's who in Indonesian acting including Tora Sudiro, Lukman Sardi, Matthias Muchus, Alex Komang and Ario Bayu in supporting roles. But perhaps the biggest surprise have to go to Cut Mini who gives a career defining performance as the kind hearted Muslimah. Sporting a Belitung accent, it's hard to believe that this is the same actress who played a frustrated Jakarta career woman 6 years ago in Arisan. So successful is she that she's now reprising the character for free education PSAs playing on Indonesian televisions right now.
The biggest challenge this film faces is maintaining the balance between promoting its pro-education agenda and telling a good story. On the surface, having the kind of story about poor kids struggling to keep their education alive invites temptation for sermonizing and blatant emotional manipulation but credits to Riri Riza and the writers for being smart enough to let the good story do its job despite the occasional but perhaps obligatory preachiness. However, in a regrettable moment towards the end, even the filmmakers cannot restrain themselves enough from loudly proclaiming their message and it almost ruins the movie. At the end of the movie, one important character suffers from a tragic fate that forces him to quit school entirely, and it is immediately followed by Ikal's voiceover saying something "it's too bad a child like ... cannot finish study in this country". That moment of a political advertisement takes the audience out of the story and if there's a big weakness in the movie, that is it.
Laskar Pelangi's is successful enough to warrant a sequel, also based on the sequel novel called "Sang Pemimpi" (The Dreamer), made by the same people behind this film to be released end of this year. While it is hoped that the sequel will be just as good and successful against its now high expectation, there's also a danger that this series (there are 4 books in the Laskar Pelangi series) would turn into another Hollywood style franchise where the films get worse progressively (It is also hoped that films won't get more and more preachy). Let's hope for the sake of the developing local film industry and Riri Riza's talent that the rest of the films will remain just as good as the film that has started it.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Laskar Pelangi
A Miles Film and Mizan Productions Production
Cast: Cut Mini, Ikranegara, Zulfanny, Ferdian, Verus Yamarno, with Lukman Sardi, Tora Sudiro, Slamet Rahardjo, Matthias Muchus, Alex Komang and Ario Bayu
Directed By: Riri Riza
Written By: Salman Aristo and Riri Riza & Mira Lesmana based on the novel by Andrea Hirata
PS: Kudos to the people in Jive Entertainment for making a high quality DVD worthy for this film. The quality of the film's official DVD matches the quality of DVDs produced in Hollywood and overseas with good video quality with colourful and comprehensive extra features. Indonesia's film industry have been making make poor official DVDs for too long and while that's ok for the majority of the crappy indonesian films, some good films like Joko Anwar's Kala get the short end of the stick because of this. That's why it's good to see that the industry is capable of giving a good film the dvd treatment it deserves.
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