Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts

Last updated

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts.jpg
Teaser poster
Marlina Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak
Directed by Mouly Surya
Screenplay by
Story by Garin Nugroho
Produced by
  • Fauzan Zidni
  • Rama Adi
Starring
  • Marsha Timothy
  • Yoga Pratama
  • Egi Fedly
  • Dea Panendra
CinematographyYunus Pasolang
Edited byKelvin Nugroho
Music by
Production
companies
Cinesurya
Kaninga Pictures
Purin Pictures
Shasha & Co Production
Astro Shaw
Hooq
Distributed byWeird Wave (Greece)
Pandora (Japan)
Periscoop Film (Netherlands)
Icarus Films (US)
Kimstim Films (US)
Release dates
  • 24 May 2017 (2017-05-24)(Cannes)
  • 16 November 2017 (2017-11-16)(Indonesia)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryIndonesia
LanguageIndonesian
Box office$23,564 [1]

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (Indonesian : Marlina Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak) is a 2017 Indonesian thriller film directed by Mouly Surya based on a story conceived by Garin Nugroho and a screenplay co-written by Surya and Rama Adi. The film's Western style, its feminist tone, and rural Indonesian setting led to the term "satay Western" being coined following its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

At the 38th Citra Awards, the film won 10 awards out of 15 nominations, breaking the records for most wins and nominations at Indonesia's top film awards previously held by Teguh Karya's 1986 film Ibunda with 9 awards out of 10 nominations at the 17th Citra Awards. [5] It was also selected as the Indonesian official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, but failed to secure a nomination. [6] [7]

Plot

In the first act, The Robbery, the film opens on the island of Sumba with Marlina grieving her late husband. A group of seven men, led by the aged Markus, arrive at her house intent on robbing Marlina of her livestock and raping her. They demand to be fed dinner, and she takes the opportunity to poison most of the robbers with chicken soup and decapitate Markus. She burns Markus' musical instrument, a jungga.

In the second act, The Journey, she hitches a ride on the local bus where she encounters the pregnant Novi, on the way to find her jealous husband Umbu before she delivers. They are joined by an old woman with a dowry payment of two horses on the way to her nephew's wedding. Along the way, two of the other robbers (including Franz) discover the deaths and chase after Marlina. They hijack the bus, but Marlina escapes with one of the horses. Along the way, Marlina is haunted by a headless apparition playing the jungga.

In the third act, The Confession, she arrives at the local police station and delivers a report of the robbery, rape, and her self-defense. The police accept the report but insist that they can't proceed for at least a month while they wait for funds to purchase rape test equipment. Marlina bonds with a young girl in a local warung.

In the fourth act, The Birth, Novi finally finds Umbu. He, believing that a breech baby is a sign of infidelity, hits her and leaves her to be found by Franz, who threatens her into luring Marlina back to the house. The three meet at the house, and Novi's water breaks. She considers killing Franz, but takes pity on him. Franz reunites the head of Markus with his corpse and places him beside Marlina's mummified husband. While Novi cooks chicken soup for him under duress, he rapes Marlina and Novi decapitates him. She then gives birth. Marlina and Novi leave the house in the morning together with the child.

Cast

Production

Development

While serving in the jury panel of the 34th Citra Awards in 2014, Garin Nugroho approached Surya at a screening with the story treatment he had for the film. [8] Nugroho felt that the film would be better in the hands of a woman director due to its subject matter and because he felt like he had nothing new to add to it. [8]

According to Nugroho, the basic premise of the story is inspired by true events he witnessed firsthand while visiting Sumba in 1986 and 2004. [9] Surya's collaborator and husband Rama Adi was immediately attracted to the story, but Surya took some time to figure out how she would make the film, as the rural setting is a departure from the urban settings of Jakarta she used in Fiksi. and What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love. [8] [10]

The film was co-produced by studios from different countries: Surya's own Cinesurya, Kaninga Pictures and Purin Pictures (Thailand), Sasha & Co Production (France), Astro Shaw (Malaysia), and HOOQ (Singapore). [11]

Filming

The film was shot in late 2016 with exterior shots taken on location in Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara and interior shots on a set built by the film's crew in Jakarta. [12] [13] The cast spent two months studying native Sumba language. [14]

Surya acknowledged that she was inspired by the Western film genre and found inspiration from Google Images of Sumba island during the dry season, which resembles the typical background of a Western film. [8]

Release

The film made history as only the fourth Indonesian film ever to make the official selection of Cannes Film Festival following Eros Djarot's Tjoet Nja' Dhien and Garin Nugroho's Leaf on a Pillow in 1998 as well as Nugroho's Serambi in 2006. [15] It competed in the Directors' Fortnight section, but lost to Chloé Zhao's The Rider . [16]

Following an early festival run that included the Toronto International Film Festival, AFI Fest, and Golden Horse Film Festival, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts was released theatrically in Indonesia on 16 November 2017. [17] The following year, it was also shown in theaters in some other countries, including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Greece, Japan, and the United States. [18] [19]

Reception

Box office

By the end of its domestic theatrical run, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts recorded 154 thousand admissions, making it Surya's most commercially successful project to date. [12] In the United States, the film grossed $17,788 for an estimated worldwide total of $26,331. [20]

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% from 44 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Subversive, gorgeously shot, and suitably visceral, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts injects timely feminist themes into a neo-western grindhouse framework." [21] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 from 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [22]

Variety's Maggie Lee gave the film a glowing review, praising Surya's ability to "build nail-biting tension" and ending the film with a climax that "rivals any of [Quentin] Tarantino's high concept violence". [23] Lee coined the term "satay Western" to describe the film's Western style but told from a female perspective while incorporating Indonesia's traditional values and setting. [23] The term has since been used in multiple media coverage of the film. [24] [25] [26] Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times praised the film for "eschew[ing] excess gore and mayhem, largely making its points in more subtly incisive ways. [27]

In a 3-star review, Godfrey Cheshire of RogerEbert.com singled out the film's "confident eloquence of the staging, framing and editing" and noted that "the story is essentially a revenge fantasy like many another, but its feminist slant never feels rhetorical or heavy-handed. The whole thing is handled with sly wit as well as unfailing stylistic smarts, which makes for a very satisfying package." [28] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called the film "an unwavering slow burn" and praised Surya who "smartly foregrounds all that comeliness and every so often folds in a long shot that turns the characters into doll-like figures, a downsizing that gestures toward a nature vs. culture dynamic." [29] Writing for The Jakarta Post, Stanley Widianto called the film "one hell of a ride" while noting its inspired take on the "spaghetti western trope". [30]

Accolades

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joko Anwar</span> Indonesian filmmaker and actor

Joko Anwar is an Indonesian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, he worked as a journalist and film critic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SCTV (TV network)</span> Indonesian television network

Surya Citra Televisi (SCTV) is an Indonesian free-to-air television network. It was launched on 24 August 1990 in Surabaya, East Java as Surabaya Centra Televisi, broadcasting to the city and its surrounding area. At first, the programming was similar to that of RCTI, broadcasting foreign shows and some of RCTI news programs until they could produce their own. On 30 January 1993, SCTV obtained a national license and eventually moved its operations to Jakarta marks the end of 3 years affiliations with RCTI from Jakarta, changing its name to Surya Citra Televisi. Its main offices are located in Central Jakarta, with studios in West Jakarta. It is owned by Surya Citra Media, a publicly-listed subsidiary of the technology company Emtek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garin Nugroho</span> Indonesian film director

Garin Nugroho Riyanto is an Indonesian film director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Sumba Regency</span> Regency in Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

East Sumba Regency is geographically the largest of the four regencies which divide the island of Sumba, within East Nusa Tenggara Province of Indonesia. It occupies 64% of the entire island, being much less densely populated than the western third. The town of Waingapu is the capital of East Sumba Regency. The population of East Sumba Regency was 227,732 at the 2010 Census and 244,820 at the 2020 Census, comprising 125,967 male and 118,853 female; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 248,776.

The Citra Award for Best Picture is an award given at the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) to the best feature film of the year. The Citra Awards, described by Screen International as "Indonesia's equivalent to the Oscars", are the country's most prestigious film awards and are intended to recognize achievements in films as well as to draw public interest to the film industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ifa Isfansyah</span> Indonesian film director (born 1979)

Ifa Isfansyah is an Indonesian film director. Initially a maker of short films, his first featured film, Garuda di Dadaku, was released in 2009. His following film, Sang Penari, won four Citra Awards at the 2011 Indonesian Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adipati Dolken</span> Indonesian actor

Adipati Koesmadji or better known as Adipati Dolken is an Indonesian actor and model of mixed German and Javanese descent.

The Citra Award for Best Director is an award given at the annual Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) to Indonesian film directors in recognition for their achievement in the previous year. The Citra Awards, described by Screen International as "Indonesia's equivalent to the Oscars", are the country's most prestigious film awards and are intended to recognize achievements in films as well as to draw public interest to the film industry.

The Citra Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given at the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) to Indonesian actresses for their achievements in a supporting role. The Citra Awards, described by Screen International as "Indonesia's equivalent to the Oscars", are the country's most prestigious film awards and are intended to recognize achievements in films as well as to draw public interest to the film industry.

Surya Saputra is an Indonesian actor, singer, and model. He is the husband of Indonesian actress and singer, Cynthia Lamusu. He is also a former member of the Indonesian pop group Cool Colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mouly Surya</span> Indonesian director and screenwriter

Mouly Surya is an Indonesian film director and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jihane Almira Chedid</span> Indonesian Peoples Consultative Assembly Ambassador, actress, model

Jihane Almira Chedid is an Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly Ambassador, actress, fashion model and beauty pageant titleholder who won the title of Puteri Indonesia Pariwisata 2020. She is known for her work in advocating for #ActYourThoughts orphanage programs. Chedid is the first delegate from Central Java to ever be crowned Puteri Indonesia Pariwisata. She represented Indonesia at the Miss Supranational 2021 pageant held in Poland, where she get crowned Miss Supranational Asia 2021, also won Best National Costume and Miss Supra Fan-Vote award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwin (director)</span> Indonesian filmmaker

Edwin is an Indonesian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He has won a total of four Citra Awards: Best Short Film for Kara, Anak Sebatang Pohon (2005), Best Director for Posesif (2017), as well as Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (2022). His feature film debut Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly (2008) earned critical acclaim and won several international festival awards. In 2012, Edwin received the Edward Yang New Talent Award at the 6th Asian Film Awards.

The 40th Citra Awards, presented by Indonesian Film Board and Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, honored the achievement in Indonesian cinema released from 1 October 2019 to 15 March 2020 screened at the theatres or direct to streaming platforms. The ceremony was held on 5 December 2020 at the Assembly Hall, Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, Indonesia, and presented by actors Chicco Jerikho, Laura Basuki, Reza Rahadian and Tissa Biani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yayu Unru</span> Indonesian actor (1962–2023)

Andi Wahyuddin Unru, better known as Yayu Unru, was an Indonesian actor and acting coach.

The Seen and Unseen is a 2017 drama film directed and written by Kamila Andini.

The 38th Citra Awards honored the achievement in Indonesian cinema released from 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2018. The ceremony was held on 9 December 2018 at the Teater Besar Ismail Marzuki Park, Jakarta, Indonesia, and presented by journalist Rory Asyari and actress Maudy Koesnaedi.

References

  1. ↑ "Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. 1 July 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  2. ↑ Lee, Maggie (26 May 2017). "Film Review: 'Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts'". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  3. ↑ "Fortnight 2017: The 49th Directors' Fortnight Selection". Directors' Fortnight. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  4. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (19 April 2016). "Cannes: Juliette Binoche-Gerard Depardieu Drama to Kick Off Directors Fortnight". Variety . Penske Business Media . Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Priherdityo, Endro. "'Marlina', Jawara Umum Piala Citra FFI 2018". hiburan (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  6. ↑ "Film 'Marlina' Wakili Indonesia di Oscar 2019". CNN Indonesia. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Frater, Patrick (18 September 2018). "Oscars: Indonesia Selects 'Marlina The Murderer' in Foreign-Language Category". Variety . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "One-on-One #2: Mouly Surya - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  9. ↑ Liputan6.com (11 December 2018). "3 Cerita di Balik Syuting Film Marlina Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ "Film Marlina, Si Pembunuh Dalam Empat Babak Butuh Waktu 3 Tahun untuk Produksi". Tribun Jogja (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "'Marlina si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak' Dapat Dukungan dari Bekraf". kumparan (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  12. 1 2 Indonesia, C. N. N. "Mouly Surya Puas dengan Capaian Komersil 'Marlina'". hiburan (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Di Balik Layar: Memerankan Marlina , retrieved 7 February 2021
  14. ↑ Rahman, Vanny El. "4 Fakta Menarik di Film Marlina Si Pembunuh Dalam Empat Babak". IDN Times (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  15. ↑ "Indonesia's "Marlina" Debuts at Cannes". Prestige Online - Indonesia. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  16. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (26 May 2017). "Chloe Zhao's 'The Rider' Lassos Top Directors' Fortnight Prize – Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  17. ↑ antaranews.com (9 November 2017). ""Marlina" tayang di bioskop Indonesia mulai 16 November". Antara News. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  18. ↑ "Bikin Bangga! Film Marlina si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak Segera Tayang di 2 Negara Eropa Ini!". TribunStyle.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  19. ↑ antaranews.com (22 June 2018). "Film Marlina tayang di Amerika Serikat". Antara News. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts - Production & Contact Info | IMDbPro". pro.imdb.com. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  22. ↑ "Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  23. 1 2 Lee, Maggie (26 May 2017). "Film Review: 'Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts'". Variety. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "Satay Western 'Marlina the Murderer' to Represent Indonesia at the Oscars". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  25. ↑ "JPNN". www.jpnn.com (in Indonesian). 26 September 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  26. ↑ Saraswati, Dyah Paramita. "Mengulik Genre Satay Western di 'Marlina si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak'". detikhot (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  27. ↑ "Review: Episodic Indonesian thriller 'Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts' simmers and bedevils". Los Angeles Times. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  28. ↑ Cheshire, Godfrey. "Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts movie review (2018) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  29. ↑ Dargis, Manohla (21 June 2018). "Review: Vengeance Is Hers in 'Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts' (Published 2018)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  30. ↑ Widianto, Stanley (18 November 2017). "Marlina Unnerving, and all around glorious". The Jakarta Post . Retrieved 4 July 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.