When I got the invitation for the screening of Darah Garuda, I could not help but ask this question:

“Would the film fall as flat as its predecessor? Or would it be better?”

A year ago, US producer Rob Allyn brought to the screen the struggle of a few young Indonesian freedom fighters who defended their country’s independence in a war movie titled Merah Putih, set in 1947, when the resistance movement fought the incursion of returning Dutch troops.

The first film was directed by Yadi Sugandi (who previously helmed films like Laskar Pelangi [Rainbow Warrior], Under the Tree and The Photograph). Merah Putih was an introduction to the characters who made transition from young men to become grown-ups who tried to make bonds regardless of differences in religion, ethnicity, class and culture.

This time around Yadi teams up with Allyn to direct Darah Garuda, in an apparent movie to rectify some of shortcomings from the first movie.

Those who saw Merah Putih know that the film drags on and it takes time for the characters to develop.

The sequel provides a fast-paced plot and thrilling action with more twists. While the first film delves on characters and personality, Darah Garuda focuses on the characters’ heroic battle.

This sequel picks up where the first movie left off, focusing on the adventure of a band of brave young cadets, comprising of Amir, a former teacher and devout Javanese Muslim (Lukman Sardi); high-tempered Tomas (Donny Alamsyah), a native of Sulawesi who wants to take revenge on Dutch soldiers who murdered his family; Marius (Darius Sinathrya), a Eurasian ladies man; and a young Balinese Dayan (T. Rifnu Wikana).

The film opens with the four characters breaking into a Dutch internment camp to rescue women they love — Senja (Rahayu Saraswati), Tomas’ love interest who loses her brother in a battle against the Dutch soldiers; and Amir’s pregnant wife Melati (Astri Nurdin).

The fighters work together with soldiers from Gen. Sudirman’s battalion who received an order to launch a strike against a new airstrip controlled by the Dutch, in the hopes that it could help stave off the soldiers of the ruthless Gen. van Mook.

On the way, they meet new challenges, from building an alliance with new band of fighters, clashing with a band of Islamist separatists and coming face to face with an old enemy who is now in charge of Dutch intelligence.

Darah Garuda also features new casts of characters who drop by for cameo performances. Among actors who made brief appearance in the film are Atiqah Hasiholan as a traumatized courtesan named Lastri, Alex Komang as the leader of the Islamist guerrilla group, Ario Bayu as tough guerrilla Sgt. Yanto, Rudy Wowor as the Dutch rogue soldier van Gaartner and newcomer Aldy Zulfikar as the child soldier Budi.
One of the most memorable scenes in the film is when the wounded Dayan is captured and interrogated by van Gaartner in a dingy room, followed with a torture carried out by van Gaartner’s ruthless henchman, de Graaf.

Both Rudy Wowor and T. Rifnu Wikana do a remarkable job in some of emotional and bloody scenes, reconstructing the brutality of the Dutch troops and this part is where the film scores its highest point.

The two directors also take pains to do the battle scenes, where a string of rapid-fire machine-gun blasts, massive explosions is portrayed realistically. The directors also add a little bit of romance and mild humor, which remind us of typical Hollywood action flicks.

This Hollywood flavor colors much of the film simply because for Darah Garuda, producers hired special effects and technical experts from Hollywood, including special effects coordinator Adam Howarth (Saving Private Ryan, Blackhawk Down), key armorer John Bowring (The Thin Red Line, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), make-up and visual effects artist Conor O’Sullivan (The Dark Night, Saving Private Ryan) who was nominated for the Academy Award, and stunt coordinator Scott McLean (The Matrix, TV series The Pacific).

These foreign talents are supported by reputable local crew including film editor Sastha Sunu and music director Thoersi Argeswara.

The trilogy was inspired by the true story of young cadets killed in Lengkong, West Java. The film is also a tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the fight for independence between 1945 and 1948.

The idea of the trilogy first came out when Allyn, visiting his best friend, Hasyim Djojohadikusumo, saw two old photos of soldiers on the wall and asked him about it. Those were the portraits of Hasyim’s uncles, First Lt. R.M. Subianto Djojohadikusumo and Cadet R.M. Sujono Djojohadikusumo, who were killed in the Lengkong battle in 1946.

Meantime, the trilogy is aimed at encouraging Indonesia, especially its young generation, to love the country, as well as telling Indonesia’s history to the world.

In the end, we concluded that Darah Garuda, set to be released on Sept. 8, was a solid film in its own right and had kept us on our seats with its thrilling scenes.

Verdict: A thrilling war film, which offers more action sequences, dramatic moments and is full of machine-gun blasts.   

Darah Garuda (Blood of Eagles)

(110 minutes, Margate House Films and PT Media Desa Indonesia)
Starring: Donny Alamsyah, T. Rifnu Wikana, Lukman Sardi, Darius Sinathrya,
Rudy Wowor, Rahayu Saraswati, Astri Nurdin, Atiqah Hasiholan
Directors: Yadi Sugandi, Conor Allyn
Writers: Conor Allyn, Rob Allyn
Producer: Conor Allyn

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