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Mapping out history with the nation's political guru
Orator: Tjokro (Reza Rahadian, middle) makes a speech to the members of SI, in the biopic
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Orator: Tjokro (Reza Rahadian, middle) makes a speech to the members of SI, in the biopic.
In the early 1900s, the Dutch named Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto the 'king without a crown' for his political acumen. His work to defend the rights of local people during colonization made him a respected person.
Under the guidance of master auteur director Garin Nugroho, Tjokroaminoto's journey from 1890 to the 1920s has been recreated in his latest film, Guru Bangsa Tjokroaminoto (The Nation's Teacher: Tjokroaminoto).
The biopic, slated for general release on April 9, begins with a teenaged Tjokro (Kristoffer Nelwan), who is annoyed with the deprivation that persists despite the end of the Dutch's enforced planting system (cultuurstelsel).
His aristocratic status does not make him neglect his surroundings, as he is always ready to help those in need.
After completing school, Tjokro (Reza Rahadian) works at a plantation for a few years but quits and starts to travel in search of betterment, until he and his wife, Suharsikin (Putri Ayudya), move to Surabaya.
In the East Java city, Suharsikin supports his family by making and selling batik, and Tjokro starts to enter politics as a way to improve people's lives.
He joins the Muslim merchant organization Sarekat Dagang Islam and later changes its name to Sarekat Islam (SI) in 1912, so it can also deal with politics and social issues.
The organization grows quickly after Tjokro takes over the leadership in 1914.
His master oration ' and his idea to create a newspaper for every SI regional branch to spread its ideologies ' attracts more than 2 million people to join, which makes the group the incipient nation's first large-scale political organization.
The good reputation of SI attracts Agus Salim from Sumatra to join the party. He soon becomes Tjokro's second-in-command.
He also becomes Tjokro's confidant.
Apart from Tjokro's role in the organization, his home, known as Peneleh, becomes a boarding house where he also teaches politics.
His students in Peneleh, who are also active in SI, include the nation's first president, Sukarno (Deva Mahenra); the founder of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), Semaun (Tanta Ginting); and Muso (Ade Firman Hakim), the PKI leader who led a failed rebellion in 1948.
Guru Bangsa also features Tjokro's personal side as a romantic husband and a loving father.
Reza is very convincing in portraying Tjokro as a charismatic, skillful leader. The senior and junior actors of the film ' as well as Surabaya's ludruk folk theater players and Yogyakarta's theater actors ' form a well-orchestrated cast.
Some characters in the film are fictitious ' which is disturbing, as they get too much screen time.
The movie required two years of research and was shot in Yogyakarta, where Garin and his team built period sets, including Surabaya's historical Hotel Oranje (now the Hotel Majapahit) and the Peneleh house.
The film's 161-minute runtime is offset by remarkable production design that transports viewers to the 1900s ' complete with renditions of 'The Internationale' and performances by the Stamboel comedy troupe.
The costume team also did a good job in recreating the international dapper style of the 1900s, as well as in rendering simple and sophisticated Javanese traditional clothing.
Garin said the film was more than just a biopic, as it did not center solely on Tjokro and monumental buildings.
'Guru Bangsa features the histories of what have today become regular places, such as coffee, rubber and cotton plantations and ports,' he said at the film's premiere.
'Many political events that have happen these days also happened in the past ' and all are featured in the movie,' Garin said. 'So this film is like a small map of the past to better understand our country today.'
Complexity aside, the movie should not be missed, as it helps viewers to know more about Indonesia's past.
' Images courtesy of Picklock Productions
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Guru Bangsa Tjokroaminoto
Director: Garin Nugroho
Producer: Christine Hakim
Script: Ari Syarif, Sabrang Mowo Damar Panuluh, Erik Supit
Cast: Reza Rahadian, Christine Hakim, Putri Ayudya
Run Time: 161 minutes
Production company: Picklock Production
