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Anti-communist movie has dubious legacy among Indonesia's youth
The controversial Penumpasan Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI was once must-see cinema, literally. But a new generation has grown up without watching the movie.
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Zara Zahrina, 24, said people should watch the film for its 'camp' value. (Zara Zahrina) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Zara Zahrina)
F
or a while, Penumpasan Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI was a must-see film -- literally. The New Order government herded millions into open air fields each year, compelling them to watch the dramatic reenactment of the Sept. 30 affair. Since the Reformation, though, the film has fallen out of favor and a new generation has grown up without it.
How does this new generation view the legacy of this controversial film?
Endless gore
For older generations, these scenes will awaken ghosts of childhood's past: the Politburo meeting before the coup, staffed by terrifying, burly, smoking men. The torture scene set to the tune of “Genjer-Genjer”. The brutal murder of a child who was instinctively trying to protect her father. Of course it lingered -- it had to.
When it was released in 1984, Penumpasan Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI was the most ambitious cinematic project the country had ever seen. It had an all star cast, the personal blessing of the country’s dictator, thousands of extras and a then-unheard-of budget of Rp 800 million. It broke box office records, won awards and cemented the director’s legacy. But the ruling New Order regime went one further -- it made viewing the film compulsory.
Every year since 1984, millions were herded into open air fields, crowded living rooms and schools to watch the movie. A dramatic retelling of the events surrounding the alleged Communist coup attempt on Sept. 30, 1965, the movie had no time for historical nuance. There was no mention of the convoluted political atmosphere, or room to explore the many contentious details surrounding the events. Instead, the State Film Company (PPFN) produced a monumental, 4.5-hour gore fest designed to terrify and traumatize.
Watching the movie only stopped becoming compulsory after the regime fell in 1998. But since then, it has enjoyed sporadic revivals. National television networks, hard-line clerics and fiery military figures have called for the reinstatement of compulsory screenings, and even held screenings themselves. Controversially, in 2017, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo attended a screening organized by then-Army chief Gatot Nurmantyo.
