Hati Merdeka still centers on the heroic battles, but it highlights more actions and blood.

Set during the revolution period in early 1948, the trilogy follows a band of heroic soldiers who become elite guerrilla soldiers following the massacre of their cadet classmates. Tension is built early in the beginning with the tragic death of a child warrior, Budi.

Dayan (T. Rifnu Wikana), Marius (Darius Sinathrya), Tomas (Donny Alamsyah) and Senja (Rahayu Saraswati) also have to bear a bitter fact that Amir (Lukman Sardi) refused to join them in the new mission.

They are assigned to kill Col. Rhymer, a high-rank Dutch military officer who has slaughtered tens of thousands civilians in Sulawesi.

Amir declined to carry out the mission because the secret killing was against his definition of war. Consequently, he returns to his previous profession as a teacher and tries to live up a peaceful and ordinary life with his pregnant wife Melati (Astri Nurdin).

The four friends were determined to accomplish the operation, partly because of their obedience as a soldier and partly because of their personal anger at the Dutch. Tomas, a high-tempered Minahasa ethnic from Sulawesi, witnesses the cruelty of Rhymer when the Dutch soldier murdered his family.

Marius, a Eurasian playboy who likes drinking, wants to assert himself that he can do something big. Dayan, a Balinese, still holds the pain in his tongue, which is cut by a Dutch soldier. Meanwhile, Senja loses her brother during a battle against the Dutch soldiers.

They travel by sea to reach Bali, where Rhymer reportedly stays with his army. The journey is not easy, though. They face tough challenges, including a battle on the sea. The film also features new casts of characters who played small parts. Ranggani Puspandya played as Dayu, a young mother who is saved by the four cadets when her family is attacked by a group of Rhymer’s soldiers. Although she only appears briefly, her acting leaves a memorable trace. Singer Nugie plays as Wayan Suta, a leader of underground rebels in Bali.

T. Rifnu Wikana gave a flawless performance, delivering an enthralling acting, especially when Dayan tries hard to persuade Amir to join the mission. Although Dayan clearly utters only one line of dialogue during the whole film, he can communicate the unspoken lines to the audience.

British actor Michael Bell who played as Rhymer also did a good job during a scene when he was tortured by the Japanese. The actor missed the release of the film as he died of cancer in April.

There are many actions involving gun blasts, explosions and even heavy weapons, which we can barely get in other Indonesian movies today. The special taste that we usually watch in Hollywood films can be found in Hati Merdeka because some technical stuff in the films were, indeed, handled by professionals from Hollywood.

They are coordinator special effects 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).

Some scenes in Hati Merdeka, however, are shockingly bloody and cruel, which may be not appropriate for children.

Another thing slightly disturbs me when watching the media preview is some awkward Indonesian lines, which sounds too formal in a conversational situation. One example is a comment uttered by Marius to Senja when he recovered from a severe wound.

The trilogy was inspired by a true story of massacre that killed young cadets, including both uncles of executive producer Hashim Djojohadikusumo, in Lengkong in 1946. The films are also a tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the fight for independence between 1945 and 1948.

“This film is not only about struggle, but also about other values such as pluralism. The film also shows the world that we are a nation that can forgive,” he said.

Missing the first and the second films will not be a problem because the story backgrounds are smoothly inserted in the third film. Indonesians will be reminded on how they once united regardless of their religions and ethnicity. Besides, watching the movies will somehow make you put more respects to veteran soldiers.

Verdict: Hati Berani is worth to be watched for its entertaining and implied values.

Hati Merdeka (Hearts of Freedom)
(97 minutes, Margate House Films)
Starring: Donny Alamsyah, Rifnu Wikana, Lukman Sardi, Darius Sinathrya, Rahayu Saraswati
Director: Yadi Sugandi and Conor Allyn
Writer: Conor Allyn and Rob Allyn
Executive producer: Hashim Djojohadikusumo

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