Cinema
Tiger from Tjampa
Harimau Tjampa
Djadjakusuma · 1953
Synopsis
In the Minangkabau country of the thirties, Lukman wants to avenge his murdered father and looks for a master of pencak silat. Datuk Langit, to whom he turns, demands three buffaloes, far beyond his means; he finally follows a man he has seen effortlessly defeat an opponent, who makes him promise to use his art only in self-defence, never against the weak. Lukman breaks his word several times, and each time the master forgives him, until the end of his apprenticeship.
Context
The film was shot in 1953, mostly in the villages of West Sumatra; apart from a few leading actors, almost everything in it comes from the region, the music, the dances and the proverbs of the oral tradition, spoken with the rhythm proper to the Minangkabau language. The director was taking up a project of Usmar Ismail, and the silat master Malin Maradjo plays a role. A scene in which the actress Nurnaningsih appeared half-undressed, a first in the country's cinema, caused a scandal.
Who it is for
An Indonesian-language film, in black and white, preserved on video; it was never presented as a martial arts film.
Prizes and reception
Awarded a prize for its screenplay, it remains regarded as one of the purest attempts to show a regional culture on screen.