Kaki Bakar(The Arsonist) is a film who was directed by U-Wei Bin Haji Saari in 1995. The drama film was screened in Un Certain Regard Section at the 1995 Cances Film Festival.
Kaki Bakar is a story of love between a father and his son. Kakang who was an Indonesian that come from javanese family living in Malaysia. Kakang (Khalid Salleh) is an Indonesian Javanese who had married with Malaysian wife and has two daughters and two son. With his proud of Javanese 'element' in his blood, he wanted his son to have similarities qualities of him as a Javanese . Kakang, father of Kesuma said Malaysian is a group of people who are "weak, and also wait for subsidies". "They also had forget roots, ancestors " in heritance. The theme of this drama film is Identity.
Kesuma is the youngest among the four childrens that doesn't go to school too, is emotionally unstable kid. Sometimes he adored his father's fierceness and awkard decisions but sometimes he puzzled with is father's illness. Sometimes he agreed to all his dad's doing but sometimes he doesn't. And these is worsen by Kakang's moment of trnasitions (climax) from a very tough and aggresive man to a considerate and tolerate person, which Kesuma did not catch the signal.
The theme of "Kaki Bakar" drama film is to looking for identity . For example, Hyper Masculinity, Father knows best and also adat discussion among Indonesian Javanese and also Malaysia Malay. besides that, "Kaki Bakar" also commenting about the society among Malay people that come from two different country that is Indonesia and Malaysia. Through "Kaki Bakar' drama film, Kakang had commenting about what he think about of Malay. For Kakang, Kesuma is the only son he has . He treat kesuma everything that he knows and always give advice to Kesuma how to be a great Javanese malay. It is so different if compare to Kesuma's brother that only was doing simple daily routine such as feeding goat, and helping mother at home by the way Kesuma was doing all the musculine daliy routine such as helping parents to collecting rubber at rubber estate, cutting timber and chanting. All of this is not doing by Kesuma"s brother who are actually done by oldest son but in this film it was doing all by kesuma who are the youngest children in Kakang's family. It is because compare to Kesuma's brother, kesuma is more trusthworthy and more responsible compare to his brother.
Because of trusthwothy from Kakang, Kesuma was training to take responsible to complete all the things that been given by Kakang. For Kakang, Islam is very extremist an they are not allowed to do certain things that are violate by Adat Islam.
In this "Kaki Bakar' film, it also bring out the Adat Discussion that including Hyper Musculinity. First, Father Knows best. Kakang is dictacting family members such as telling family what to do or not to do it. When Kakang is not happy or in bad mood, he would slap family members to expres his bad mood. In Kakang Family, no matter who their are, they would not have chance to speak or making decision. The best example is the decision and place to be stay is all determine by Kakang who are the head of household. Kakang is also not concern and care about his children education. For him, it is enough for Kesuma to smart only in religion education. For Kakang family members, no matter what Kakang had done is all good for family. As a family members, they should be on the side of Kakang no matter what. For them, no matter how the bad of his father, he still is a hero.
Camera movement for "Kaki Bakar" , the director-U -Wei Bin Haji Saari use a lot of Dolly in and tracking shots. For Example, Kakang put bowl to collect rubber, tracking stop when three members in a same line, then they move again.
The part that I Like:
The part of i like of this drama film is the respecting of parents. Kesuma will listen to his father to complete the duties that give by his father, Kakang. Kesuma understand that no matter what duties that announced by Kakang is benefit for Kesuma.no matter what Kakang asking kesuma to complete , Kesuma will try to do it and complete it as soon as possible but it doesn't including the scene that Kakang telling Kesuma bringing kerosene to burn Tuan Kassim( Jamaluddin Kadir) village . Through this scene, we can found Kesuma is clever when he was making decision. Eventhough he hate Tuan Kassim so much but he doesn't planning to kill Tuan Kassim. Besides that, the part that i like is the scene when Kakang walked Kesuma Tuan kassim's house and lectured him the issue being jantan and stand up by your priciple.
The Part that I dislike:
The part that i dislike for the "Kaki Bakar" is about the ending part of the film. in the ending part of "Kaki Bakar" film, it doesn't clearly explain the future of Kakang's family after the death of Kakang that are murderd by Tuan Kassim.What had happened after the death of kakang is unclear and it doesn't convey the actual message to audiences.
Jogho (1997)
Jogho is another film directed by U-Wei BinHaji Saari in 1997. Jogho is an film which was origin adapted from a novel which was writed by S.Othman Kelantan .Besides that, Jogho is also the first Malaysian movie to be filmed in Kelantanese dialect.
Malaysian Mamat(Khalid Salleh) is a bullfighting,called "Jogho" in Thailand and outlawed in Malaysia. He had wife and three daughters.His only son was studies at the boarding school at Kelantan. The film begins with the murder of Lazim, the leader of the small village. Mamat is held responsible for the mayhem that follows and is locked up.
The movie was set in the bull-fighting Patani Malay community of Southern Thailand. An ungracious loser in this arena kills his rival ,whose brother Mamat (Khalid Salleh) then vows to get even. His wife (Normah Damahuri) fails to stop this cycle of vegeance, who also affect the younger generation.
The theme of "Jogho" film which by U-Wei Biin Haji Saari is also the whole idea of identity. In this film, daughter is the person who was teaching the father about the religion when Mamat is getting lost control after he had facing problem and also attacked by bull.
The technique of Self for "Jogho" film is by using same actor that is Khalid Salleh who was the main character in "Kaki Bakar" film ,Kakang and also Pak Mamat in "Jogho" film. The camera movement of "Jogho" is using tracking shots and also pan that are moving from left to right . Besides that, In both U-Wei Bin Haji Saari film , both diegetic and also non diegetic sound had been used a lot . For example, music is playing an important role to express the emotion of the film .
The role of voice of male and the female is also can be founded in both U-Wei Bin Haji Saari film, "Kaki Bakar" and "Jogho". In the film, male charachter is playing an important role to becoming decision maker but female would voice out when she was dissatisfied with the decision that made by male. For example, the scene where Samah, the wife who was having conversation among Mamat and Minah when Minah was washing pot at the kitchen.
Besides that, "Kaki Bakar" and "Jogho" film both is talking about the power. U- Wei's film is talking about the fight of a person who are fight for freedom ,justice and also honour.
The theme of U-Wei's film is going against the mainstream , U-Wei prefer to use the middle class malay people as his film characters and also contrasting the hypermasculine Malay male in the rural settings. This establishes his discussion of adat and the tradition of the mould of the malay male and his bandings with the people and environment around him. For example, "Father Knows best", "The Unconditional Love", "The Role and Voice of the Male and Female". Last but not least the "Power" of people who are fighting hard for justice, freedom and also honour.
From "Kaki Bakar" to "Jogho", we have see the improvement of skill and shooting of a film .U-Wei has maintaining his style and is noted that director such as U-Wei was aware the technique and style that he use to produce the film.
