From International Horror Films to the Local Filem Seram: Examining the Cinematic Identity and Roles of the Malaysian Pontianak

Lee, Yuen Beng; Balaya, Sarata

doi:10.21315/kajh2016.23.s2.9

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…In society, men are often taught to be masculine and to never make themselves vulnerable by disclosing weaknesses. That is the beginning of destabilization of Hang Jebat's masculinity which also leads to the demeanour of the character, is closely related to what is portrayed by women in many Malay melodrama films that conventionally stereotyped women as weak, passive and submissive within a maledominant and Malay-centric culture (Lee, 2016). The representation of women with this form of stereotype can be seen in Hussain Hanifff's camera work.…”

Section: Hang Jebat: the Destabilization Of Masculinity And The Weepi...mentioning

confidence: 94%

Of Rajuk, Durhaka and Demasculinization. Examining class inequality and gender representations in Hussain Haniff’s Hang Jebat (1961)

Rahman,

Ahmad,

Lee

2020

PENDETA

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During the Golden Age of Malay cinema, Hussain Haniff was a prolific filmmaker who made 12 films within a period of five years. Started as an extra, escalated to editor, Hussain Haniff’s films mostly questioned the powers advocating the subject of rebellion and class injustice. Known as a rebel with modernist approaches, Hussain Haniff made films with rebellion being the theme within its narratives. This can be seen in his first directorial debut Hang Jebat (1961) that tells the story of how the warrior Hang Jebat stood up for his comrade Hang Tuah who was unjustly sent to the gallows. Hang Jebat in defying the orders of the Sultan and thinking that Hang Tuah had been executed, went into a fit of rage and as an act of rebellion ran amok while killing several villagers. In the Malay culture and Malay purbawara films, this treasonous act of rebellion known as “durhaka” is caused by an expression of “rajuk” – the sulk, or “merajuk” – the act of sulking, and occurs when a servant or warrior rebels against the act of injustice of his master. This paper aims to discuss the act of merajuk which often stereotyped as a feminine trait but in Hang Jebat it can be understood as a form of rebellion against feudalism and can be further attributed to understanding issues related to marginalisation and class oppression. Through an intertextual study of this film, this paper unravels how the rajuk of Hang Jebat represents an act of rebellion that challenges class inequality and gender representations. This article analyses rajuk in two main focuses; firstly on how explosive rajuk which is an allegory to the anti-feudal nature is expressed by Hang Jebat and how rajuk resulted an implication in his more feminine character compare to his rebel character at the beginning of this film.

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Section: Hang Jebat: the Destabilization Of Masculinity And The Weepi...mentioning

confidence: 94%

Of Rajuk, Durhaka and Demasculinization. Examining class inequality and gender representations in Hussain Haniff’s Hang Jebat (1961)

Rahman,

Ahmad,

Lee

2020

PENDETA

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“…Meanwhile, in examining the portrayal of women in works of horror, Lee and Balaya (2016) investigate the ambiguity of the Pontianak (female vampire) in Malaysian horror films because her existence transgresses death and this is defiant of the Islamic belief. It is further noted that the presence of a powerful Pontianak in Malaysian horror films can upset the equilibrium of the films as well as destabilise the normalcy of a society that is dominated by patriarchy.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature as a Means of Female Empowerment in Two Southeast Asian Horror Films

Seach

Noor

2022

JLC

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The close relationship between nature and women is an aged-old phenomenon. Nature itself is often associated with feminine traits owing to its motherly and nurturing nature. There have been a substantial amount of academic studies conducted for the purpose of examining the intricate relationship between nature and women. Eco-feminism for instance, investigates how the exploitation of nature is akin to the exploitation of women by capitalism and patriarchy. Meanwhile, there is also ecological feminism that discusses how women have been placed in unfair positions through male- biased division of labour and environmental roles. Although some scholars have attempted to explore how nature serves to empower women, the role of nature as a means of empowerment for female ghosts remains relatively scarce. This study aims to examine how nature can play its role to empower women even as ghosts in two Southeast Asian horror films namely Inhuman Kiss (2019) and Suzzanna: Buried Alive (2018). This study explores the relationship between the female ghosts and nature in relation to the abject and the lens of eco-feminism. It aims to demonstrate how the bond between nature and women perpetuates beyond the corporeal world.

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“…Many scholarly analyses of Pontianak and her vampire-ghost sisters associate her with the ability to disturb and threaten dominant patriarchal order (Lee & Balaya, 2016;Ng, 2017Ng, [2014; Izharuddin, 2015;Nicholas & Kline, 2010;Nicholas, Ganapathy & Mau, 2012;Tan, 2010, pp. 153-156;Ong, 1988).…”

Section: "Tainted": Mythology As Inspiration For New Multisensory Expmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vampires in Video Games: Mythic Tropes for Innovative Storytelling

Dillon

Lundberg

2017

eTropic

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This paper discusses traditional vampire tropes as a tool for innovation and novel experiences in the history of video games. A selection of games and vampires will be analysed in terms of gameplay and storytelling elements to show how the rich mythology and folklore that characterises these liminal beings can be successfully employed in a variety of settings and contexts. We draw on examples from the early days of video games with titles like "Dracula" (Imagic for Intellivision, 1982) set in a virtual London and evoking European folklore, to the rich possibilities offered by "Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines" (Activision for PC, 2004) which conjures up the sub-tropical New Orleans vampire tradition, and then turn to the latest experimental games using the example of "Tainted" (ITE/NUS for PC, 2016), which taps into the rich Pontianak vampire-ghost myths of the Malay Archipelago. Different experiences will be discussed via explanatory lenses -such as Labov's (1972Labov's ( , 1997 narrative analysis and the AGE/6-11 framework (Dillon, 2010(Dillon, , 2016 -to gain insights into how to build compelling myth-based narrative in games in original and surprising ways. The paper also analyses how specific vampire myths reflect socio-cultural issues of particular times and places. Thus, every telling of such myths -whether though oral tales, novels, cinema, or video games -brings the myth alive to engage with liminal or repressed aspects of a society.Keywords: videogame analysis, game studies, storytelling, myths, vampires, Pontianak, tropics, liminal Vampire tropes and video gamesIn their short but rich history, video games have relied on many different sources for inspiration and for crafting engaging interactive stories and emotional experiences. As exemplified in books outlining innovative and genre-defining games since the birth of the industry, liminal and monstrous beings based in mythology, folklore and popular culture, have been widely referenced -from ghosts to dragons and beyond (Mott, 2010;Dillon 2011). Within this context, perhaps surprisingly, vampires have been used more sparingly than other monstrous creatures such as,

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From International Horror Films to the Local Filem Seram: Examining the Cinematic Identity and Roles of the Malaysian Pontianak

Cited by 3 publications

References 4 publications

Of Rajuk, Durhaka and Demasculinization. Examining class inequality and gender representations in Hussain Haniff’s Hang Jebat (1961)

Of Rajuk, Durhaka and Demasculinization. Examining class inequality and gender representations in Hussain Haniff’s Hang Jebat (1961)

Nature as a Means of Female Empowerment in Two Southeast Asian Horror Films

Vampires in Video Games: Mythic Tropes for Innovative Storytelling

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