Play ball or be cancelled!

Falling Down (1993)

Thanks, Danny, for showing the existence of this film.

We are constantly bombarded with the notion that we should follow the weather-beaten path, and everything will be alright. Do as I say, not as I do. Follow the dotted lines, and you will be taken care of. We are expected to act in a particular manner as it is how a civil society behaves. Keeping your emotions under check denotes maturity, and everybody will play their part.

We do our share of our bargain diligently but then, we realise that we had been taken for a ride. The promise turned out to be an empty one—a dream not, but a nightmare. And we flip. The system to whom we had been loyal all these while turns around and say that we are the evil one. The significant others whom we saw as the scourge is now the protected one.

Foster must have found himself in the same kind of predicament. Working diligently as a faithful servant in a defence facility, he realised one day that he had neither a job nor her family to go to. His employer had terminated him, and his wife has a restraining order against him. He is stuck in a bad traffic jam, his car air-conditioning has failed, and it is scorching hot outside. He had it. He decided to abandon his vehicle and walk-on home. Then it dawned upon him. He is the bad guy now. He is chided for leaving his car in traffic; he is threatened by ruffians when resting in an empty plot - is thought to have nefarious thoughts; guns and weapons are at everybody disposals, but was told that it was for peaceful reasons; he had to conform to pre-set orders on the menu; that people are outwardly pleasant masking a suppressed hatred; the immigrants who scaled the country in poverty are now dictating terms. Foster is now hunted as a villain because he deviated from the socially accepted norms.

Even his wife does not think he is right for her anymore as he has deviated from the societal pre-set rules. There is no place for self-expression; conform or be shipped out! (Hey, this is #cancel culture!)

In contrast, another character, a policeman, despite the curveballs that life has to offer, he is accepted as he plays ball. Like a domesticated cat, he conforms to the home environment.

A thoughtful offering on the pressure cooker state that modern man has to endure to stay relevant in modern societies. His wings are clipped, and his testosterone slowly dwindling in an environment that continually looks at him as toxic.

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As old as history of mankind

Dukun (Witch Doctor, Malay; 2018)
Director: Din Said

In the early 1990s, the news of a gruesome murder appeared in the headlines of most Malaysian newspapers. The story of a politician chopped into pieces, of black magic, a small-time singer turned shaman with the elixir of immortality (she had claimed to be close to 100 years old), a smiling poser with something sensational to say during each court appearance was enough to excite the nation. Internet was restricted to the science fiction genre then. Hence, there was a dire need to whet the appetite of the general public who were looking for tabloid-like news to pass their time. The trial of Mona Fandey fitted the bill nicely.

An up and coming politician wanted to go places. Mona Fandey, who was a rave among certain circles, promised him invincibility through the sciences of the occult. He paid a deposit but what he got back was a severed head, his own. Enjoying being in the limelight, Pandey savoured every exposure to the camera flash. Without much fanfare, she was found guilty. Her appeals were rejected, and pardon from the royalty was denied. She was subsequently hanged in 2001.

Enjoying every minute of the limelight
Mona Fandey

The only things remaining of her legacy are her not-so-appealing songs, the memory of the murder she was convicted and this film, Dukun. Dukun was supposed to be released way back in 2007. Due to opposition from family members and the national film governing body, FINAS, it only hit the screens some ten years later with a caption that it is a work of fiction.

The fascination with Malaysians to the world of dark arts and black magic goes way back to a time before Abrahamic religions and its ideology of fearing the One God hit its shores. The National Museum realised this about ten years ago when it curated an exhibition on the 'Ghosts of Malaysia'. The board procured so many exhibits and paraphernalia towards this end. Just a couple of weeks into the exposition, it received orders from the religious bodies to stop the display immediately. The authorities were worried that the laypeople would be confused and hence deviate from their faiths as busloads after busloads of the curious public arrived in droves from the four corners of the country. That was the first and last time the National Museum had drawn such a crowd. 

[P.S. Can be viewed at mubi.com/sinema]

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.