Thursday 15 March 2012

Gibson, Indonesia and Billy Kwan

Last evening, after tea, amidst intermittent power-cuts, I saw the 1982 film, The Year of Living Dangerously. First, I hadn't seen any old films of Mel Gibson and was completely mesmerised by his appearance. He is definitely handsome! Not only handsome but unidentifiable from the Gibson I know of in Braveheart. Though I felt that the real hero of the film was the dwarf, Billy Kwan, Gibson's local photographer contact in Jakarta, Indonesia, I couldn' stop drooling at Gibson. And Sigourney Weaver as a young and beautiful woman is quite different from Grace Augustine in the 2009 film, Avatar.



Set in poverty-stricken Jakarta, the film raises many issues that any thinking individual would encounter while looking at people who live in slums and despair. The Western arrogance and superiority toward third world countries; prostitution to escape hunger; clash between the left and the right -- are some of the issues that the director Peter Weir had brilliantly handled. Billy is a friend and photographer who accompanies Gibson on his assignments, is a philosophical and intelligent character. His diction, observations and comments are something that make the film a wholesome one. Billy comes across as a person who identifies the human weakenesses and strengths which help him analyse a person and thus enables the viewer to see the character as well.

The story, for most part, is shown through the eyes of Billy. And when Billy dies nearing the final part of the film, I couldn't help shedding tears. I wondered what moved me to tears: Was it Billy himself or the principles that he stood for or the betrayal that he faced from his beloved leader, Sukarno or the brutal way in which he was murdered. Maybe everything.

It was indeed wonderful to watch the younger Mel Gibson and the actress, Linda Hunt as Billy Kwan. Watch this film if you haven't still and you will find yourself thinking about Billy Kwan long after the film is over.

So, have you seen this 1982 Gibson starrer? How do you think the third world is portrayed in Hollywood? 

Image: Internet 

25 comments:

  1. I havent seen any of them yet and I think I should try..:)

    Mani

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    1. Please do try. Seeing old films as these also take us back to a different time when we were growing up sans Facebook, cell phones and other strangulating devices.

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  2. Seems like a good movie...:-) Haven't watched any movie, maybe I am not able to remember having watched any movie made on 3rd world countries...except for 'Slumdog Millionaire" I liked the movie, many people had objections as to how India was portrayed but, well isn't the truth ugly?

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    1. My husband and I are watching a series of films from the 80s and this is one of them. Janu, I guess you should try and watch many movies so that you will be able to pass time and also do some critical thinking. I hope your blogging break is doing you good.
      Boyle, along with showcasing the slums has also given dreams to the many slum dwellers, which is a good thing but the dreams should not abort the reality of the everyday life. I wonder where to place the film.

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  3. Oh, I haven't seen it yet. Sounds very interesting. Thank you for this post, Susan. I've added it to my to-watch list.

    I have quite a few movies that I can think of where encounters between foreigners and third world nations have been portrayed really well.

    There's Good Morning, Vietnam that comes immediately to mind - about the American military presence there at the time of the Vietnam war. Set around the same time is The Deer Hunter, a truly great film.

    Then there's the under-appreciated The Quiet American - which was the most complex film of the three really.

    There's Chinese Box about the last days of the British rule in Hong Kong, Seven Years in Tibet which turned out to be a very controversial film, Before Night Falls about life in Cuba and most recently, I think The Rum Diary about the political unrest in Puerto Rico.

    There have been more great movies like Hotel Rwanda set in the grim days of the genocide, and Blood Diamond about the exploitative nature of the diamond trade in the Congo.

    I think these films have many things in common. There's the character of the well-meaning but helpless foreigner who observes and feels for the injustice and chaos he sees around him but can do nothing to change anything for the better.

    There are the locals - some seething with rage, some helpless, resigned to their fates, others despairing but hopeful.

    But overwhelmingly there's the sense of how this situation is only going to get progressively worse. But I suppose that is exactly how the third world is a lot of the times - a fragile tinderbox.

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    1. I have seen some of the films that you have mentioned. Seeing films like these always work me up. Somehow I become that "well-meaning but helpless" individual who wonders what she could do for the society. But after some days, the feeling evaporates and I become the same woman who is well meaning and well read but is helpless and so does not bother. Films as these provoke the thoughts, I reckon and leaves an impact.

      Thanks for your exhaustive comment, Karishma.

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  4. i vaguely remember this movie...i really should go back and look at it again...how is the third world presented by hollywood...hmmm...trying to think as the sense of place is often obscured in movies these days and much of it more fantasy realm...i would think from past movies it is rather seedy and dangerous...

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    1. The past movies did a wonderful job of portraying the East as "seedy and dangerous," as you have rightly said. Some people who have grown up on those movies still think that the East is a "seedy and danderous" place.

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  5. Thanks for the info!! I will have to check it our!!!

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  6. This looks to be a must watch movie. Thanks for posting on it. I had the same feeling when I saw Gibson in Mad Max series of films especially the first one.

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    1. I know. Isn't Gibson just handsome but his acting is not all that great.

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  7. I have not even heard of this movei, Now I will have a look.. Gibson look very young here ..

    Bikram's

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    1. He is definitely young and charming. But actingwise, he's not all that great.

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  8. this one looks like a great movie!

    i think that's going to be my first movie choice over the weekend.
    thanks, susan for sharing with us.

    wishing you an awesome weekend, my dearest!

    xx

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    1. Thanks for coming by Betty. Hope you are well and happy. Please do watch the film and tell me how did you like it.

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  9. I love watching movies Susan and Mel Gibson was one of my favourite actors. Sadly we all age :( I cannot remember watching this movie but I did watch The Mad Max series and I also enjoyed Ransom. I believe he has a new movie coming out that is directed by Jodie Foster.

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    1. Yes, we all age and now Gibson looks so very different. A new one directed by Foster?!?!? I absolutely adored her in the Hannibal series. She is a brilliant actress and now let's see her how she fares as a director.

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  10. I watched the movie many years ago and can't quite recall how I felt about it at the time. The question of how hollywood portrays the 3rd world is usually a sensitive one here. I tend to think that mostly there is an oversimplification of especially Africa but also don't really side with those who argue that they should not show the dirty side.

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    1. "Oversimplification" is something even I thought about when I saw the film. The East is reduced to "poor, slums, dirt, seedy and dangerous." I guess both Africa and India are shown in similar light by Hollywood.

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  11. Mrs Sus, do you know that this film was shot in my country? The Indonesian government did not allow in the production, for obvious reasons. So all the slums and poverty you saw there was here. That building where the character of Linda Hunt was supposed to jump from is the city hall of my city! I live a few blocks away. Haha!

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    1. Oh yes, I did read about it in Wikipedia but Wiki didn't tell me that the sets were quite close to AJ. Well, that's news, now.

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    2. Sorry I can't comment about the film itself. I saw back in the 80s when it was released. I hardly remember a thing. But I do remember that scene at the city hall. Every time I look up that building (it's still standing), I see Linda Hunt! Amazing actress, love her to bits.

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  12. Not seen this one. But I have watched a couple of Mel Gibson movies when he was soooo handsome. Thank you for sharing this. I must download the movie and watch it

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    1. Please do so Rimly. Thanks for stopping by and writing a comment.

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  13. Will make sure I catch this one soon. Thanks, Susan.

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