Tiger from Tjampa (film)
Encyclopedia
Tiger from Tjampa is an Indonesian
Black and white drama film
released in 1953, produced by PERFINI, written and directed by D. Djayakusuma. Djayakusuma's The Tiger from Tjampa is still highly regarded today in Indonesia
as an early portrayal in a fiction film of aspects of a traditional regional culture
. Despite the numerous combat scenes as well as scenes of students practicing pencak silat
(with lessons conducted by a famous master, who appears in the film), Tiger from Tjampa was never presented as a Martial arts film
.
D. Djayakusuma won Best Scenario for this film at the 1st Indonesian Film Festival held in 1955.
(pencak silat
), Indonesia's traditional form of self defence, based on the movements of animals. The pencak silat seen in the film is regionally specific to West Sumatra
.
Lukman pleaded to Datuk Langit (Raden Ismail) to teach him, but the man asked him for three buffalo
s as payment which was too much for him. Lukman then witnessed a man beat his opponent in a fight quiet easily and begged him to teach him silat. The man agreed to teach Lukman under the condition that his silat is not for oppressing the weak, but for self defense only. However, Lukman broke the promise numerous times, but every time his teacher always forgave him until his lesson was complete. Lukman once again defied his teacher by killing a gambler, he was then imprisoned.
In jail, Lukman learned that Datuk Langit was responsible for his father's death. He managed to escaped from the prison and confront Datuk Langit. He finally defeated Datuk Langit then turn over both Datuk Langit and himself to the authorities.
The Tiger from Tjampa is by no means a simple story of revenge, but is really an exploration of the practise and philosophical bases of pencak silat, and its relation to Islamic values
. Lukman is repeatedly shown to be intemperate, and easily provoked. Besides learning silat, Lukman must also learn perseverance and self restraint. He must learn to "tunggu sabar" i.e remain patient.
Djayakusuma, who took this project over from Usmar Ismail
, is remembered in Indonesia as one of the first to make feature films in regional areas after their independence. Both as a filmmaker, and as a teacher at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts, Djayakusuma's advocacy for a cinema engaging with the regions influenced younger generations of directors to follow his example, among those being Slamet Rahardjo and Garin Nugroho
.
in 1955.
before.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
Black and white drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
released in 1953, produced by PERFINI, written and directed by D. Djayakusuma. Djayakusuma's The Tiger from Tjampa is still highly regarded today in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
as an early portrayal in a fiction film of aspects of a traditional regional culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
. Despite the numerous combat scenes as well as scenes of students practicing pencak silat
Pencak Silat
Pencak silat is an umbrella term for the indigenous martial arts created in Indonesia. The leading organization of pencak silat in Indonesia is IPSI...
(with lessons conducted by a famous master, who appears in the film), Tiger from Tjampa was never presented as a Martial arts film
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
.
D. Djayakusuma won Best Scenario for this film at the 1st Indonesian Film Festival held in 1955.
Plot
Set in the 1930s, and narrated like a ballad from the past, The Tiger from Tjampa tells of how a young man, Lukman (Bambang Hermanto). He seeks to avenge his father's murder by learning silatSilat
Silat Melayu is a blanket term for the types of silat created in peninsular Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore. The silat tradition has deep roots in Malay culture and can trace its origin to the dawn of Malay civilization, 2000 years ago...
(pencak silat
Pencak Silat
Pencak silat is an umbrella term for the indigenous martial arts created in Indonesia. The leading organization of pencak silat in Indonesia is IPSI...
), Indonesia's traditional form of self defence, based on the movements of animals. The pencak silat seen in the film is regionally specific to West Sumatra
West Sumatra
West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It lies on the west coast of the island Sumatra. It borders the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau and Jambi to the east, and Bengkulu to the southeast. It includes the Mentawai Islands off the coast...
.
Lukman pleaded to Datuk Langit (Raden Ismail) to teach him, but the man asked him for three buffalo
Buffalo
-Bovine:* African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo * American Buffalo, North American colloquial name for American Bison * Wisent, or Eurasian Buffalo...
s as payment which was too much for him. Lukman then witnessed a man beat his opponent in a fight quiet easily and begged him to teach him silat. The man agreed to teach Lukman under the condition that his silat is not for oppressing the weak, but for self defense only. However, Lukman broke the promise numerous times, but every time his teacher always forgave him until his lesson was complete. Lukman once again defied his teacher by killing a gambler, he was then imprisoned.
In jail, Lukman learned that Datuk Langit was responsible for his father's death. He managed to escaped from the prison and confront Datuk Langit. He finally defeated Datuk Langit then turn over both Datuk Langit and himself to the authorities.
The Tiger from Tjampa is by no means a simple story of revenge, but is really an exploration of the practise and philosophical bases of pencak silat, and its relation to Islamic values
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Lukman is repeatedly shown to be intemperate, and easily provoked. Besides learning silat, Lukman must also learn perseverance and self restraint. He must learn to "tunggu sabar" i.e remain patient.
Production
Filmed largely on location in 1953 in the villages in West Sumatra (the region of the matrilineal Minangkabau people), The Tiger from Tjampa is exceptional in its evocation of a unique region and milieu. Apart from some of the main actors, almost everything in the film is from West Sumatra. All the film's varied music is from West Sumatra, and so are its dances. In its dialogue the film strikingly uses 'peribahasa' - maxims and proverbs handed down for generations within the oral culture - with their characteristic lilting Minangkabau rhythms. As well, the film displays the intense spirit of community that underlies educational practises in an oral culture.Djayakusuma, who took this project over from Usmar Ismail
Usmar Ismail
Usmar Ismail was a prominent Indonesian film director. He was a Minangkabau descent. He was widely regarded as the native Indonesian pioneer of the Cinema of Indonesia although films made by the Dutch dated back to around 1926....
, is remembered in Indonesia as one of the first to make feature films in regional areas after their independence. Both as a filmmaker, and as a teacher at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts, Djayakusuma's advocacy for a cinema engaging with the regions influenced younger generations of directors to follow his example, among those being Slamet Rahardjo and Garin Nugroho
Garin Nugroho
Garin Nugroho Riyanto , better known as Garin Nugroho, is an award-winning Indonesian film director.-Biography:Nugroho was born in Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta on 6 June 1961. He was the fourth child of postal workers Soetjipto Amin and Mariah, who eventually had seven children...
.
Achievement
D. Djayakusuma received the Best Scenario award at the Indonesian Film FestivalIndonesian Film Festival
Festival Film Indonesia or known as FFI is an annual film festival organised by Indonesian Film Festival Committee...
in 1955.
Controversy
Tiger from Tjampa raised controversy when the female lead role, Nurnaningsih appeared half naked on the screen. Something that was never happen in Indonesian cinemaCinema of Indonesia
Though the cinema of Indonesia has a long history, the industry is currently struggling and developing.-Colonial era:The first film made in Indonesia was the 1926 silent film, Loetoeng Kasaroeng, by Dutch directors G. Kruger and L. Heuveldorp...
before.