Selubung is a first full featured film
directed by Shuhaimi Baba in year 1992 that won the Best Film title in
Malaysian Film Award. Selubung itself
means to be veil wore by female Muslims to conceal their faces.
In
the film, the main character, Mastura and her best friend, E.J are totally
different in what they are chasing for in life. E.J wanted to go after her
religion, she quits her study, she married brother Musa so that she will be in
the right path in her life. While Mastura wanted to finish her study and get a
job to live on.
Mastura
is a modern female representative in the film. She is a strong contrast to E.J.
Mastura is independent and strong, she knows what she wants and how she will be
achieving them. There is one scene when Halim is talking to Mastura about the
exam they have passed, Halim said that he thought Mastura will go back home
right away when she failed her paper because her mother was dead. Mastura didn’t
quit and continued her study although her scholarship was cancel. She believes
that study is important to her, it is important to everyone. She tried many
times to persuade E.J to not give up her study because it is a great opportunity
to get scholarships and study abroad.
In a
scene when the reporters paid a visit to Doctor Sardar at the Rescaid office, Mastura
was hurt by the bomb, her godfather and the villagers chant the Muslim
Testament of Faith at the village. Butterflies began to invade her mental world
and she managed to wake up from coma in the end. Before all this happened,
Mastura went to see her godfather by the time she came back from Australia. The
butterflies fly around and stick to both of them, her godfather said that they
will bring them luck. The butterflies seemed to be a sign of blessing from the
people and the religion.
E.J
is a woman who believes so much in her religion. She believes that it is a sin
for a woman to get higher education than her husband. She was told to give up
her studies and marrying those who are in the right track. She has no doubt and
she decided to marry right away. She even tried to convince Mastura that she
will be fine if she marries Brother Musa because Brother Musa will save her
soul and lead all of the believers to the right path. E.J is too obedient to
her husband and her religion until she gave up what she had. She was not even
getting a real chance to talk to Mastura. After Hani had killed her baby, she
was sent back to Malaysia as Brother Musa is going to join Halim and Wn Ng in
Middle East. E.J was hurt mentally for losing her baby and because she has once
told Mastura that Hani is insane but Mastura did not believes in her. After the
loss, E.J has a clearer mind and she began to think of things she can do. She
then joins Rescaid to help and saves the children.
Hani
is another woman who embraces Islam in an extreme way. She once told Mastura
that Zek is a Satan, over friendly with man and uncovered. Hani hasn’t been
friendly to Mastura ever since then. During the wedding ceremony of E.J, while
E.J was waiting for Mastura to come, Hani was mean and said that Mastura was
not invited to the wedding, by meaning that Mastura shouldn’t be coming anyway.
A hidden meaning behind Hani’s thought about those who are uncovered and not in
the right track are not welcome. Mastura paid a visit after the wedding, Hani
was not happy and she watched them talk all the time and doesn’t let them to
talk for long.
Doctor
Sardar is another strong female character in the film. She did a lot of hard
work to help the people in the Middle East. She has modern thinking but she
also believes in her religion at the same time. There is one scene where she is
watching TV and talking to Alwi about sending him back home, she said she hopes
that the god will not forget about the people that are suffering in the war in
Middle East. She was worried about the children in Middle East. When Kamal visited
Doctor Sardar at her office, she was worried to continue their campaign because
she received a threaten letter that asked them to stop the campaign or suffer
the same fate as Rescaid in London. She was worrying all the time if their
campaign was too aggressive that would put people’s lives in danger. Doctor
Sardar shows the characteristics of a strong and independent woman which has
the feminine touch inside her.
The last
part of the film is all the children are safe from the war in Middle East. The
ending tends to deliver a message that the children can be safe with the
believes in Islam and also the hard work besides of religion. Religion meant to
be a bond between the people and motivation for them to live on. Both religion
and modern mind are needed to do big things.
References
William
Van der Heide. 2002. Malaysian Cinema,
Asian Film: Border Crossings and National Cultures.
Hassan
Muthalib. (October 13, 2005). Voices of Malaysian Cinema.
Timothy
R. White. 1997. Pontianaks, P. Ramlee, and
Islam: The Cinema of Malaysia.
Shuhaimi
Baba. 1992. Selubung [Motion
picture].
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