Monday 2 April 2012

B for Bunohan: A-Z Challenge

B for Bunohan

Bunohan is the latest indie movie created, written and directed by Kuala Lumpur-based film maker, Dain Said, which premiered to Malaysian audiences in March 2012.
Bunohan, which means murder in the Malay language, is a story revolving around three step-brothers, their father, a wayang kulit artiste, and a deceased wife whose spirit still wanders their village due to her deep love for her husband and son. 

Set in rural Trengganu, Malaysia's beautiful white beaches and overhead angry monsoon clouds reflect the angst and dark moods of the characters in their struggle to preserve family heritage against greed and commercial property development. 
Surreal landscapes of wooded mangrove swamps sent spine tingling chills down this Malaysian viewers' spine. The cinematography was no less than artful and elegant. 

The trailer  Bunohan the movie  introduces the brothers Ilham, a complex murderous character, and Adil, the kick-boxer, in their coastal village of Bunohan. The heavy local dialect (with Malay subtitles) adds that extra touch of mystery.  

Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2011, reviewers 
picked up on the 'focus on family and social environment than violence'.  Described as being in the 'realm of arthouse meditation than that of the martial arts film', the vivid kick-boxing footage are pure cinematographic gems of this exotic body-contact sport.

'Magical realism...with echoes of King Lear...shocking mayhem reminiscent of Tran's "Cyclo" ' are descriptions from another review at the TIFF. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117946050/

Wall Street Journal, Life & Style, on March 14 2012, interviewed Dain Said and discovered the challenges of filming Bunohan during a monsoon and the high risk of snake bite by the deadly Malaysian pit viper.

Research for this article revealed that there are hardcore fans out there, sufficiently inspired to seek out actual film location sites and challenge themselves to capture photographs that sparked their interest. Great shots!



Foot note for enthusiasts:DVD #Bunohan is available now at Speedy Video Malaysia

6 comments:

Edward Hall said...

Interesting how, when you review, you give a biographical view of the film and offer how it made you feel without offering opinion. That's quite original and I like it :)

Enjoy the rest of the challenge :D

Amelia said...

You're early with your B today! Eerie that B is for Bunohan...such a contrast from your A is for Alphabet Eyelashes. What's next?

Jaime said...

I absolutely love the third photo. This looks like a good film - one that stays with you for weeks afterward.

I also really love Woody Allen quotes - the button on your blog is cool.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Sounds like an intense, but beautifully filmed movie!

I'm your co-host for the A-to-Z! If you didn't get an email from me the other day, it may have gone in your spam box. Please feel free to contact me via my profile or reply to that email if you need anything or have any questions.

Shannon at The Warrior Muse, co-host of the 2012 #atozchallenge! Twitter: @AprilA2Z

Nikki said...

Wow, this film looks amazing. I really like the way that you write, this was such a great review. I'll look out for the film, I love magical realism.

Thank you for your comment :)

Nikki – inspire nordic

fidel said...

Tks guys for visiting my blog. Its been an interesting romp through the 1900 list of blogs...its hard to stop! Cheers