The Indonesian
film industry has seen a boom in recent years, primarily due to the success of
a few influential films in the international marketplace. This includes the
financial success of the action franchise which began in 2011 with The Raid (the sequel was funded in part
by selling the rights for a Hollywood remake currently in the works), as well
as the critical reception to Indonesian-based documentaries, The Act of Killing (2012) and The Look of Silence (2014). But each of
these movies, however successfully they worked within the Indonesian film
industry, was directed by foreign filmmakers. The Golden Cane Warrior, on the other hand, proves that an
Indonesian director can also create a technically polished film.
The storyline
for The Golden Cane Warrior is fairly generic as far as martial arts movies are
concerned. There are many of the typical characteristics; a martial arts Master
with a secret technique to teach, loyal disciples as well as those which will
betray her, and a climactic showdown serving as revenge for that betrayal.
Master Cempaka (Christine Hakim) carries the mysterious Golden Cane staff,
which holds secret powers that she intends to teach her chosen disciples. When
she chooses a weaker disciple named Dara (Eva Celia) to pass on this gift, two
others named Biru (Reza Rahadian) and Gerhana (Tara Basro) plot a way to steal
the weapon for themselves.
In typical
martial arts fashion, Dara must train and seek revenge against Biru and Gerhana
in a final showdown. The Golden Cane
doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but rolls along with proficiency and polished
visuals we have only recently begun to see in Indonesian films. This along with
the well executed action choreography make for an entertaining genre picture
that fans will appreciate. It should also be mentioned that the film
progressively has females in two of the crucial hero roles. I look forward to
seeing what comes next from Indonesia
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
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