Mat Kilau Review: A Malay Patriotic Film That Raises Questions
Mat Kilau is now on Netflix. It is a Malaysian patriotic film about the struggle for independence from British colonialism. It’s action-packed, but it also raises a lot of questions. Syamsul Yusof is in charge of the film, which stars Adi Putra, Beto Kusyairy, Fattah Amin, Yayan Ruhian and others.
The plot of the film concerns Malaysian historical figure Mat Kilau, who fought against British settlers in Pahang before independence.
Review by Mat Kilau
Here’s what Netflix has to say about the movie:
After British troops invaded Pahang, a famous warrior led his people in guerrilla warfare to protect his country from the threat of colonization.
There are some minor spoilers in Mat Kilau’s review
Like many patriotic films, Mat Kilau begins by showing how cruel the colonizers were to the natives. There is an armed English officer who is ruthless, and the soldiers around him do whatever he says.
The movie also has selfish traitors, jealous subordinates, politics among nobles, etc., because it’s hard to make those kinds of movies without things that make people angry.
Going back to the Sikh soldiers surrounding it, it made members of the community look at the film more closely, and it doesn’t seem to do the historical facts justice either. So while this movie is made for Malaysians, it may not be for everyone.
The film shows the hero’s journey as he fights against British soldiers and tries to get the people around him to fight just as hard. And I have to say the Malay Martial Arts scenes were very impressive and fun to watch.
The film is sure to make Malaysians patriotic, and it will be fun to watch for everyone as well. But people will also say bad things about it because of things like the Sikh soldiers and how the story is messed up.
Overall, it’s a fun movie with historical characters that also takes some liberties with the truth for the sake of the story. People will like the fight scene because it’s different from what we usually see, but the same is hard to say about the story.
And the end is not very satisfying; it’s more like a bad cliffhanger for a second book.
Summary: Mat Kilau
The movie is fun to watch as long as you don’t mind certain things. It’s perfect for people who want to watch a patriotic movie. But you don’t have to watch it.
I have mixed feelings about the movie, and I wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings by telling them to skip it.
Stream Mat Kilau on Netflix if you still want to see it.
Summary
The events of the novel take place in 1892, although the Pahang region was still governed by British colonial authorities at the time. This happened three years before the founding of the Federated Malay States.
By levying taxes on retailers, taking the harvest from parents, and interfering with their customary practices and spiritual beliefs, the British had taken advantage of the abundance of agricultural produce from the Malays in Pahang. Thanks to this, the British were able to take advantage of the wealth that belonged to the Malays.
The Malay population of Pahang is now heading towards the British as a result of the British movement, which was undertaken without their consent.
In order to be able to protect Pahang, his home and Malaysia and free it from any further occupation, Mat Kilau, a Malay warrior, together with his father, Tok Gajah, and his friends, engaged in a fierce fight against the British administration. They do this because they have to defend Pahang and Malaysia simultaneously.
When Mat Kilau and Tok Gajah created an artistic strategy of resistance that ultimately led to horrific struggle, the Brits were placed in a situation where they were subject to conflict and stress.
About Mat Kilau
Adi Putra plays Mat Kilau bin Imam Rasu, a Malaysian warrior who fought against British colonialists during the Pahang uprising in Pahang, British Malaysia, before independence, in Syamsul Yusof’s 2022 biographical historical epic Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan. “Mat Kilau: The Rise of a Warrior” is the name of the movie. The many performers who play supporting roles throughout the film include Beto Kusyairy, Fattah Amin, Yayan Ruhian, Geoff Andre Feyaerts and Johan As’ari.
The year 1892, when the Pahang regions were under the control of British colonial rule, serves as the backdrop for the film. Rahman Dali, Shahruddin Dali and Yusof Haslam were held responsible for producing the film. Photoshoot reportedly began in 2018 and ended in 2021. As co-producers, Studio Kembara Sdn Bhd and Skop Productions Sdn Bhd were involved in all aspects of the film’s production.
The official Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan poster was released on May 13, 2022, while the official trailer for the film was released to the general public on June 16, 2022. The screening ceremony for the film was held at Golden Screen Cinemas on same day (SGC). The majority of the population saw the film for the first time on June 23, 2022.
The film was a huge success at the box office. The film cost RM8 million to produce, but after just 40 days in theaters, it had amassed RM96 million, making it the highest-grossing Malaysian film of all time.
Review by Mat Kilau
Production
Kebangkitan Pahlawan, which was also the first film Syamsul Yusof directed but did not act, was the first film Syamsul Yusof directed but did not play any roles. He announced in August 2017 that he will be directing a major film that will likely focus on the illustrious past of national heroes. After a slew of production companies and filmmakers failed to complete the filming of the historic film as well as the fight against Mat Kilau, he previously agreed to work on the script. He had previously accepted the responsibility of working on the writing.
On March 8, 2018, Syamsul announced that he may direct a historical biographical film about Mat Kilau, a Malay warrior who fought for British rule in Pahang, at the KL Special Force film gala held in Petaling Jaya. The life of Mat Kilau will be the subject of the film.
The film’s first official day of shooting was April 1, 2018, although production had to be put on hold for a while due to a number of unavoidable circumstances. Singaporean actor Adi Putra plays a role of Mat Kilau throughout the collection. Adi, according to Syamsul, was chosen to play the title character because he was able to liven up the role and because Syamsul was confident that Adi, an accomplished actor, would successfully carry the role.
Due to production issues, the film’s production was put on hold in August 2018. However, in October 2018, it was restarted. Filming for the film was reportedly almost complete in June 2020, then it was reported again in February 2021 that the film had finished filming but the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a postponement of the film’s premiere.
On May 15, 2022, the true cost of the film’s ending was discovered to be RM8 million. This disclosure took place on May 15, 2022. The shooting of the film took a total of 100 days, and although some of it was shot in Perak State, other footage was also shot in Pahang, Melaka and Selangor.
Cast
- Adi Putra as Mat Kilau
- Beto Kusyairy as Wahid
- Fattah Amin as Awang
- Johan As’ari as Yassin
- Rahim Razali as Imam Bottoqh
- Jalaluddin Hassan as Haji Muhammad
- Namron as Haji Sulong
- Farah Ahmad as Yang Chik
- Wan Hanafi Su as Imam Rasu @ Tok Gajah
- Yayan Ruhian as Toga
- Ali Karimie as Brahim
- Zarina Zainoordin as Rokiah
- Shaharuddin Thamby as Dato’ Bahaman
- Khir Rahman as Usup
- Ellie Suriati as Salmah
- Siraj Alsagoff as Shidu
- A. Galak as Pak Deris
- Farid Amirul as Goh Hoi
- Mubarak Majid as Father Yassin
- Z.Zamri as Hitam
- Geoff Andre Feyaerts as Captain Syers
- Harith Haziq as Omar
- Wan Suhaimi as Kelubi
- Megat Terawis as Mat Hassan
- Awie Bakri as Haji Ali
- Mark Geoffry as J.P. Rodger
- David Abraham as Sir Hugh Clifford
- Dennis Arthur as Professor Cameron
Exit
On May 13, 2022, the official Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan movie poster was released for purchase. On June 16, 2022, the film premiered at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC). On the same day, the official trailer for it was also released in the market.
