Abang (1981)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Classics

Suria did something right last night, by showing this. I remember watching this when I was a kid ; secretly in envy of Dila (Ogy) who was so lucky to have so many abangs and THE enigmatic eldest abang as personified by Rahim Razali. You see, as a kid I always fantasized having an abang (one at least), instead of being the eldest with a pesky wailing younger sister (sorry aai..haha!) whom I had to always keep an eye on when all I wanted to do was play.

Being a kid then, I didn’t really remember all the other family intrigues that greeted Fuad upon his return. I remember instead the kampong scenes – him drifting on the rakit, main tarik upih, and the kenduri at the end. Oh. And of course, that scene when he rescued Dila from some junkies in a science lab and knocking over all those bottles in the process *cue: swoon, brave abang!*.

Interestingly, new perspectives emerged when watching it through adult eyes. I was amazed at how Noorkumalasari could walk around with such bouffant frizzy mane (among other fashion faux pas circa 1981) and chuckled at her and Ogy’s OTT acting, but that aside, the movie was an interesting sociocultural reflection of Malay society back then. The lives of the nouveau riche and their social parties and drinking juxtaposed with simple kampong life.

Love the soundtrack too.

Anyway, that movie made me a fan of Rahim Razali and the kind, menyembunyikan sejuta rahsia smile of his unlikely, reluctant hero persona. His subsequent movies like Anak Sarawak and Tsu-Feh Sofia were similarly reflective. And then suddenly he disappeared and then resurfacing again in Cinta (2006), tugging hearts as at dignified cikgu pencen with Alzheimer’s. He sure ages gracefully.

I was just thinking of the movie the other day, wondering if it’s on DVD or CD or something, so thank you for playing this Suria. Now if you could just play Anak Sarawak and Tsu-Feh Sofia again, I’ll be eternally grateful.