Women from Rote Island

The only reason I checked this movie out was because it was Indonesia's official submission to the Oscars this year. And having watched a few but amazing Indonesian movies in the past, I was rather curious what this year's entry was about. But not too long into the movie, it becomes quite obviously apparent that this is a movie about a very heavy subject matter in the hands of someone who just lacks the nuance to approach it with any level of sensibility that isn't just "r*pe bad".

I know nothing about the director, but this movie reads like the works of someone with a very 'cinematically artsy' view of how victims of r*pe and SA would behave, and that makes it rather unintentionally comical. The scene where Martha first returns for her father's funeral in a 'traumatized' state and waves at the corpse with a half-smile is about as prophetic as a scene could be as to how this movie perceives acts of sexual violence and the trauma it brings with it.

It's a very 'made-for-festivals' movie where the mere act of filming poverty or gratuitous acts of sexual violence could give the filmmaker the impression that they're now exempt from actually having to present something of value. There isn't much I really liked about this movie; both conceptually and even technically, and I just found it to be a huge waste of time.

What is presented in the film Women from Rote Island is very bold. The themes that this film raises include violence, patriarchy, discrimination, and trauma. The story of this film is so explicit that it has sparked controversy. This film seems to voice social issues that are still happening in society today with its main topic which is really presented quite clearly, but the resolution is too forced and becomes quite cliché. In addition, we will also be made to think about who the perpetrator is with a slowly intense atmosphere. And this film also displays its thick mores. The characterization in this film is also quite complicated, but still can't make us feel-in with the characters. The pacing feels too slow at some moments. Good cinematography, coupled with the use of many long take techniques and also the beautiful background of Rote Island. For the editing, there are some that are not so smooth and really unnecessary. It seems that everything in this film is more than just a film property, because of its authenticity. Although the scoring is seldom, it is used appropriately to increase its intensity. The acting from the cast filled by the local people is very impressive, especially for Irma Novita Rihi who successfully brought the character who experienced trauma. Overall, behind all that, this film still reaps harsh criticism from Indonesian audiences.

I give this 8.2/10.