Gubra
By Yasmin Ahmad
After “Sepet”, Yasmin Ahmad presents another movie which revolves around the daily lives of a woman named Orked. Yasmin Ahmad’s sequel to her movie “Sepet” is called “Gubra”. Gubra is actually a movie telling the audience about the life of Orked after her graduation from a university overseas or at least after her return from England (as Yasmin Ahmad does not indicate clearly of which version is the most accurate).
This film setting is quite complicated to determine. This is because the movie applies props that are not constant to the storyline. The director employs an old BMW car (appears to suggest the story takes place in the 1970s or the 1980s) for Arif to drive. In addition to that Alan drives an old pick-up (complements the BMW car. Jason on the other hand sells pirated CDs at the market (which suggests that the story takes place somewhere in the late 1990s till the present).
Orked (Sharifah Amani), Arif (Adlin Aman Ramli), Harith Iskandar (Orked’s father), Ida Nerina (Orked’s mother), Adibah Noor (Kak Yam), and Alan Yun (Alan -- Jason’s brother) are among the prominent characters in Yasmin Ahmad’s “Gubra”. The movie is aptly named “Gubra” because the movie starts off with Orked and her whole family went frantic because Orked’s father collapses due to low sugar count in the blood as a result of his suffering from diabetes mellitus. Orked, with her long, unruly hair went along in the chaotic scenes as her mother and the driver cum gardener decides to send Orked’s father to the hospital. The chaotic scene went for almost ten to fifteen minutes until finally the whole family is allowed to enter Orked’s father’s ward.
Yasmin Ahmad’s “Gubra” is filled with direct and indirect messages. Among the messages that Yasmin wants to highlight are religious issues, inter-racial marriages, husband and wife relationship, marriage infidelity, Malaysians’ anxiety of HIV and AIDS, community acceptance to prostitution activity and last but not least Asians’ values and perceptions of sex.
Yasmin Ahmad’s movies have been marked as provocative. This is mainly due to her “openness” and stoicism in telling her stories. It could be that she wants to revolutionize Malaysian films. Not all Malaysian finds this film interesting, thought-provoking and enlightening. However, many of the issues that the film tries to address are worth taking-note for.
Apart from the scene where Orked engaged in a playful mood with her husband in their bedroom, Yasmin also portrays a scene of a “Bilal” playfully chasing his wife in front of their son. These two scenes have the ability to create a stir among the more conservative Muslim viewers. This is because Malaysia’s Muslim community understands the holiness of a Bilal because of his duty to the religion. By portraying a Bilal chasing his wife in a playful mood is seen as marring that holiness image of a religious man. This is provocative because the audience also understands that a Bilal is still a human being and is similar to Arif’s situation with Orked. Just because of the Bilal’s position as a religious man, the audience forgets that he too enjoys teasing his wife.
Apart from that, the scene where Bilal pats a stray dog en route to the musolla or surau also creates a sense of uneasiness among the Muslims. This is due to the fact that a Muslim is forbidden to touch a dog because it is haram and thus if a person who touches a dog and perform a religious duty such as the prayers or reciting the Quran, his actions are useless as it is not lawful against the Syariah. However, it is stated that a person can touch a dog on one condition – both the dog and the person needs to be thoroughly dried. The audience will easily oversee that the Bilal is thoroughly dry and so is the dog. Thus, he is allowed to touch that dog. Except for the fact that there was no necessary reason for that Bilal to touch the dog.
In addition to the above discussion, Yasmin Ahmad seems as if she wants to say that it is okay for a Bilal and his dutiful wife to be nice with their neighbour who is also a prostitute. The neighbour, played by Rozie Rashid (Fatimah or Temah) indifferently goes about her business as if her job is a revered one. It is extremely rare for a Bilal to greet a prostitute. However, it is not the prejudice that Yasmin Ahmad tries to highlight. In fact, what Yasmin is trying to highlight is that the compassion and goodwill among human beings. It is definitely not wrong to greet a prostitute. It is the stigma and prejudices that Yasmin tries to eliminate among Malaysians. It is awkward for a person to greet a prostitute especially when the person greeting the prostitute is a religious man. But is it wrong for a neighbour to greet his fellow neighbour? Definitely not.
On the other hand, “Gubra” also tries to bring forth the issue of inter-racial marriage. This is done via Orked’s character. Orked was previously in love with Jason, a Chinese VCD player. She was infatuated by him due to his charm, calm nature and because they understand each other. However, her love to Jason ends as abruptly as it had started. Jason was suggestively pictured been killed in a road accident. In “Gubra”, Orked gradually falls for Jason’s brother (played by Alan Yun). They met at the hospital on the same day as Harith Iskandar’s character is hospitalized. Even though Orked is still married to Arif (Adlin Aman Ramli), she still goes out with Alan Yun’s character. This shows that she has chemistry with him. Later in the movie the audience are shown their similarities as they both sang an old Chinese song while having a ride in Alan’s old pick up. Obviously Arif is not too happy to see his wife being so close to her old fling’s brother. Similarly, Kak Yam is also attracted to a Chinese guy who works at the hospital. Kak Yam flirts with the Chinese guy as soon as the incident between Orked assaulting Alan with a stained and smelly hospital mop. From then on, Kak Yam acts more lady-like whenever the Chinese guy is around.
Next, one of the most apparent scenes in “Gubra” is the one where Orked’s parents are doing a silly dance movement while lying on the hospital bed. This scene suggests that the relationship between the husband and wife is good. They are both loving and supportive of each other. In addition, there are also other scenes that suggest strong intimacy of this couple. What Yasmin wants to portray here is that intimacy is not unique to young lovers but also among couples who have been married for more than ten years. It is not something funny. In fact, these types of behaviors should be condoned to ensure that the sanctity of marriage is saved. However, couples should make the intimacy gestures more subtle when they are around their children or whenever they are in public.
The issue of marriage infidelity is highlighted via the characters of Arif and Orked. Their infidelity is made apparent when Orked accidentally bumps into her husband as she is sight-seeing Ipoh town with Alan. The audience may easily interpret that Arif is at fault as he is seeing another woman. But what about Orked who may appears to be the victim but still going out with Alan? The risk of infidelity in marriages is inevitable. However, the couple can surely minimize the risk. Infidelity may be caused by a spouse or even both parties can be at fault. Yasmin Ahmad however chooses to highlight the plight of women whose husbands are infidels.
The issue of women’s plight is made apparent in the scene when Fatimah’s ex-husband (played by Khir Rahman) tries to rob her. Temah refuses to give in thus she shouted and she fights the man with all her might. The hammer that Temah takes out from her handbag is a statement that all women should be careful and alert of their surroundings at all times. Apart from the attempted robbing, Temah, who is a single mother to a 7 year old son is diagnosed with HIV positive. Her sadness is made clear by her tears that trickle down her cheeks in the clinic right after she finds out the bitter fact that she is now a carrier of the deadly virus.
Kiah and Kak Mas take Temah’s diagnosis of HIV positive very well. Maybe Yasmin Ahmad tries to convey a message telling the Malaysians that it is safe for us to befriend the HIV carriers as long as we know the risks and the way the virus is spread. This gesture from Yasmin acts as her way of educating Malaysians about HIV and AIDS.
In addition to that, Kak Mas (the young Bilal’s wife) and Temah’s friend named Kiah who is also a prostitute has to suffer in order to earn a living. However, towards the end of the movie, Kiah finally says that she will no longer have to do that job ever again to Kak Mas.
Apart from Kiah and Temah, Alan and Jason’s mother – the peranakan lady is also suffering. The Nyonya and her old and thin Chinese husband bicker all the time. The Nyonya can be described as experiencing domestic violence. Her husband is not tolerant about many things and always makes her life difficult. There is this one time when the Nyonya scolds her husband for asking for pork for lunch. “Lu ni, kalau satu hari tak makan babi, tak sah!” or loosely translated as “You can’t live without eating pork, huh?”. Here, the audience may understand that the Nyonya is tired of her husband’s tantrums and silly requests. Not only that, she has to suffer from humiliation since an elderly Muslim man and his two wives were next to her husband’s bed. The two Malay women heard the Nyonya and her Chinese husbands bickering almost all the time.
Last but not least, Yasmin’s “Gubra” is woven with some sexual innuendos since a few scenes can be considered as too graphic for children below the age of 12. In addition to that, many dialogues in “Gubra” are insinuated with the subject of sex or sexually-related issues. Malaysians are still not as open-minded as their Western counterparts when it comes to talking about sex. Sex is still considered as a taboo and thus can only be discussed with much discretion or better still not to discuss at all.
Based on the arguments stated above, “Gubra” can be considered as a revolutionary Malaysian movie as it depicts issues that most Malaysians prefer to be kept in the closet. At least “Gubra” tries to highlight these issues in a different light and from a different angle especially when it is a masterpiece from the eloquent Yasmin Ahmad.
By Yasmin Ahmad
After “Sepet”, Yasmin Ahmad presents another movie which revolves around the daily lives of a woman named Orked. Yasmin Ahmad’s sequel to her movie “Sepet” is called “Gubra”. Gubra is actually a movie telling the audience about the life of Orked after her graduation from a university overseas or at least after her return from England (as Yasmin Ahmad does not indicate clearly of which version is the most accurate).
This film setting is quite complicated to determine. This is because the movie applies props that are not constant to the storyline. The director employs an old BMW car (appears to suggest the story takes place in the 1970s or the 1980s) for Arif to drive. In addition to that Alan drives an old pick-up (complements the BMW car. Jason on the other hand sells pirated CDs at the market (which suggests that the story takes place somewhere in the late 1990s till the present).
Orked (Sharifah Amani), Arif (Adlin Aman Ramli), Harith Iskandar (Orked’s father), Ida Nerina (Orked’s mother), Adibah Noor (Kak Yam), and Alan Yun (Alan -- Jason’s brother) are among the prominent characters in Yasmin Ahmad’s “Gubra”. The movie is aptly named “Gubra” because the movie starts off with Orked and her whole family went frantic because Orked’s father collapses due to low sugar count in the blood as a result of his suffering from diabetes mellitus. Orked, with her long, unruly hair went along in the chaotic scenes as her mother and the driver cum gardener decides to send Orked’s father to the hospital. The chaotic scene went for almost ten to fifteen minutes until finally the whole family is allowed to enter Orked’s father’s ward.
Yasmin Ahmad’s “Gubra” is filled with direct and indirect messages. Among the messages that Yasmin wants to highlight are religious issues, inter-racial marriages, husband and wife relationship, marriage infidelity, Malaysians’ anxiety of HIV and AIDS, community acceptance to prostitution activity and last but not least Asians’ values and perceptions of sex.
Yasmin Ahmad’s movies have been marked as provocative. This is mainly due to her “openness” and stoicism in telling her stories. It could be that she wants to revolutionize Malaysian films. Not all Malaysian finds this film interesting, thought-provoking and enlightening. However, many of the issues that the film tries to address are worth taking-note for.
Apart from the scene where Orked engaged in a playful mood with her husband in their bedroom, Yasmin also portrays a scene of a “Bilal” playfully chasing his wife in front of their son. These two scenes have the ability to create a stir among the more conservative Muslim viewers. This is because Malaysia’s Muslim community understands the holiness of a Bilal because of his duty to the religion. By portraying a Bilal chasing his wife in a playful mood is seen as marring that holiness image of a religious man. This is provocative because the audience also understands that a Bilal is still a human being and is similar to Arif’s situation with Orked. Just because of the Bilal’s position as a religious man, the audience forgets that he too enjoys teasing his wife.
Apart from that, the scene where Bilal pats a stray dog en route to the musolla or surau also creates a sense of uneasiness among the Muslims. This is due to the fact that a Muslim is forbidden to touch a dog because it is haram and thus if a person who touches a dog and perform a religious duty such as the prayers or reciting the Quran, his actions are useless as it is not lawful against the Syariah. However, it is stated that a person can touch a dog on one condition – both the dog and the person needs to be thoroughly dried. The audience will easily oversee that the Bilal is thoroughly dry and so is the dog. Thus, he is allowed to touch that dog. Except for the fact that there was no necessary reason for that Bilal to touch the dog.
In addition to the above discussion, Yasmin Ahmad seems as if she wants to say that it is okay for a Bilal and his dutiful wife to be nice with their neighbour who is also a prostitute. The neighbour, played by Rozie Rashid (Fatimah or Temah) indifferently goes about her business as if her job is a revered one. It is extremely rare for a Bilal to greet a prostitute. However, it is not the prejudice that Yasmin Ahmad tries to highlight. In fact, what Yasmin is trying to highlight is that the compassion and goodwill among human beings. It is definitely not wrong to greet a prostitute. It is the stigma and prejudices that Yasmin tries to eliminate among Malaysians. It is awkward for a person to greet a prostitute especially when the person greeting the prostitute is a religious man. But is it wrong for a neighbour to greet his fellow neighbour? Definitely not.
On the other hand, “Gubra” also tries to bring forth the issue of inter-racial marriage. This is done via Orked’s character. Orked was previously in love with Jason, a Chinese VCD player. She was infatuated by him due to his charm, calm nature and because they understand each other. However, her love to Jason ends as abruptly as it had started. Jason was suggestively pictured been killed in a road accident. In “Gubra”, Orked gradually falls for Jason’s brother (played by Alan Yun). They met at the hospital on the same day as Harith Iskandar’s character is hospitalized. Even though Orked is still married to Arif (Adlin Aman Ramli), she still goes out with Alan Yun’s character. This shows that she has chemistry with him. Later in the movie the audience are shown their similarities as they both sang an old Chinese song while having a ride in Alan’s old pick up. Obviously Arif is not too happy to see his wife being so close to her old fling’s brother. Similarly, Kak Yam is also attracted to a Chinese guy who works at the hospital. Kak Yam flirts with the Chinese guy as soon as the incident between Orked assaulting Alan with a stained and smelly hospital mop. From then on, Kak Yam acts more lady-like whenever the Chinese guy is around.
Next, one of the most apparent scenes in “Gubra” is the one where Orked’s parents are doing a silly dance movement while lying on the hospital bed. This scene suggests that the relationship between the husband and wife is good. They are both loving and supportive of each other. In addition, there are also other scenes that suggest strong intimacy of this couple. What Yasmin wants to portray here is that intimacy is not unique to young lovers but also among couples who have been married for more than ten years. It is not something funny. In fact, these types of behaviors should be condoned to ensure that the sanctity of marriage is saved. However, couples should make the intimacy gestures more subtle when they are around their children or whenever they are in public.
The issue of marriage infidelity is highlighted via the characters of Arif and Orked. Their infidelity is made apparent when Orked accidentally bumps into her husband as she is sight-seeing Ipoh town with Alan. The audience may easily interpret that Arif is at fault as he is seeing another woman. But what about Orked who may appears to be the victim but still going out with Alan? The risk of infidelity in marriages is inevitable. However, the couple can surely minimize the risk. Infidelity may be caused by a spouse or even both parties can be at fault. Yasmin Ahmad however chooses to highlight the plight of women whose husbands are infidels.
The issue of women’s plight is made apparent in the scene when Fatimah’s ex-husband (played by Khir Rahman) tries to rob her. Temah refuses to give in thus she shouted and she fights the man with all her might. The hammer that Temah takes out from her handbag is a statement that all women should be careful and alert of their surroundings at all times. Apart from the attempted robbing, Temah, who is a single mother to a 7 year old son is diagnosed with HIV positive. Her sadness is made clear by her tears that trickle down her cheeks in the clinic right after she finds out the bitter fact that she is now a carrier of the deadly virus.
Kiah and Kak Mas take Temah’s diagnosis of HIV positive very well. Maybe Yasmin Ahmad tries to convey a message telling the Malaysians that it is safe for us to befriend the HIV carriers as long as we know the risks and the way the virus is spread. This gesture from Yasmin acts as her way of educating Malaysians about HIV and AIDS.
In addition to that, Kak Mas (the young Bilal’s wife) and Temah’s friend named Kiah who is also a prostitute has to suffer in order to earn a living. However, towards the end of the movie, Kiah finally says that she will no longer have to do that job ever again to Kak Mas.
Apart from Kiah and Temah, Alan and Jason’s mother – the peranakan lady is also suffering. The Nyonya and her old and thin Chinese husband bicker all the time. The Nyonya can be described as experiencing domestic violence. Her husband is not tolerant about many things and always makes her life difficult. There is this one time when the Nyonya scolds her husband for asking for pork for lunch. “Lu ni, kalau satu hari tak makan babi, tak sah!” or loosely translated as “You can’t live without eating pork, huh?”. Here, the audience may understand that the Nyonya is tired of her husband’s tantrums and silly requests. Not only that, she has to suffer from humiliation since an elderly Muslim man and his two wives were next to her husband’s bed. The two Malay women heard the Nyonya and her Chinese husbands bickering almost all the time.
Last but not least, Yasmin’s “Gubra” is woven with some sexual innuendos since a few scenes can be considered as too graphic for children below the age of 12. In addition to that, many dialogues in “Gubra” are insinuated with the subject of sex or sexually-related issues. Malaysians are still not as open-minded as their Western counterparts when it comes to talking about sex. Sex is still considered as a taboo and thus can only be discussed with much discretion or better still not to discuss at all.
Based on the arguments stated above, “Gubra” can be considered as a revolutionary Malaysian movie as it depicts issues that most Malaysians prefer to be kept in the closet. At least “Gubra” tries to highlight these issues in a different light and from a different angle especially when it is a masterpiece from the eloquent Yasmin Ahmad.
10 comments:
quite good..i like it..
by SyaQ_E.......
BM1141A
wohooooo..
it a nice info n review bout this story..
btw this story is too open n the way it deliver abit not comfortable for malaysian to see with family
by,
iskandar
this story make a revolution and give a mindset open like a bilal touch a dog with a dried hand maybe certain said it is haram but it is definitely wrong it is makruh only
quite good..got moral values in this movie..i like it..
by : SyaQ_BM1141A
This story line is very good...it's give me more knowledge....
by;SITI ASIAH ZAKARIA(FIFIE)
"Gubra" adalah satu movie yg menarik. Ia boleh dilihat semua peringkat umur n kta xsepatutnyer fikir negatif kpd p.puan yg melacur diri.
This movie is very good because it has many moral value and I like your review because i can understand it.
BY:MOHD SYAZWAN
sir....hmmm...raso nop tgk jah movie nih..mcm best uhhh..hahahaha...bTw ske sgt2...bezt sir...well done..!!
huhhuhuhu...=)))
by : sue
Gubra adalah cerita yang memerlukan kta utk berfikir ttg apa yg ingin disampaikn walaupun perbuatannya kdg2 tidak masuk akal.selain itu,ia mmberi byak pngajaran.
sir,,,,,it's a gud movie review....macam bezzz cter nie jah hehehe nk tngk ntie.....i like it so much sir.....
by : syahira
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