Courage over Fear

Courage is something that most of us possess but there are times that we cannot find it no matter how hard we try. It helps us do things that we didn’t know we are capable of accomplishing. Just like a hero, journalists fueled with hunger for the truth barged into this film to show us what real courage looks like.

Guy Hamilton (Mel Gibson) is an Australian journalist who was sent to Jakarta, Indonesia to uncover the political issues that were happening during President Sukarno’s regime. Since Hamilton just arrived in a foreign country, he still doesn’t know how the place works. Luckily, he met Billy Kwan (Linda Hunt), a Eurasian dwarfish photographer who helped Guy crack the story that made him reach the top.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

Billy gave Guy an opportunity to interview the leader of the Communist party. Soon after releasing the story, Guy was considered a hot shot among his fellow journalists in the area. They were partners that could have achieved greater feats in exposing the truth behind the President’s betrayal with the people. Unfortunately, a crack was formed between the two when Guy met Jill Bryant (Sigourney Weaver). An English woman who works for the British Embassy. The two were madly in love and this love resulted in someone's death. Guy was stuck between staying for the truth or going after the love of his life. Of course, we all know what would be Guy’s choice.

The main issue that was shown in the film was poverty. It is the result of the President's incompetence and empty speeches that made the people of Indonesia suffer. Timely, right? People are living in the slums waiting for passersby to hand them food or money. Women are resorting to sex work to have money. The scenes are heartbreaking. Watching kids get excited for having rations. There’s a part in the film where Billy saw a kid eating rice that fell on the ground. It showed what kind of a character Billy is. He wants the people’s rights back. He wants his people to receive what they truly deserve. Billy isn’t just a supporting character, he portrays the thing that most people lack, love.

The truth is what keeps people from being blind. However, there are journalists in the film that don't show the truth when it’s not beneficial to them. Luckily, Guy and Billy do not act that way. They want to expose the abuse of power that the current ruler bestows on his land.

“The Year of Living Dangerously,” is a romantic drama film that came out in 1982. It was based on a 1978 novel by C.J. Koch was directed by Peter Weir who was behind Jim Carrey’s “The Truman Show”. The film was filled with the idea of different issues that shows the diversity of culture between the locals and the foreign individuals present.

The casts are spot on, especially Linda Hunt’s character. Billy is not there to provide information, he’s there as a springboard to open the eyes of the people around him. Linda did an amazing job in bringing the emotion that her character needs. Mel Gibson on the other hand, showed what it takes to be a good actor. There’s no time that he was off character, it’s like he’s himself. The extras in the film were obviously diverse in terms of cultural background. There are people who spoke Filipino and of course, Indonesian.

The camera work in the film was not about sugar coating what’s happening. It was on the spot, showing the reality that the people were living in. Also, Wayang Kulit was shown in the film. It’s a traditional Indonesian paper-shadow play that tells different stories. This short presentation of art showed Indonesia’s exotic culture.

This film is relevant along with what’s happening with our country right now. One thing’s for sure, there is hope. As long as we love one another, we can get over things no matter how hard it is. A true declaration of love means fighting no matter what it takes. This film shows love that exceeds personal feelings. Very timely.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Year of Living Dangerously Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL6BqLMZJyA