Film Style in Indonesian Cinema, 1998-2018 - by Ari Purnama

About the Book

Examines the use of cinematography and mise en scène in contemporary Indonesian cinema

Book Synopsis

Headline: Examines the use of cinematography and mise en scène in contemporary Indonesian cinema
Blurb:
Film Style in Indonesian Cinema, 1998-2018 investigates the role of film style during the rebirth of Indonesian cinema following the collapse of General Suharto's New Order regime. Purnama argues that the renewal of Indonesian cinema was influenced by filmmakers who revamped the cinematic images of Indonesian film by foregrounding visual stylisation using cinematography and production design techniques. They transformed the aesthetic of Indonesian film to become stylistically complex with a pronounced degree of visual sophistication, offering local audiences pictorially appealing and engaging cinematic experiences.
Through a close analysis of lighting, production design, and camera movement in contemporary films such as Sang Pencerah, Laskar Pelangi, and The Raid: Redemption, Purnama highlights the significance of film style and the art of film-making to the cinematographers and production designers who revitalised Indonesian cinema in the 21st Century.
Key Features:
The first scholarly work that considers Indonesian cinema as an artistic field with significant aesthetic values and artistic accomplishmentsUses theories of film style never applied to Indonesian films before
Discusses films from underrepresented groups, including women, LGBTQ and ethnic minority filmmakers
Discusses Indonesian films that have been traditionally under-discussed in the field, including commercial genre films, exploitation films and short films
Visually supported with 49 images from Indonesian films
Incorporates the latest research on cinematography and production design
Brings closer the critical study of Indonesian film and film practice
Keywords: film style; cinematography; lighting; camera movement; production design; Indonesian cinema
Subject: Film Studies

From the Back Cover

Film Style in Indonesian Cinema, 1998-2018 investigates the role of film style during the rebirth of Indonesian cinema following the collapse of General Suharto's New Order regime. Purnama argues that the renewal of Indonesian cinema was influenced by filmmakers who revamped the cinematic images of Indonesian film by foregrounding visual stylisation using cinematography and production design techniques. They transformed the aesthetic of Indonesian film to become stylistically complex with a pronounced degree of visual sophistication, offering local audiences pictorially appealing and engaging cinematic experiences. Through a close analysis of lighting, production design, and camera movement in contemporary films such as Sang Pencerah, Laskar Pelangi, and The Raid: Redemption, Purnama highlights the significance of film style and the art of film-making to the cinematographers and production designers who revitalised Indonesian cinema in the 21st Century. Ari Purnama is an Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies at the University of Oregon.

Review Quotes

Film Style in Indonesian Cinema brilliantly extends our understanding of film style. Not only does it synthesize studies of lighting, production design, and camera movement; it goes beyond these studies by analyzing the dynamic cinema of Indonesia: a cinema of intensified darkness, energetic camerawork, and density of detail.--Patrick Keating, Trinity University

In this engrossing study of contemporary Indonesian film style, Ari Purnama probes the visual appeal and artistic power of a cinema in resurgence. Distinguished by analytical acuity and theoretical rigor, Purnama's account reveals how post-Suharto filmmakers have innovated upon past traditions, pushing Indonesian cinema to dazzling new heights of artistry.--Gary Bettinson, Author of The Sensuous Cinema of Wong Kar-wai and Editor-in-Chief of Asian Cinema.

About the Author

Ari Purnama is Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies at the University of Oregon.