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''Asmara Moerni'' (;
Perfected Spelling The Enhanced Spelling of the Indonesian Language ( id, Ejaan Bahasa Indonesia yang Disempurnakan, EYD) is the spelling system used for the Indonesian language. History The Enhanced Spelling of the Indonesian Language ( id, Ejaan Bahasa Indone ...
: ''Asmara Murni'';
Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
for ''True Love'') is a 1941 romance film from the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
(now
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
) directed by
Rd Ariffien Rd is an abbreviation for road. RD or Rd may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Real Drive'', an anime by Production I.G * RD (group), a British girl group also known as Ruff Diamondz * ''Rilindja Demokratike'', an Albanian newspaper Bu ...
and produced by Ang Hock Liem for Union Films. Written by
Saeroen Saeroen ( Perfected Spelling: Saerun; fl. 1920s–1962) was an Indonesian journalist and screenwriter. Born in Yogyakarta, he became a journalist after a time working at a railway station. By the mid-1930s he had established the daily ''Pemandang ...
, the film followed a doctor who falls in love with his maid, as well as her failed romance with a fellow villager. Starring
Adnan Kapau Gani Adnan Kapau Gani (16 September 1905 – 23 December 1968), often abbreviated as A. K. Gani, was an Indonesian politician. Born in West Sumatra, he spent much of his youth in Java, where he studied medicine and became involved with the nasc ...
, Djoewariah, and S. Joesoef, the
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
film was cast and advertised to cater to the growing
native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...
intelligentsia. Despite mixed reviews, it was a commercial success. As with most films of the Indies, ''Asmara Moerni'' may be
lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
.


Plot

After four years of doing his residency in
Singkawang Singkawang or Sakawokng in Dayak Salako or San-Khew-Jong ( hak, 山口洋), is a city located in the province of West Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. It is located at about 145 km north of Pontianak, the provincial capital ...
, Borneo, Dr. Pardi (
Adnan Kapau Gani Adnan Kapau Gani (16 September 1905 – 23 December 1968), often abbreviated as A. K. Gani, was an Indonesian politician. Born in West Sumatra, he spent much of his youth in Java, where he studied medicine and became involved with the nasc ...
) returns to
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
to open a practice. Before then, he goes to Cigading to visit his family and give them souvenirs. Upon arrival he is stunned to find that his family's maid Tati ( Djoewariah), who had been his childhood playmate, is now a grown and beautiful woman. He secretly begins to fawn over Tati, although he does not tell her the reason. When Pardi's mother tells him he should marry quickly, he refuses all of her suggested brides. He says only that he already has someone in mind, aware that his mother would never approve an inter-class marriage with the maid. Tati's fiancé, Amir (S. Joesoef), is jealous of all the attention that Tati is receiving, which leaves her no time for him. He plans to leave Cigading for the capital, Batavia (today
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
), where he will find work. Tati, upon learning this, joins him. She lives at her aunt's home in the city, making a living by washing clothes, while he finds lodging with a local man and learns to drive a '' becak'' (pedicab). Together they begin saving for their wedding. Unknown to them, Pardi has cut short his time in Cigading to move to Batavia, both to begin his new job and to find Tati. Days before the wedding, Amir is playing his flute when he is approached by a singer known as Miss Omi, who asks him to join her troupe on an international tour. Amir refuses, even after Omi hires him to drive her around the city in an attempt to convince him. After dropping Omi off, Amir is approached by a man who asks him to deliver a package; however, before he can deliver the package Amir is arrested and charged with smuggling
opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...
. When Amir does not return, Tati and her aunt are worried: as Tati saw Amir with Omi, she fears that the two have run away together. Heartbroken, she intends to return to Cigading. When she and her aunt visit their boss, Abdul Sidik, they unknowingly pass PardiAbdul Sidik's doctor. Upon returning home, Pardi calls Abdul Sidik and asks him to take Tati in as if she were his daughter and educate her. Tati is a fast learner, and is soon comparable to any woman from a wealthy family. After being held eighteen months without trial, Amir is released and returned to Batavia. He is unable to find Tati, leaving him to wander the streets. Omi spots him, and again she asks him to play with her troupe. Amir agrees, and soon newspapers are filled with advertisements touting his name. Spotting one, Tati and Abdul Sidik go to a performance, only to learn that Amir was the victim of a car accident. At the hospital, where Amir is being treated by Pardi, Tati learns the truth behind Amir's absence. On his deathbed, Amir asks Pardi to take care of Tati; the two are later married.


Production

''Asmara Moerni'' was directed by
Rd Ariffien Rd is an abbreviation for road. RD or Rd may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Real Drive'', an anime by Production I.G * RD (group), a British girl group also known as Ruff Diamondz * ''Rilindja Demokratike'', an Albanian newspaper Bu ...
, a former journalist who had been active in the
nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
and
labour movement The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other. * The trade union movement ...
s before turning to theatre. He had joined Union Films – the company behind ''Asmara Moerni'' – in 1940, making his debut with '' Harta Berdarah'' (''Bloody Treasure''). Union's head Ang Hock Liem produced, while the story was written by journalist
Saeroen Saeroen ( Perfected Spelling: Saerun; fl. 1920s–1962) was an Indonesian journalist and screenwriter. Born in Yogyakarta, he became a journalist after a time working at a railway station. By the mid-1930s he had established the daily ''Pemandang ...
, who had joined Union after commercial success on
Albert Balink Albert Balink (3 August 1906 – 8 February 1976) was a Dutch journalist and filmmaker who contributed to early Indonesian cinema. Born in the Netherlands, he began a career in film journalism in the Dutch East Indies. A self-taught filmmaker ...
's ''
Terang Boelan ''Terang Boelan'' (; Indonesian for "Full Moon", ''Terang Bulan'' in the Perfected Spelling System) is a 1937 film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Written by Saeroen, directed by Albert Balink, and starring Rd Mochtar, Roekiah and E ...
'' (''Full Moon'', 1937) and with the production house
Tan's Film Tan's Film was a film production house in the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia). Established by the brothers Tan Khoen Yauw and Tan Khoen Hian on September 1, 1929, its films were mostly targeted at native ethnic groups. Starting with '' Njai ...
. The
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
film starred Adnan Kapau Gani, Djoewariah, and S. Joesoef. It was the feature film debut of Gani and Joesoef,; while Djoewariah had been on Union's payroll since '' Bajar dengan Djiwa'' (''Pay with Your Soul'') the preceding year. At the time there was a growing movement to attract native intelligentsia, educated at schools run by the Dutch colonial government, and convince them to view domestic films, which were generally considered to be of much lower quality than imported Hollywood productions. This was blamed, in part, on the dominance of theatrically trained actors and crew. As such, Ariffien invited Gani, at the time a medical doctor and a prominent member of the nationalist movement, to join the cast. Although some nationalists considered Gani's involvement in ''Asmara Moerni'' as besmirching the independence movement, Gani considered it necessary: he believed audiences needed to have higher opinions of domestic film productions.


Release and reception

''Asmara Moerni'' was premiered on 29 April 1941 at Orion Theatre in Batavia; the crowds were mostly
natives Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
and
ethnic Chinese The Chinese people or simply Chinese, are people or ethnic groups identified with China, usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation. Chinese people are known as Zhongguoren () or as Huaren () by speakers of s ...
. Rated for all ages, advertising for the film emphasised Gani's education and Joesoef's upper-class background. It was also advertised as breaking away from the conventional standards of stage theatre, such as music, which were omnipresent in the contemporary film industry. By August 1941 it was screened in
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, then part of the
Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Comp ...
, and billed as a "modern Malay drama". A novelisation was published later in 1941 by the
Yogyakarta Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...
-based Kolff-Buning. The film was a commercial success, though reviews were mixed. An anonymous review for the ''
Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad The ''Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad'' (; Batavian Newspaper) was one of the leading and largest daily newspapers in the Dutch East Indies. It was based in Batavia (now Jakarta) on Java, but read throughout the archipelago. It was founded by the famous D ...
'' found the film "fascinating", with good acting, while another review for the same paper found that, though the film was better than contemporary works such as ''
Pantjawarna ''Pantjawarna'' (Perfected Spelling: ''Pancawarna''; Indonesian for ''Five Colours'') is a 1941 film from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Plot A young woman must raise her two daughters, despite several hardships, while her husband is in pr ...
'' and ''
Sorga Ka Toedjoe ''Sorga Ka Toedjoe'' (; vernacular Malay for ''Seventh Heaven''; also advertised under the Dutch title ''In Den Zevenden Hemel'') is a 1940 film from the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) directed by Joshua and Othniel Wong for Tan' ...
'', its claim to abandon stage standards was to be taken "with a pinch of salt". A review from the
Surabaya Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
-based ''
Soerabaijasch Handelsblad The ''Soerabaijasch Handelsblad'' ("Surabaya Commercial Paper") was a Dutch-language broadsheet in Surabaya, in what was then the Dutch East Indies. It was published by Kolff and Company. Newspapers in Surabaya date to 1836, when the Dutch-l ...
'' found the film full of drama, describing it as "Western motifs, played in the native environment, with a specifically Sundanese situation".


Legacy

After ''Asmara Moerni'', Union produced a further three films; only one, '' Wanita dan Satria'', was by Rd Ariffien, who left the company soon after, as did Saeroen. Gani did not act in any further films, but instead returned to the nationalist movement. During the
Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during Aftermath of WWII, postw ...
(1945–49) he became known as a smuggler, and after independence became a government minister. In November 2007 Gani was made a
National Hero of Indonesia National Hero of Indonesia ( id, Pahlawan Nasional Indonesia) is the highest-level title awarded in Indonesia. It is posthumously given by the Government of Indonesia for actions which are deemed to be heroic, defined as "actual deeds which can b ...
. Djoewariah continued to act until the 1950s, when she migrated to theatre after receiving a series of increasingly minor roles. ''Asmara Moerni'' was screened as late as November 1945. The film is likely
lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
. Throughout the world, all movies were then shot on highly flammable
nitrate film Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and ...
, and after a fire destroyed much of Produksi Film Negara's warehouse in 1952, many films shot on nitrate were deliberately destroyed. As such, American visual anthropologist
Karl G. Heider Karl Heider (born January 21, 1935) is an American visual anthropologist. Life and education Heider was born in Northampton, Massachusetts. Heider is the son of psychologists Fritz and Grace (née Moore) Heider. He had two brothers; John and ...
suggests that all Indonesian films from before 1950 are lost. However, JB Kristanto's ''Katalog Film Indonesia'' (''Indonesian Film Catalogue'') records several as having survived at
Sinematek Indonesia Sinematek Indonesia, or Sinematek for short, is a film archive located in Jakarta. Established in 1975 by Misbach Yusa Biran and Asrul Sani, the archive was the first in Southeast Asia, and remains the only one in Indonesia. It is home to roughl ...
's archives, and film historian
Misbach Yusa Biran Misbach Yusa Biran (11 September 1933 – 11 April 2012) was an Indonesian writer, director and columnist who pioneered the Indonesian film archives. Personal life Biran was born in Rangkasbitung, in the Lebak Regency, to a Minangkabau f ...
writes that several Japanese propaganda films have survived at the
Netherlands Government Information Service The Netherlands Government Information Service (''Dutch:'' Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst, abbrev.: RVD) is a Dutch government agency. The RVD is the official information service of the Dutch government and is the spokesbody for the prime minister, the ...
.


See also

*
List of films of the Dutch East Indies A total of 112 fictional films are known to have been produced in the Dutch East Indies (modern day Indonesia) between 1926 and the colony's dissolution in 1949. The earliest motion pictures, imported from abroad, were shown in late 1900, and b ...


Explanatory notes


References


Works cited

* * * * * * * * * * * * (book acquired from the collection of Museum Tamansiswa Dewantara Kirti Griya, Yogyakarta) * * * *


External links

* {{Portal bar, Film, Indonesia, Netherlands 1941 romance films Films directed by Rd Ariffien Dutch East Indies films Indonesian black-and-white films Union Films films Lost Indonesian films 1941 lost films Indonesian romance films Lost romance films