Ombak Rindu
There are so many things wrong about this movie I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, let me just say this - I went into the movie clearing my mind of all presumptions of what it could be. I’ve heard good things, bad things and so I wanted to watch it and judge for myself. So I had actually set myself up to the possibility that I could find something redeeming about the story, cast, characters … anything.
*spoiler* This is basically the premise of the movie: A girl gets sold off into prostitution by her uncle, she is raped by this uber rich, uber successful, uber famous businessman while she is unconscious and then when she wakes up and finds out what’s happened to her, she begs for the man to save her. So he buys her from the pimp and then tries to force himself on her again. She then pleads for him to marry her. And by some weird twist of feelings, he does. And she falls in love with him of course.Very romantic to fall in love with your rapist. Who! might I add, also physically, verbally and emotionally abuses her as well. Tres romantic.
My biggest problem with Ombak Rindu is the main characters Izzah and Hariz. Izzah is the idealistic Malay kampung girl who wears a tudung, teaches the Qur’an, forever passive and accepting of her fate and lovingly helps remove the shoes of her rapist. Hariz is the revoltingly-romanticized Malay man who is rich, successful, coming from a titled family - a typical ‘bad boy’ who apparently frequents night clubs to buy the favors of prostitutes while being engaged to another woman (who is not Izzah) and then abuses Izzah because she is so annoyingly accepting of his asshole-ish qualities.
The only thing about this movie which I think made it almost worth saving was the character of Mila - Hariz’s childhood sweetheart and fiancee. She, of course, does not wear a tudung, has a strong personality, is successful at her own field (a model and actress) and won’t take crap for anybody. I only pity her because she has been type-casted as what a Malay girl shouldn’t be - opinionated and *gasp* not covering her head.
All in all, this movie made me and my sister groan and scream (literally scream) in agony at the utter stupidity of the notion of Malay romance (marry your rapist and fall in love with him because marriage makes everything right). I worry at the thousands of women who feel that this is so touching and that Hariz is so sweet because this movie sends all the wrong messages about how you’re to react when you’re raped or should you lose your virginity. On another note, Izzah is a prime example of why feminism and women’s rights are still glaringly needed in Malaysia.
Reblogging this just to prove a point. Cmon people, what the hell. What the actual fuck.
(Source: naikaz)
