The Big Durian

Puzzled, I kept on questioning myself why would Amir Muhammad name his documentary 'Big Durian'... of all names he had to name that. Would it be possible that since durian is the king of fruits in Malaysia, he uses this fruit to represent Malaysia? At the same time the durian's sharp stuff that pokes very well might represent the darkness and tribulations Malaysia had,is, and will go through... Anyway, below are my answers for Sharaad's Qs. =)


1. What scene in 'The Big Durian' made a n impression on you, and why?

The introduction in this documentary was the scene that made an impression on me. In the introduction, the narrator could not, or had did it on purpose, identify which is the 1st and 2nd tower of KLCC, as well as the two rivers that met somewhere in the heart of KL. That was the only scene that made me laugh, as it was just hilarious. If the director had did it on purpose, it was a very creative idea because that scene had certainly enlightened its viewers.

2. What was rumoured to be Private Adam's grouse (pain)/ reason which lead to him running amuck?

It was said that Private Adam's brother was killed by the Sultan of Johore when the Sultan was playing golf. Apparently the Sultan had lost the game, and the caddy (Adam's brother) laughed. Upon hearing the laugh, the Sultan got mad and hit the caddy with the golf stick. As a result of wanting to see justice, Private Adam decided to run amok. Another rumour was that he went to Chow Kit and started shooting becuase he felt that Chow Kit was 'infested' with prostitutes.

3. A character from Sabah ends her narrative by noting the look on Private Adam's face. What was it that she saw and how does it contrast with her feelings?

The look on Private Adam's face that she saw was a 'satisfied and freedom' look. It contrasted with her feelings because she wanted to be happy in KL, or she thought she would be. She felt envious of Private Adam for he had what she could not achieve - the feeling of being satisfied and happy.

4. From what historical vantage point is the director viewing the events of 1987? What is the 'present' of the documentary and what is its mood?

I think the director, having to view the events in 198, was trying to also see, besides the political tension and how double statndards were practiced by the government, the views of the citizens of what they thought about the events. He wanted to portray how Malaysians, were, and still are not ready to accept anything that is out of the norm, or to accept the differences of one another. For example, May 13 is still feared even till 1987, for the people at Chow Kit hid when the shooting began, or how Sandra Sodhy's character that ran away trying to avoid answering this topic.