It is always a wonder why a country like Japan which has been hit twice by atomic bombs managed to rise back from the dead and overtake the others who had less trouble back in WWII (nudge nudge)
Mamat Khalid provides the hint here, in Japanese anime style! (Including some cutscenes. The past events and ending scenes are in full color. Whilst the present which is full of conflicts is in desaturated tone. Also the mix of genres. Vampires, Mad Max.)
Samurai swords, the girls are on Japanese school skirts, and a spiritual character (Pendita) in white Samurai dress!
All these are applied to a local scenario. How would Malaysia survive an atomic apocalypse similar to Japan? Mamat Khalid showed the survivors will still be fighting for power.
As Pak Hassan Abd Muthalib wrote in 'Cherita Sutradara & Seniman, Mamat Khalid' and also in his various film talks - the conflicts in this film are referring to the current political scenario in Malaysia. (The starting shots are of Putrajaya buildings in ruins)
Even 8 years after its release, and in post-pandemic Malaysia, the back-stabbing (and backdoor) also power-hungry politicians (Ramadhan fasting does not teach them anything), this Mamat Khalid's political criticism is as valid as ever.
Although we are not seeing ruins and collapsed buildings in Kuala Lumpur, we can metaphorically apply them as the collapse of the liveliness of the people. Lost of jobs. Closure of businesses. Lost of the loved ones. And having those not qualified (and not elected!) leading their post in the government (and trying to fix the illness) is not helping! (The rats fixing the pumpkins!)
They are the 'Godzilla' of Malaysia! (Godzilla as a dark allegory for the persistent scars of the American nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Maybe we can create one for Malaysia - a gigantic monstrous chicken backside, shooting volcanic chicken shit out of its butthole, destroying lives everywhere it goes)
The character Pendita talked about the cycle of life. "One has to die in order to be replaced." A hint to someone who can't let go of their grab on power. The film leads to an open and hopeful ending, where Pendita leads a pack of teens through a long tunnel (there is a light at the end of it).
Time will tell.
Quoting from a recent viral post "Don't just look at the rocks if you want to know the world."
