After the Curfew

Usmar Ismail's 1954 Indonesian film follows a guerrilla returning from the war of independence. Iskandar tries to adjust to civilian life but finds that another order has taken the place of the ideals he fought for, and most of his former comrades are now businessmen. The subject is what comes after a revolution. Iskandar questions who gained what and cannot reckon with something he did during the war; the narrative shows what happened without vindicating him. Usmar Ismail is counted among the founders of Indonesian cinema and this film is among the country's classics. It was long unavailable and returned to circulation through an international restoration programme. The narrative concentrates over a single night. Who it's for: those interested in Indonesian film history and postwar drama. Who it's not for: viewers unfamiliar with the independence period; the film uses the context without explaining it.