The Sinking of Van Der Wijck

Sunil Soraya's 2013 Indonesian film is adapted from Hamka's novel of the 1930s. Following his father's wish, Zainuddin travels from Makassar to the Minangkabau region, where he is never fully accepted because his mother came from another group. His relationship with Hayati is refused by her family on grounds of lineage and she is married to someone else. He goes to Java, grows wealthy as a writer, and years later the two meet again. The film centres custom, class and pride and arrives finally at a shipwreck. It is an ambitious period production visually and drew a large audience in Indonesia, while being criticised over its representation of Minangkabau culture. It is long and its melodrama is pronounced. Who it's for: viewers who like period melodrama and literary adaptation. Who it's not for: anyone expecting restraint; the film keeps the feeling high.