Merantau (2009)

In Minangkabau, West Sumatera, Yuda a skilled practitioner of Silat Harimau is in the final preparations to begin his "Merantau" a century's old rites-of-passage to be carried out by the ... See full summary »

Director:

Gareth Evans

Writers:

Gareth Evans, Daiwanne Ralie (translation)

Stars:

Iko Uwais, Sisca Jessica, Christine Hakim

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Iko Uwais	...	Yuda
Sisca Jessica	...	Astri
Christine Hakim	...	Wulan
Mads Koudal	...	Ratger
Yusuf Aulia	...	Adit
Alex Abbad	...	Johni
Yayan Ruhian	...	Eric
Laurent Buson	...	Luc
Donny Alamsyah	...	Yayan
Ratna Galih	...	Ayi
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Hersh	...	Ratger (voice)

Storyline

In Minangkabau, West Sumatera, Yuda a skilled practitioner of Silat Harimau is in the final preparations to begin his "Merantau" a century's old rites-of-passage to be carried out by the community's young men that will see him leave the comforts of his idyllic farming village and make a name for himself in the bustling city of Jakarta. After a series of setbacks leave Yuda homeless and uncertain about his new future, a chance encounter results in him defending the orphaned Astri from becoming the latest victim of a European human trafficking ring led by the wildly psychotic, Ratger and his right-hand man Lars. With Ratger injured in the mêlée and seeking both his "merchandise" and bloody retribution, Yuda's introduction to this bustling city is a baptism of fire as he is forced to go on the run with Astri and her younger brother Adit as all the pimps and gangsters that inhabit the night hound the streets chasing their every step. With escape seemingly beyond their grasp, Yuda has no ...

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Plot Keywords:

human trafficking | protector | drugs | pentak silat | martial arts | 

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Taglines:

Every journey must begin with one small step.

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Indonesia

Language:

Indonesian English

Release Date:

5 November 2009 (Singapore)

Also Known As:

Merantau Warrior

Filming Locations:

Jakarta, Indonesia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pt. Merantau Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min 134 min (director's cut) 106 min (international cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (HD)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the first part of the movie which tells Yuda's daily life with his mother and brother, half of the dialogs are in Minang language (one of more than 500 local dialects and languages in Indonesia), and have to be subtitled into Indonesian in the Indonesian released.

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Goofs

Yuda left his small bag on construction site after on previous day his wallet was stolen once and he know none of the construction worker and he slept for the whole night on there after crossing the fence illegally. (This scene doesn't appear on International version.)

User Reviews

First time I've been ever in an in-theater applause...

At first, looking at the way the managed the poster and all..I thought this would just be another copy-cat movie (well, we had to admit, neighboring countries cinema are way earlier in successfully creating such motion pictures)

But...

All the fighting scheme, supporting casts, location, technicalities...this movie is surely one helluva fresh breeze into Indonesian Cinema.

Last night, I was literally stunned and amazed by especially the actions and plot this movie had brought.

The spirit of Nationalism, Humanism and Martial Artistry is carried out at its best!!

Can't believe my own two hands when I clapped them together with the whole theater last night...

Surely, one step toward a better cinema for Indonesia..

Bravo!!