Purba film as a prototype of Malay film genre: A preliminary exploration

Abstract

This article attempts to trace the historical development of the period costume dramas known as Purba films, a prototyped genre for Malay cinema produced in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur during the ‘studio era’ from the late 1940s to early 1970s. Either adapted from folk literature/theatre and historical texts or based on original ideas by the screenwriters/directors, Purba films are set in the pre-colonial era, invariably in a kampong and glorify the Malay world prior to the arrival of the imperialists. I argue that the genre, which encompasses diverse variants and subdivisions, has undergone several phases of transformation and evolution, in particular, while drawing out the genre’s codes, conventions and ideologies. Additionally, I demonstrate that they are, on the one hand, culturally and cinematically specific, and, on the other, are borrowed from, and shaped by, other cinematic genres, forms and practices. The discussion also provides evidence on how Purba films were situated within the cultural and industrial contexts.