THE RAINBOW SQUAD

Title : Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Squad)

Director : Riri Riza

Starring : Cut Mini, Ikranagara, Slamet Rahardjo, Tora Sudiro.

This box office movie is based on a best seller Indonesian novel by the same title written by Andrea Hirata. Today he is one of the most popular writer in Indonesia. He has written four novels. All of them are best seller in Indonesia. Once Andrea told a reporter that his novel will be translated into English and Hungarian.

The story is about Andrea’s student days in a village of Gantong, in small island of Belitong, Indonesia. He went to a poor Muhammadiyyah elementary school. The school was so poor that they could not afford to buy proper equipment. Its wooden walls has wholes in many parts of it. When it rains the class get wet because of the leaks.

The movie started with the first scene when Andrea went home then he recalled his first day at school. The poor Muhammadiyyah elementary school had been warned by the local authority to get at least ten new students otherwise it had to be closed. The school principal Mr. Harpan and a teacher Mrs Muslimah were nervous when only nine students came to their school. Suddenly several minutes before eleven o’clock a student came to school to enroll. They were saved by Harun, a retarded boy !. Since there is no special school for him Harun’s father took him to Muhammadiyah elementary school. Mr. Harpan the principal had no choice. He had to receive Harun.

Students of Muhammadiyah school were children of the poor workers in Belitong while students of Timah elementary school were children of rich tin factory officials. Although Andrea had to face problem of poverty he had courage, perseverance and intelligence to overcome it.

Andrea was lucky he got a good teacher to teach him. Mrs Muslimah is a loving, careful teacher. She called the class Laskar Pelangi. She taught her students wholeheartedly although she got very little salary. In the afternoon she works as a tailor to make extra money.

One of his friend is Mahar. He was a very smart and creative student. When August 17^th came the school had to take part on the independence day celebration. August 17^th is Indonesia’s independence day. All school had to take part on it. Usually there are parade, carnival and games. The school principal decided they would take part but the budget was zero. Since Mahar was the best student at art the principal and the teacher decided to give Mahar a hard task – organizing the carnival. Mahar said he was ready.

For several days he thought very seriously about it. Then he found an idea. He composed a dance imitating native American tribes. He decided to wear leaves as their costumes since they had no money. They danced so well that they won the first prize in the carnival. The next day a student from Timah school moved to Muhammadiyah school because she was very interested to their dance.

Andrea recalled one of his best friend whose name is Lintang as the best student there. Lintang came from a poor fisherman family from a remote village. Everyday he come to school by bike. He had no mother at the time. On a competition with other school including Timah school they won the first prize.

The most touching scene is when they had to say goodbye to Lintang. One day when they were at the fifth grade, Lintang’s father went to sea to fish with his small boat. Unfortunately he never came home. Perhaps there was an accident at the sea. Consequently Lintang had to take care of his little sister with no mother. He had to work so he had to left school. Then he came to school to say goodbye to his teacher and his school mates. Everybody was crying.

Andrea recalled that it was Lintang who give him motivation to study. Once Lintang told him about Paris and SorbonneUniversity. Years later Andrea got a scholarship to study at Sorbonne.

The acting of Cut Mini who played as Mrs Muslimah is excellent. Although she comes from Jakarta she could speak Malay dialect, the language of Belitong. She acts naturally. She is the best star in the movie. Children of Belitong, who played as Andrea and his friends, also act naturally.

Riri Riza is one of the best Indonesian movie director. His work in this movie won prize in Bandung Film festival in Indonesia.

All in all the movie is very touching and very inspiring. No wonder that millions of Indonesian people have watched it and impressed by it.