The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
An adaptation of Christopher Koch’s 1978 novel about revolution in 1960s Indonesia.
Laura’s Rating 4.5/5 Stars
Plot: As a new foreign correspondent, Guy Hamilton is sent to Indonesia with no local contacts or experience. Befriended by Billy Kwan, a quirky and thoughtful photographer, Guy navigates foreign lands, romance, and the threat of war.
Opinion: I appreciate a movie that makes you think and poses questions and dilemmas. For Guy, his dilemma is whether to prioritize journalistic pursuits or personal relationships. For the Indonesian people, it’s whether to accept horrendous living conditions or to risk their lives and rise up in rebellion. How can the complex civil unrest be dealt with? As Billy says, “Don't think about the major issues. You do what you can about the misery in front of you. You add your light to the sum of all light.”
Journalistic integrity is central to the film. Fellow writers call Guy melodramatic when he writes an article about famine, but they fail to report on the true conditions under the Sukarno government.
Guy is affected and upset by the poverty and desperation. It’s part of the reason Billy takes a liking to him. Unlike his fellow foreign correspondents, Guy feels for the local people and tries not to exploit and take advantage of them.
I’ve seen criticism that the political conflict merely acts as a background to the film, but I think that makes sense. For many foreign press and embassy staff, Indonesia is just another assignment and the conflicts there do not directly affect them. To make the unrest the central plot would abandon the Western lens of storytelling that is purposely used to tell this story.
The film highlights the juxtaposition of the abject poverty and desperation experienced by the locals while the foreigners wave around wads of money and attend swanky parties. The suffering of the people and the political conflict are a means to an end - a huge story and journalistic success - for them. Hence why the film must be told from the Western perspective.
Linda Hunt’s portrayal of Billy Kwan is incredible and I really can’t picture someone else being successful in the role. In fact, her gender swapped performance won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Mel Gibson is in his prime for this film and has a commanding presence onscreen. Sigourney Weaver does well but her role is mostly limited to that of a love interest. Her lack of agency and the manipulation of her character by the men in the film does stick out as a negative for me.
The Year of Living Dangerously attempts to tackle some serious topics and does a pretty good job juggling several storylines. I rarely say this, but I think it could feel a bit more polished with a longer runtime. With just under two hours, it’s hard to fully flesh out a political conflict, a friendship, a romance, and a commentary on Western involvement. Despite this, it’s a movie that will stick with you and one of the better ones I’ve watched recently.
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