The Last Communist

Country Malaysia 2006

Picture and details lelakikomunis

Seen 20 May 2006

Glorifying communism not. The last communist, ('Lelaki komunis terakhir' in Malay), an apt title as the film highlights the remnants of the communist party members who are in their twilight years. The film is basically a road movie. The film traces the places with connections to Chin Peng, the Malayan Communist Party leader. His birth place, school, places where he had his first taste of the communist ideology as well as towns that played an important role when he was planning his strategies.
The film does not glorify communism per se, but is more of a tale of what has happened since those days of struggle against the British and independent Malaya.
The film may have an added dimension to it if the director had managed to get some footage of the Malay communists. But as the director had explained, the current unrest in southern Thailand has made that option unfeasible.
The narrative is superimposed on the screen throughout the duration of the film. This technique might turn off some people from watching as the wordings can be distracting.
Chin Peng does not appear at all in the film and none of his comrades mentioned his name. This might have been done on purpose by the director. Chin Peng's story is told through the narrative which most probably is taken from his autobiography.
That in itself may have prompted the film being banned in Malaysia even though the book itself is available to the public.
A documentary, roadie or semi musical. All of them and most of all, a look at ordinary Malaysians.