Datok Merahs Grandson

A period drama with Malay symbolisms myth and folklore the title Chuchu Datok Merah points to the mental image Malays have of themselves as descendants of Hang Tuah the legendary Malay warrior of Malacca Awang Janggut is very much a pseudowarrior Instead of a keris a warriors weapon he owns a prizewinning rooster His battlefield is the cock fight arena Home is a big but empty house inherited from his ancestor and prefers living in poverty to working The closest he comes to the high life of a warrior is when a rich businessman employs him as a bodyguard after he prevents hooligans from taunting the latters daughter Siti Despite knowing Awang is married Siti continues to flirt with him causing him to leave his pregnant wife alone She eventually falls sick and has a miscarriage The film is a social criticism of people who rest on their laurels and ancestry instead of working for themselves It is also one of the finest examples of the antihero in Malay cinema