Film Review: 'Polong' Captures Malaysia's Era of Desperation

The film 'Polong' transports viewers to Malaysia between 1994 and the early 2000s, a period marked by significant upheaval. Director Zulkarnain Azhar captures the era's malaise, portraying abandoned low-cost flats as symbols of a nation grappling with the Asian Financial Crisis and intense political rivalries. Amidst this backdrop, the story centers on Fatima, a journalist who secures an exclusive interview with a controversial death-row inmate, Maria Hadi.

Fatima's article, intended to be Maria's final interview before her execution, is presented as potentially significant. However, the film questions its impact in a society consumed by despair over the political system, job losses, and economic hardship. Fatima's editor dismisses her nuanced writing as insufficient for the public's needs, suggesting they crave escapism rather than hard-hitting journalism.

The narrative delves into the characters' motivations, driven by desperation. Fatima's ethical boundaries blur, influenced by her editor's demands and her own pressing need to support her partner, Mamat. Their actions, though wrong, are framed by the overwhelming sense of desperation that grips them. Zulkarnain's direction uses claustrophobic and desolate visuals to immerse the audience in the characters' sense of entrapment and isolation.

'Polong' also employs the Rashomon Effect narrative structure, fragmenting the story through different characters' perspectives. This stylistic choice, while potentially disorienting for some viewers unfamiliar with the technique, aims to offer new insights into the events. The film explores themes of inherited malice and the desperate pursuit of power, as Mamat seeks to emulate Maria Hadi's perceived wickedness, yearning for a sense of agency after years of feeling like a 'living corpse'.