A different kind of Malay social criticism played in a background of a deep tropical forest. It hovers around the premise of the animal in us and how we play by the law of the jungle.
Kill or be killed.
The blames are always on the ‘others’ and never themselves.
Jangan buat (Don't do)
Jangan tegur (Don't say hello)
All the little nusantara dos and donts, but it’s the big ones that are failed to be prevented and fingers are pointed yet again, at the ‘others’.
Hasad dengki (envy), menipu (lie), membunuh (murder), membalas dendam (revenge). The dilemmas of being human (Malay)
You see other’s reflection on the water. You should see your own. The cycle repeats itself.
What is so scary? Not the ghosts. Its the humans
“Kami hanya berbisik” (We merely whispered)
The hair stood up at the back of my neck when I see the burning tree in the first scene in ROH. It came right after intro quranic verse saying,
“[Allah] said, ‘What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?’ [Iblis] said, I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.’”
The other Burning Bush scene I grew up with watching on VHS is from Ten Commandments. Moses played by Charlton Heston bowed (prostrated) when he encountered the burning bush.
The Burning Bush is a symbol of the presence of God. But the figure on the first scene of ROH did not prostate.
ROH talked about the defience of humans towards God instead of Moses’s obedience...by just listening to the ‘whisper.’
The witch at the ending also nicely visualised close to the classic depiction of huge casted shadow.
But for me the stake is just not big enough, which is a pity. A lost opportunity.
Edit: The stake is high enough - the destiny of your soul.