Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck by Hamka

He cleverly used his accent with the right timing, sometimes made it sounded a bit funny on purpose, but precisely reflecting his naturally plain good heart and honesty. Herjunot Ali gave a brilliant and the best performance of his career as Zainuddin, delved deep into the soul of his character, with his amazing Makassar accent, as well as his sympathetically posture and expressions that will make the audiences feel and fall for him.

The acting and characterization is a standout. Praise also needs to be given to the great screenplay written by Donny Dhirgantoro and Imam Tantowi, filled with so many wonderful and thoughtful dialogues. Soraya's 5 long years of research and development of this film, including choosing the right casting, really paid off, resulting in an unforgettable motion picture with such great details. An excellent direction from Sunil Soraya,also acted as the producer, who made a movie so beautiful, poetic and touching, and at the same time feels so extravagant and epic, with the story stays true to the novel and well capturing the main spirit told by the writer in criticizing the certain customs and traditions in the Minangkabau society at that time, such as ethnic and social status discrimination, and forced marriage. The thing is, even though it has the potentials to become a melodramatic movie, but the film itself doesn't fall into those melodramatic traps. The movie is a real tearjerker, with so many heartbreaking moments. This is a wonderful and a very well made high budgeted Indonesian movie with such a heart grabbing story. A tragic love story adapted from the mega bestseller novel 'Tenggelamnya Kapal van der Wijck' ('Sinking of the van der Wijck'), first published in 1938, written by Buya Hamka, a great and well known Indonesian writer. This is the story about a timeless love and love unrealized. The same promise that makes him suffers for the rest of his life. A love oath so sacred for him that makes him unable to love another woman.

A love promise that not only gives Zainuddin hopes to walk into his uncertain pathway ahead, but also defines the happiness of his entire life. A promise from a young man and woman deeply in love. And when Hayati makes a promise that she will forever wait for him and he will become her husband one day, if not here on earth then in the afterlife, that promise has sealed Zainuddin's heart forever. When Zainuddin tells Hayati that he will always love her, just before he is forced to leave her home village and moves to another town, he knows that his love for her is pure and true, and comes from his deepest heart.

Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck by Hamka