Even Since The Dutch Age Censorship Institutions Have Often Had Problems

Film footage of Blood and Prayer (1950) (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The existence of the film censorship agency is always problematic. Since the Dutch colonial era, the power of film censorship has been monopolized for the sake of the smooth running of the Windmill Country's politics. This condition seems to last until Indonesia's independence.

Usmar Ismail and Ali Sadikin are the names that are the most furious with the censorship agency. Both of them were not only annoyed to see the censorship agency working solely on moral matters. However, his presence brought a setback for the national film industry.

Idoep images or films first appeared in the Dutch East Indies at the end of the 19th century. Batavia also became the entry point for films to the archipelago. Therefore, every full-blooded Dutchman to Bumiputra wants to be a witness to the start of a new era of the entertainment industry.

It was this enthusiasm that made the presence of cinemas mushroom in the following years. Then, the presence of cinema can win the hearts of many people who initially could only enjoy performing arts limited to tonil, plays, or comedy.

Not long ago satisfied with the presence of the film, the Dutch colonial government got a new problem. Most of the films that are screened in theaters throughout the country are actually made in the United States (US).

The images of these films do not match the image of the Dutch who uphold morals. Because, the storyline is dominated by vigilante stories and extramarital sex scenes. Among other things, the story of a shooting expert, assassin, or a playboy character. This series of films immediately became a threat to the morals and power of the Dutch in the colony.

"Because the interest of the Bumiputra audience at that time was more focused on film images rather than storylines and the pictures shown showed a negative image of westerners, then on the advice of the European population in the Dutch East Indies, the colonial government issued a policy to select films that entered the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch East Indies through a body called the Film Censorship Commission,” said M. Sarief Arief in the book Politics of Film in the Dutch East Indies (2010).

Marlon Brando, Fatmawati, and Usmar Ismail (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Film Censorship Commission (Commissie voor de Kuering van Films) was born through the 1916 Cinema Ordinance. This was a way for the Dutch to begin controlling the circulation of films that entered the Dutch East Indies. This authority is shown directly by the Governor General.

The ruler of the Dutch East Indies could determine the place for the establishment of the Film Censorship Commission and the Film Censorship Commission. The commission consists of five members including a chairperson. Supervision of the film was then focused on four cities: Batavia, Semarang, Surabaya, and Medan.

After that, the presence of the Film Censorship Commission in the Dutch East Indies began to invite problems. Importers, cinema owners, and audiences feel disadvantaged. As a result, the entire community in the Dutch East Indies demanded improvements to the censorship regulations.

Even so, after seven times it was perfected, the film censorship regulations were like running in place. The reason is none other than because the films that arrive often depart from the vision of the Dutch colonial government so that the censorship is even tighter.

“Before the awareness of indigenous audiences emerged, the colonial government established a Film Censorship Commission. To suppress imported silent films depicting the negative behavior of westerners, the colonial government assigned the Film Assessment Commission to cut (censor) films that were categorized as: damaging public morality, violating general provisions, or being the cause of public disturbances that could affect the environment, "wrote Redi Panuju in the book Film As a Creative Process (2019).

Flood of protests

After Indonesia's independence, the issue of censorship has not changed much. In practice, films are still something that can disturb and harm society and the state.

Film can not be seen as a work of art-culture. The condition was not much different from the Dutch colonial period. In which, during the Dutch colonial period, censorship was used as an extension of the government's arm to maintain morale and perpetuate power. The father of National Film, Usmar Ismail, is one of the people who is annoyed with the presence of the censorship agency.

Ali Sadikin and Nani Sadikin (Source: National Library)

At that time, Usmar Ismail complained a lot about the attitude of the censorship agency: the Film Supervisory Committee (PPF). He views that PPF often appears as a destroyer of the reputation of Indonesian films. PPF's overly strict attitude, which uses scissors (censorship) without looking at the quality and overall content, has made the Indonesian film estuary run in place – if it can't be said to be backwards. On the other hand, the government itself does not carry out targeted and measurable guidance for creative filmmakers instead.

In fact, personally, Usmar Ismail has been harmed by PPF. Some of the films were cut by PPF. The film Blood and Prayer (1950) which became a national film milestone did not escape censorship.

The film, which was made on National Film Day, was censored in several areas. Especially censorship is applied to the love story between the TNI officer and a European girl. Similarly, Usmar Ismail's other films involving the Indonesian National Film Company (Perfini) such as Embun (1952) and Accept My Song (1953).

“Usmar complained that cutting the censorship of the film Embun had a direct effect on Perfini, who then made a risk-free film, namely the musical film Accept My Song with Asrul Sani as a screenwriter. After all, it turns out that there are scenes from this music film that were cut. As a result, other producers, especially Chinese producers, have only taken the 'safe' path, namely submitting stories/plays that cannot be cut out much by the censors,” said Rosihan Anwar in the book “Petite Histoire” Indonesia Small History Volume 2 (2009).

Since then, Usmar Ismail has been known to be the most diligent in voicing his criticisms of the censorship agency. He said PPF did not study the case of Indonesian films first.

Just cut it, said Usmar. Then he also admitted that the impact of a film does exist, big or small. However, that does not mean the path taken is cutting as the only way.

The censorship agency should think further ahead. They, said Usmar, are required to find another way so that the influence of the film can be channeled into more useful things. Thus, the censorship agency should not become the moral police. Instead, it becomes a body that actively runs and oversees the implementation of a positive government film policy.

Not only Usmar Ismail, direct criticism of the censorship agency which at that time changed its name to the Film Censorship Board (BSF) was also echoed by the Governor of Jakarta Ali Sadikin (1966-1977). The man nicknamed Kennedy from the East has heard the complaints of filmmakers, including Usmar Ismail. His subordinate, Ali Sadikin, expressed his irritation at BSF for working too ruthlessly.

According to Ali Sadikin, what BSF uses in evaluating films are norms that are suitable for Probolinggo, Cipete, and Cibinong. The norm is not in accordance with the norms of life in Jakarta as an international city. Ali Sadikin said that BSF's act of censorship had an impact on the decline of the Indonesian film industry. Spectators, cinemas, and the DKI Jakarta Government also lost because of BSF.

“I heard that the cuts to the film were too much. I made a comment: If people are afraid of porn, just stay at home and don't watch movies. Because when too much is cut, the audience loses, the cinema loses and I also lose because the taxes are reduced. I said I was irritated," closed Ali Sadikin as Ramadhan KH wrote in the book Bang Ali: For the sake of Jakarta 1966-1977 (1993).

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