Pembalasan / Revenge (1951)

Original film title in Malay: Pembalasan
English title: Revenge
Chinese title: 玉宮妖后
Title of film in Indonesia: Angkara Murka

Directed by L. Krishnan
Music by Osman Ahmad and Yusof B.
Produced by Malay Film Productions (Shaw Brothers)
In Malay
Cast: S. Roomai Noor, Siput Sarawak, Saamah, Marliah, Rokiah, Jaffar Wiryo, Daeng Idris

Released January 1951 (in Singapore)

Film Locations (in Singapore):
Artificial hills at the Alkaff Gardens

Raja Perempuan Kamariah (Saamah) possesses supernatural powers and governs her country autocratically. Due to her ruthless temperament, she is very vicious towards the people in her istana, especially his stepson, Prince Anwar (S. Roomai Noor). It is the cruelty of the stepmother that forces Prince Anwar to leave the istana on his own will. After some time, Kamariah is surprised and enraged to find out that Anwar, on self-exile, is mastering occult powers under a Guru Tinggi – a formidable mountain guru. She despatches a court dancer to lure Anwar away from the guru, and when brought to her, she immediately transforms him into a monkey. No longer a human, Anwar’s occult powers are diminished and he leads a roaming life.

Meanwhile, Surya, a raja in another kingdom announces that he is willing to marry one of his two daughters, Jasmin (Siput Sarawak) and Jamilah (Marliah) to anyone who can shoot accurately with bow and arrow into a swinging pomegranate (buah delima) hung from a pole. Prince Mustafa, Kamariah’s son, upon hearing about the shooting contest for a bride, tries his luck and succeeds after many others have failed. He is given the hand of one of Surya’s princesses whose identity isn’t revealed until the night of the wedding. Mustafa is disappointed when he realises that it is Jamilah who has become his wife, and not Jasmin whom he is actually enamoured by. This makes Jamilah jealous and she plots to remove her sister Jasmin from the istana. Jamilah’s designs are thwarted when Anwar shows up at Surya’s kingdom and takes a fancy to Jasmin in a chance encounter. He endeavours to protect her from harm.

The artificial hills at the Alkaff Gardens off Upper Serangoon Road serve as a film location for the mountains where the formidable Guru Tinggi resides.

Digital Map Source:
Great Britain. Royal Air Force, Singapore photomap, National Library of Australia, MAP G8041.A4 s6 1950. [http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-vn502375]