UNSOED Conferences, International Conference on Language, Linguistics, and Literature (COLALITE) 2020

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Contemporary Indonesia On Gundala Superhero Film (2019)
Lingga - Agung, Mohammad Isa Koesoemadinata, Novian Denny Nugraha

Last modified: 2020-10-20

Abstract


Superhero film is a form of discursive formation that constructed by the ‘power’ and ‘knowledge’ by the subjects within it. For example, with the commercially success of the American superhero films (Marvel Studios and DC), they are also ‘succeed’ to representing and spreading the American values and ideals throughout the cinema around the globe. This kind of success encourage  many countries produce their own versions of superhero films, including in Indonesia. Gundala is the most popular superhero character in Indonesia. The movie, Gundala (2019) was directed by Joko Anwar. Gundala  was critically acclaimed and had a huge commercial success. One of the keys to this success was the right momentum when the American superhero films were still in a huge hype. Furthermore, Gundala presents a very different narrations of the Indonesia as Nation. The Indonesia audiences like this kind narrations because blatantly had a kind of social criticism. However, as a form of discourse, Gundala can’t be separated from the subjects who construct this kind of narrations. In this research, we used Michel Foucault’s Archeology of Knowledge theory to see how the discourses of the subjects constructing the narrations of the contemporary Indonesia in this film. This research becomes important to see how the contemporary Indonesia being represented through pop culture. This kind research particularly can help us to reinforce and question our understanding of who we are in a better and different perfective.


Keywords


pop-culture, film, superheroes, gundala.