Introduction

This book is primarily concerned with the analysis of Malaysian film culture and films produced in Malaysia over the past fifty years. Prior to tackling the films themselves, it is necessary to examine some fundamental theoretical issues that are central to the argument, particularly cross-cultural analysis and transtextuality. There are certain other issues that also need discussing, but this will be done at the relevant stages of the overall argument: national and cultural analysis in the chapter on Malaysian society and culture (chapter 2) and national cinema in the chapter on film in Malaysia (chapter 3), while other, more specific issues will be raised during the textual analyses in the chapter on Malaysian cinema (chapter 4). Rather than dealing with cross-cultural analysis and transtextuality in abstract terms, this chapter strives to demonstrate their importance and relevance to the argument by applying them to a case study that starts off in ‘familiar territory.’

One of the major challenges facing this book is the lack of familiarity with or interest in Malaysian film worldwide and even within Malaysia itself. Furthermore, most of the films that will be analyzed are only available without subtitles. Consequently, this book will need to present material that would be assumed in the discussion of most other film cultures.