COMMENT | Mat Kilau is an ethnonationalism film

COMMENT | Recently my friends and I watched Mat Kilau in theatres. For those of you who have no idea what Mat Kilau is, it is an action film loosely based on Mat Kilau, a Malay anti-British independence fighter (for the lack of a better term).

The tipping point for his band of rebels was the excessive taxation imposed on Malay kampungs.

Now I am not one to severely criticise action films. I enjoy my fair share of dumb action flicks I could turn off my critical brain to. If it gets the job done, and the film doesn't aspire to be remembered for its dialogue, I also don't mind the heavy exposition.

I don't mind black and white motivations, especially when I don't find anything redeemable in some historical actors. Think about all the anti-British and Japanese overtones in old kung fu flicks.

I understand the need to get the anger out of the system. I also don't care about minor historical inaccuracies, if that wasn't...