A Look Through Vintage Indonesian Erotic Romance Films through Stickers

Love and sexuality are essential things in humans and are eternal themes that are never boring to tuck into a film. Although you could say it’s a cliché, Indonesian romantic and erotic films have had a special place in the hearts of Indonesians since they first appeared and gained dominance in the 1970s.

The abolition of the anti-Western policies that were in effect during the Soekarno era was the start of the booming number of imported films entering Indonesia. One of the consequences of opening up opportunities for film imports is the large number of imported films featuring scenes of sex and violence that fill Indonesian cinemas. Indonesian audiences enjoyed imported films that contained erotic elements and eventually inspired Indonesian filmmakers to produce similar films.

The success of the film Bernafas Dalam Lumpur (1970), starring Suzanna, became a milestone in the birth of other erotic films as well as comedy or action films flavored with sex and exploitation of the female body. The erotic side of films is depicted in the title of the film and its scenes and through the posters displayed in public places.

It has yet to be determined when stickers started appearing in Indonesian urban spaces. But one thing is for sure; stickers have long been used as a small object for freedom of speech that is ‘free but proper.’ The booming entertainment industry since the 70s made sticker manufacturers such as AMP Malang take the chance to design and mass-produce stickers inspired by currently popular films and songs.

Within the vast array of designs, stickers based on romance films and love songs have a special place in the hearts of many Indonesians living in urban. They are produced in flashy colours made modestly for a simple reason: to reduce production costs. Their designs are extravagant with poppy colours yet formulaic layouts – usually illustrating two lovebirds or a woman surrounded by flowers, ribbons, and everything nice. The film or song’s title is placed next to the illustration as a cherry on top. Finally, the designs are printed on the mica plastic’s inside to be pasted on various surfaces, including glass.

These stickers are well received, given the various designs that are constantly reproduced. Today, these stickers are still commonly found in urban spaces – especially on the windows of public transportation. Who would have thought that behind the eye-catching images, these stickers bring anyone who sees them into the nostalgic era way before smartphones – the time when the way to conquer their sweetheart through sweet talks and sending messages through radio shows.

Let’s look at 5 examples of stickers in Grafis Nusantara’s collection that were inspired by Indonesia erotic romance films throughout the 70s to the 80s.

Kabut Sutra Ungu (1980)

In Indonesia, purple is synonymous with widowhood – a colour that reflects a woman’s grief. It was allegedly made popular by one of the most famous films in the 80s. Kabut Sutra Ungu (Mist of the Purple Silk, 1980) is a film by Sjumandjaja, which has gained fame for directing several films such as Si Doel Anak Betawi (Doel the Betawi Child, 1972) and Laila Majenun (Laila is Possessed, 1975). This film is based on a novel of the same name by Ike Soepomo which tells the story of Miranti’s determination as a widow and her journey through life after her husband died in an accident.

According to Perfini (Perusahaan Film Nasional Indonesia, Indonesia National Film Company), Kabut Sutra Ungu won a record as the most-watched film in Jakarta in 1980 with 488,865 viewers. The success of this film was also followed by the achievement of 4 trophies at the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI), with Jenny Rachman as the best female actor and the best original story.

Noda dan Asmara (1977)

Erotic romance films are no stranger to Indonesian cinephiles in the 70s and 80s. Film censorship was not as frightening for Indonesian film producers at that time as they were free to explore how to portray sex and intimacy in their films – from vulgar dialogues to provocative camera shots. It is not strange that eroticism in films is often exploited to invite public interest.

Noda dan Asmara (1977) is an example of an erotic romance film that has provoked audiences’ curiosity by telling a story of ‘manliness’ – about a man trying to recover from impotence due to an accident. The film’s unusual and even taboo themes at its time allowed cinema and media alike to promote Nada and Asmara in a “naughty” manner through word selection, and still images taken from the film. In addition, the appearance of Yati Octavia, who has been known in other romantic drama films, has increased the enthusiasm of film lovers to delve into the story.

Mencari Cinta (1979)

Most of us must have heard the song Arjuna Mencari Cinta (Arjuna Seeking Love) by Dewa – about a man’s long search for love. But did you know that the songwriter Ahmad Dhani was inspired by a novel that was later adapted into a film?

Arjuna Mencari Cinta (1977), written by Yudhistira ANM Massardi, tells the story of Arjuna, a witty young man who attracts girls just like Arjuna in the Indian epos Mahabharata. The novel’s clever way of combining wayang characters with contemporary stories made Arjuna Mencari Cinta win the 1977 best novel award by the Yayasan Buku Utama, Departemen P dan K, and two sequel novels. The novel’s success motivated director Bobby Sandy to adapt Arjuna Mencari Cinta into a film starring Herman Felani and Lydia Kandou, with its new title Mencari Cinta (1979).

Badai Pasti Berlalu (1977)

Badai Pasti Berlalu began as a serialised story by Marga T published in the Kompas daily. However, due to many fans, the story was eventually published as a novel in 1974. The novel’s sales figure reached 24,000 copies, a very high number at the time – making the novel Badai Pasti Berlalu a best seller.

The success of Badai Pasti Berlalu seems timeless because it has been made into a feature film twice. The film’s first version, released in 1977, was directed by Teguh Karya and starred famous actors and actresses such as Christine Hakim, Roy Marten, Slamet Rahardjo, and Mieke Widjaja. Then, the recycled version was released in 2007, directed by Teddy Soeriaatmadja and starring Vino G. Bastian and Raihaanun.

The popularity of Badai Pasti Berlalu continues into other works. As a complement to the first film, a theme album sung by Chrisye was also released, which was eventually reused as the theme song for the recycled version. The album ultimately ranked first in the 150 Best Indonesian Albums list by Rolling Stone Indonesia Magazine in 2007.

Gita Cinta dari SMA (1979) & Puspa Indah Taman Hati (1979)

The popularity of the Teenlit novel among Indonesian high school students cannot be separated from the influence of Eddy D Iskandar; he can even be called the pioneer of such a genre. The dialogues in his novels flow smoothly and are fun for anyone to follow, especially teenagers. Eddy’s novels with the theme of teenagers are often made into soap operas – for example, Cewek Komersil, Cowok Komersil, Cinta Sang Bintang, Buat Aku Tersenyum, Semau Gue, Roman Picisan, Sok Nyentrik, Musim Bercinta, Bunga Cinta Kasih, Beningnya Hati Seorang Gadis, and many others.

Galih & Ratna is arguably the most well-known power couple from Eddy’s novels, even to the younger generations, thanks to its popularity through a Chrisye song. The song was initially composed as a soundtrack for a film adaption for Eddy’s novel Gita Cinta dari SMA (1979) and then covered by many Indonesian artists in the following years. This film was directed by Arizal, who previously won the Citra Award in the Best Children’s Film category for his film Senyum dan Tangis (1974), starring Rano Karno and Yessy Gusman.

The film also popularised the theme of a Romeo & Juliet-esque forbidden love story to its Indonesian audiences, gaining a cult following. This motivated Arizal to work on its sequel Puspa Indah Taman Hati (1979) which finally gave Galih and Ratna a happy end.

–

Click here to view Grafis Nusantara’s sticker collection.

_

Bibliography

Afrisia, Rizky Sekar. “Erotika, Bumbu Abadi Perfilman Indonesia.” CNN Indonesia, 30 May 2015, www.cnnindonesia.com/hiburan/20150330184025-220-43063/erotika-bumbu-abadi-perfilman-indonesia. Accessed 10 Jan. 2023.

Tjasmadi, 100 Tahun Bioskop di Indonesia. Bandung: Megindo, 2008.

Erwantoro, “Sensor Film di Indonesia dan Permasalahannya dalam Perspektif Sejarah ( 1945 – 2009 ),” Patanjala, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 365–383, 2011.