Review: Silat Warriors: Deed of Death

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Silat Warriors: Deed of Death (aka The Deed of Death; Geran)
Directed by Areel Abu Bakar
Hi-YAH!; Well Go USA Entertainment; Layar Pictures
102 minutes, 2019 / 2021
www.wellgousa.com/films/silat-warriors-deed-of-death

While the “golden era” of the martial arts films was arguably in the 1970s and ‘80s, it did not disappear: rather it morphed and spread throughout the world. Though not a devotee of the genre, I certainly enjoy it when they come up on my radar, be it almost fairy tale-like, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) or the gangsta style of Takashi Miike, to the cheesier Shaw Brothers releases.

This film comes from Malaysia, so naturally it has English subtitles, but those who are martial arts fans are certainly used to that; personally, I like the original language rather than ridiculous overdubbing. While we are discussing language, “Silat” is the form of martial arts practiced in Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, parts of Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam, and of course, in Malaysia (thank you Wikipedia).

The original title of the film, Geran, is translated as “grant,” and in this case it means land given to someone else, specifically a deed to land owned by a particular family. The head of the household, wealthy agrarian widower Namron (Pak Nayan), is a wise man of (Muslim) faith, who has three children: the youngest is his dutiful daughter, Fatimah (Feiyna Tajudin), his oldest son who works the land, Ali (Khoharullah Majid), and of concern is the middle and black sheep, Mat Arip (Fad Anuar).

Mat Arip is a wild child who is an unrepentant gambler, street fighter, pool player, and even a drag racer. Despite some wins, he loses big to gangster/loan shark Haji Daud (Faizal Hussein), owing him 20,000 ringgit (about $5,000 USD). Knucklehead that he is, he has taken the deed (of death, in the title) and given in to Haji as collateral. Problem is, Haji is either buying up all the land in the area or conniving it out of the hands of his “loanees.” There is a big political deal going on to turn the area into residential and commercial properties, which would make Haji extremely rich. Sounds like an American western with the railroad coming through, with Silat fighting filling in for gun showdowns at high noon.

Even after Mat Arip tries to pay back his debt, the loan sharks tell him about interest, all in the scheme to keep the deed (of death), trying to force Namron to sign it over at the land office, as Haji has done with many others.

One of my favorite characters, though, is Mat Arip’s oft-eating and fast-talking best friend and partner, Mi Piang (Taiyuddin Bakar, aka Salehuddin Abu Bakar), who holds the role of both the fool (comic relief) and, in the long run, is often the wiser of the two. He reminds me of the Shorty Farnsworth (Nicky Blair) character from Viva Las Vegas (1964), for some odd reason.

Despite all the cussin’, gamblin’ and fightin’, there is also a strong religious and moral code often laid down by the likes of Silat instructor Tok Malim and family friend Pak Teh (Abinoorizuadin Bin Abdullah) – both of whom seem to talk mostly to Ali, the spiritual center of the film – and say things like “People like that can escape men’s punishment, but God’s law is inescapable.”

And yet, there is a whole lot of fighting. All the siblings get involved in Silat savagery, which is very fun to watch (and no weird “hit” sound effects like in the ‘80s Hong Kong films). What I find interesting is that considering the film is about gangsters, there are no guns visible, and hardly a blade – I was expecting at least some machetes. Sure, every other object that occurs naturally around them is fair game, though (boards, scarfs, bottles, etc.), but it is kept strongly body/skill vs. body/skill.

The film is beautifully shot by first-time director and long-time cinematographer, Areel Abu Bakar (aka Mohd Shahreel bin Abu Bakar). The atmospheric views of the countryside and city, the fight scenes, and the people are well captured, and there are even some artistic points thrown in, especially when numerous people are blowing out cigarette smoke in slow motion and perfectly framed and lit.

While this stands out from recent martial arts releases I have seen (not counting bigger budget ones like, say, the John Wick releases), there are a few minor hiccups. I mean, I really like that under the one kingpin loan shark, there are two or three groups that all focus on different albeit overlapping parts of the film, but keep it consistent and coherent. Things do get a bit overwrought on occasion on the emotional scale (though not Shaw Brothers level), but still there is a nice balance between action, family dynamics, and the occasional preaching. And it does look like it is set up for a sequel.

On a side note, I had a good laugh when one of the gangster henchmen was wearing a tee-shirt with the Nirvana “x”-ed eyed logo. Mat Arip wears one that says “Music: On / World: Off.” I wouldn't mid one of the latter for myself. But I digress...

I am pretty sure this is the first time I have viewed a Malaysian film, possibly even a Muslim one, in this genre. Abu Bakar does his culture and the martial arts cinema proud.