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PERSPEKTIF
Available online http://ojs.uma.ac.id/index.php/perspektif
Java in Indonesian Horror Films
Ilma Saakinah Tamsil*
Communication Science Study Program, Faculty of Social Sciences, Political Science, Universitas Medan Area, Indonesia
Received: February, 07 2023; Reviewed: March, 11 2023; Accepted: March, 28 2023
Abstract
The development of post-Covid-19 horror films has not lowered spirits the enthusiasm of Indonesian filmmakers to produce horror films that elevate Javanese culture. This article aims to explain story concepts for Javanese culture that appear in the film as something mystical from songs, spells, rituals, myths, beliefs, ancient ornaments, costumes, and the language used. This is often alluded to with the tradition of Kejawen which is mostly adhered to by the Javanese people. Kejawen emerged from the beliefs and rituals of a mixture of formal religions with the worship of natural forces. The Javanese view, society, and nature as a unity in life. Nature becomes a major determinant for the safety and destruction of life. Another belief is in kesaktén (supernatural powers), belief in ancestral spirits, and spirits are considered to be able to bring peace and safety but also health problems, thoughts, and even death. The book Spiritualism of Java by Iman Budhi Santosa on the history, practice, and essence of Javanese teachings is used to approach this problem. Data was collected from selected horror films from 2019 to 2022 and analyzed qualitatively. This study concludes that the understanding of Kejawen is incomplete, so various traditions, rituals, and myths are based on the belief that Javanese culture is often mystical, occult, and frightening, so it is often used as an idea to attract the attention of horror film lovers.
Keywords: Java; Indonesian Horror Films; Kejawen
How to Cite: Tamsil, I.S. (2023). Java in Indonesian Horror Films. PERSPEKTIF, 12 (2): 367-376
*Corresponding author:
E-mail: [email protected]
ISSN 2549-1660 (Print) ISSN 2550-1305 (Online)
INTRODUCTION
The emergence of horror films in Indonesia has existed since 1934 during the Dutch colonial period (Heeren, 2007). The first Indonesian horror film was entitled Ouw Peh Tjoa or Doea Siloeman Oeler Poeti en Item.
This horror film is about the love rivalry between two snake demons 83 years ago.
Having experienced a period of darkness, the film Beranak Dalam Kubur (1971) finally appeared, which made Suzana the queen of Indonesian horror. The development of horror films in the 1970s-1990s was dominated by folklore which could not be separated from the three main elements, namely comedy, sex, and religion as the hallmarks of horror films during the New Order (Heider, 1991). At this time, the government had complete regulations governing censorship institutions so that not all movies could pass censorship. The theme of the story is also dominated by good versus evil where good will always win.
The development of horror films in Indonesia also experienced a decline in production. But finally, Indonesian horror films revived in the post-reformation millennium era with the emergence of the film Jelangkung (2001) produced by Rizal Mantovani and Jose Purnomo with a total audience of 748,003. Horror films in the 2000s were closely related to the image of young people, issues of haunted places, and urban legends—for example, Hantu Jeruk Purut (2006) and Terowongan Casablanca (2007).
Some films depict ghosts that people believe in, for example, Kuntilanak (2006), Pocong (2006), and Suster Ngesot (2007). In the 2010s, Indonesian horror films changed stories and were dominated by comedic themes with erotic elements featuring sexy women. For example, Pocong Mandi Goyang Pinggul (2011), Rintihan Kuntilanak Perawan (2011), and so on.
In the 2017s, Indonesian horror films already had more varied stories, and the impression of sex was no longer shown. For example, Pengabdi Setan (2018), Sebelum Iblis Menjemput (2018), Kafir: Bersekutu Dengan Setan (2018), Perempuan Tanah Jahannam (2019), Mangkujiwo (2020) and so on. There is also the theme of cultural customs and beliefs in the film Inang (2022), Pamali (2022), and KKN Desa Penari (2022), and there are those
who combine stories with religious elements in the film Qorin (2022).
Based on the storyline, films produced after the Reformation era had a very different storyline when compared to films during the New Order era. Filmmakers have been given space to produce various storylines and narratives. However, the image of horror films remains the same, which is still the most popular genre on the market because its elements can arouse the imagination and curiosity of the audience.
This study includes some of the results of previous studies related to the research conducted namely (Nur, 2016) titled Perayaan Mitos Dalam Film Horor. This research looks at the image of a myth being displayed and how culture is represented in film narratives by using Claud Levi-Strauss’s structuralism which emphasizes tracing structure in films and cultural studies with Stuart Hall’s concept of representation which emphasizes the search for meaning behind the structure. The research results show that the film narrative strengthens myths about spirits as a representation of Javanese culture that adheres to animism and dynamism. In addition, horror films show that bad deeds committed will have a harmful impact.
Historically religious, this phenomenon is contrary to Islam, but sociologically it has the meaning of self-evaluation in determining attitudes and behavior, as happened at the beginning of the arrival of Islam in Java. The film presents myths that are visualized by representing the society’s culture that has become a part of life. Horror films contain messages that have meaning and are closely related to the phenomena of local people’s lives.
The second research, (Muktaf, 2016) with titled Hantu Populer di Film Indonesia.
The results of the research are that many Indonesian horror films are dominated by ghost films based on the myths of the tradition of Kuntilanak, Sundel Bolong, and Pocong.
Horror films based on local culture are considered to have high selling value compared to Western horror films. Horror films based on indigenous legends are considered to have cultural power by the local community compared to ghosts imitated from abroad. This cultural closeness makes the audience addicted to watching. The belief held
by the Indonesian people is a theological belief that still considers indigenous religion or tradition to run according to its nature. As in the case study, the Javanese people very difficult to let go of their traditional culture, their concept of divinity, and the myths that have lasted for hundreds of years. Ghost films are still in great demand by the public, especially teenagers. Even though it has a modern style, the style of thought is still in line with local traditions.
The last research, (Wandianto, 2020) with titled Representasi Budaya Jawa Pada Series Kisah Tanah Jawa: Merapi. This research examines Javanese cultural symbols and the meaning of Javanese cultural symbols which are analyzed using Charles Sander Pierce’s triadic semiotics. The results show that the symbols of Javanese culture in the Series Kisah Tanah Jawa: Merapi are Javanese culture that is thick with its cultural values, making culture and material guidelines and benchmarks in assessing or doing something, as the embodiment of culture and Javanese culture believe in mystical things.
Since long ago until after Covid-19, many horror film titles have been about Javanese culture. Not only the storyline, but the film also features elements of typical Javanese culture.
However, the presentation of Javanese culture in horror films is still often associated with mystical things, starting from myths, beliefs, and the supernatural world that is already believed in society as if forming a discourse of images and film characters that look scary. The use of Iman Budhi Santosa’s Javanese Spiritualism book illustrates the purpose of this writing how Javanese exposure in Indonesian horror films is always associated with Kejawen understanding but only seen from a certain perspective.
RESEARCH METHOD
This study examines a descriptive qualitative approach regarding the discussion of stories about Javanese culture in films. The qualitative descriptive method is a naturalistic research method because the assessment is carried out in natural conditions (Sugiyono, 2007). The main objective of qualitative research is to understand social phenomena or symptoms by explaining the form of a clear description of these social phenomena or symptoms in the form of a series of words
(Sujarweni, 2022). This research is a process of obtaining data as it is and emphasizing the meaning of the results. The data source used is primary data consisting of selected horror films from 2019 to 2022 whose storyline displays Javanese culture, and secondary data in the form of complementary data related to research obtained from journals, the internet, and other supporting information. This research used visual material study techniques and literature study which were then analyzed using Iman Budhi Santosa’s Javanese Spiritualism reference book on the history, practice, and essence of Javanese teachings.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION Horror Film
The horror genre has two forms namely art horror and horror. Art horror is defined as any type of fiction featuring supernatural elements, including psychological horror and science fiction. Meanwhile, horror is defined as films that display things such as ghosts, monsters, something strange and surprising, and the atmosphere of the realm of the dead (Carroll, 1990). Interest in mystical things is a natural tendency for every human being because there is a hidden human desire in the subconscious. Horror comes from something strange, marked by the appearance of human images and thoughts that were previously suppressed by the ego. Humans like horror stories with cruelty because they can bring catharsis or emotional relief to them (Daniels
& Scully, 1992). In terms of audience, men prefer to watch, enjoy, seek horror more than women, and empathy and low fear are associated with more pleasure and a desire to watch a horror (Martin, 2019). It follows from this that a good horror story functions at a symbolic level, using fictional (and sometimes supernatural) events to help us understand our deepest fears (King, 2011).
In Indonesia, the horror genre has existed for a long time. Unlike the people in America and Europe who tend to be more rational, Indonesian people are very close to the supernatural. The emergence of the horror genre in Indonesia still requires in-depth study, but because supernatural stories, superstition, and ghosts are an integral part of people’s lives, the horror genre is still very popular.
Java
Based on the Central Bureau of Statistics in 2010, the Javanese have a population of 41% of the total population, making the Javanese the largest population in Indonesia.
The area consists of Central Java, Yogyakarta Special Region, East Java, Indramayu, and Serang/Cilegon. Tamsil (in Suyanto, 1990) explains the characteristics of Javanese culture are religious, non-doctrinal, tolerant, accommodating, and optimistic. These characteristics make the Javanese believe in God Almighty, believe in something immaterial, believe in supernatural things and even tend towards the mystical, prioritize essence over formal and ritual aspects, prioritize love as the basic foundation of human relations, believe in destiny, tend to succumb, converge and universal, brave, smart and hardworking, not sectarian, symbolism, cooperation, harmony, peace, and less competitive because it does not prioritize material things (Tamsil, 2021). From these characteristics, forming the meaning of cultural identity is a characteristic shown by a person as a member of a particular ethnic group which includes learning about and acceptance of traditions, innate traits, language, religion, and descent from a culture (Liliweri, 2004).
The dominance of the Javanese was very clearly seen during the New Order era when the government was very focused on developments in Java compared to islands outside Java. Even the first to the seventh president of the Republic of Indonesia came from the Javanese tribe. It is believed in the myth of Jayabaya’s prediction that there will be Satria Piningit and Ratu Adil who will bring the land of Java and Indonesia entirely forward with just leadership and a knight’s spirit. The dominance of Javanese culture makes Java exclusive to a place setting and film identity which illustrates that cultural progress in the media is only centered on Javanese culture.
The domination can be seen from the background of the film’s story. For example, the types of ghosts, the use of spells, the use of Javanese names from the Javanese language and the Javanese titles, Lurik and Blangkon as traditional Javanese clothing, the use of Gamelan music, the use of ancient Javanese as spells in black magic, the myth of Nyi Roro Kidul as a spirit that inhabits the South Coast
of the Java-Bali Islands, as well as the myth of Nyi Blorong as the queen of snakes, are well known in Javanese people.
Java in Horror Films
Since Covid-19 hit the world, it has not lowered spirits the enthusiasm of Indonesian filmmakers to produce films in the horror genre. Many horror films that have appeared tell stories about Javanese culture. In this study, the focus is on the film Satu Suro (2019), Tembang Lingsir (2019), Mangkujiwo (2020), KKN Desa Penari (2022), Pamali (2022), and Inang (2022).
Discussing Javanese spirituality will certainly discuss many things. Since ancient times, many influences have come from beliefs and culture so what grows and develops in society becomes diverse. In belief in God, a sense of having a very important role and meaning can be said to be the soul of all Javanese practices and beliefs. Before the Samawi religion entered and was recognized by the state, the Javanese already had various concepts of divinity such as the concept of worship and respect for objects that are considered sacred and things that cannot be explained scientifically. Some important events which are believed to originate from animistic- dynamism beliefs still characterize Javanese traditions today, for example, the ritual of Slametan (the Javanese traditional ceremony is carried out as a form of gratitude for the gifts and gifts given by God), the belief in magical objects (kris, heirlooms, agates, amulets), giving offerings to spirits as guardians of tombs, villages, forests, mountains, and seas, cooperate with spirits from the unseen world (Pesugihan), Primbon (Javanese ancestral heritage book that is oriented towards the relationship between human life and the universe) regarding predictions of aspects of human life, myths in Javanese traditions such as someone’s misfortune, taboos in life, day values, and many more (Santosa, 2021).
Kejawen became a spiritual understanding that developed in Java as a way of living and realizing human spiritual values to achieve true life, be virtuous, and realize the perfection of life. All the behavior and actions of the Javanese people in their lives always rely on philosophical values. Kejawen was born from the beliefs and rituals of a mixture of formal religions with the worship of natural
forces. The Javanese view society and nature as a unity in life. Nature is a major determinant for the safety and destruction of life. Building harmony with the natural environment in which they live is the Javanese way of finding peace in life. By doing good to nature, nature will provide benefits to humans (Santosa, 2021).
Another belief is in supernatural powers, belief in ancestral spirits and spirits such as Memedi, Lelembut, Tuyul, and Jinn are considered to be able to bring positive things such as peace, happiness, and safety but can also have negative impacts such as health problems, thoughts, and even death. From this understanding, various traditions, rituals, and myths were born which are based on the belief that Javanese culture has magical powers.
In the film Tembang Lingsir (2019), the typical Javanese tradition is shown through the Pesugihan activities carried out by Gatot for Kanjeng Ratu so that Gatot can get rich quickly because his father was in quite large debt.
Gatot was tempted to follow the Pesugihan by his maid, Rama, a shaman who guarded the Kanjeng Ratu’s Pesugihan. Just like in the film Pengabdi Setan (2018) when Mother (Mawarni) joins a satanic cult intending to have children. Pesugihan is a mystical ritual that is still believed by the majority of Indonesian people, especially the Javanese who still exist today. As a country that has a diversity of cultures, Indonesia has a variety of cultures consisting of beliefs, customs, art, knowledge, morals, laws, and habits that are owned by humans as members of society.
Belief as a habit regarding the occult and mystic, including activities related to worship, is still believed by the people in this modern era. The mindset of the people is considered one of the reasons why these supernatural things still appear. In general, the human mindset is divided into four in dealing with problems, namely common sense, magic, science, and religion. Magical things that still exist today arise because of people’s belief that this method gives ‘answers’ faster than other methods.
Figure1. Scene of Gatot doing Pesugihan, and Rama as shaman guard of Kanjeng Ratu in film Tembang
Lingsir
Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023) As a ritual in the ancient Javanese tradition, the myth of the Pesugihan ritual in Java has existed for a long time, even before the arrival of Islam. There are even several famous Pesugihan places on the island of Java.
Several mountains are also considered places of worship because mountains are believed to be the dwelling places of spirits. At that time, the Javanese believed that an agreement with a Jinn could solve problems instantly.
According to (Geertz, 1976), the agreement with the devil is called Kemomong.
Kemomong is included in the realm of events caused by Lelembut (ghosts that cause trance).
However, Kemomong is not like a trance in general, where a spirit enters the human body without permission because its intention is only to disturb it. A person who does not believe in God will befriend Satan. Then Satan entered his soul. Lelembut can make people sick or even crazy. Lelembut enters the human body and if it is not treated by a native Javanese shaman, then the human can die.
Then there is Tuyul. Some people believe that Tuyul does not annoy or frighten, but can help people become rich. In his book, Geertz mentions that three people in Mojokuto are considered by the community to keep Tuyul.
The three men were very rich because they made pacts in sacred places. To the spirits in a sacred place, they promise that if they are given a Tuyul, they will make sacrifices for humans who are magically killed every year.
The sacrifice can come from family or close
friends. It is generally agreed that in the future the owners of Tuyul who practice this occult will experience difficulties when they are about to die because their breath is getting shorter. They will feel constant pain and high fever until they slowly die painfully. This situation is described in the character of the Ibu (mother) in the film Pengabdi Setan (2018) who experiences a mysterious illness and eventually dies.
In the film KKN Desa Penari (2022), typical Javanese traditions are shown, such as the use of Javanese dialogue, dancer costumes, Javanese dance performances with Gamelan, Gong, and Kendhang musical instruments, footprints, sacred places, and giving ritual offerings to a guardian spirit named Badarawuhi. Just like the film Mangkujiwo (2020) which also displays Javanese traditional customs from the use of dialogue, player costumes, place settings, and rituals using water flowers, to show the antique mirror of the Pengilon Kembar which is considered to have mystical powers and can give a sign when there is danger. Brotoseno, who masters black magic, intends to take revenge on Tjokro Kusumo. He performs a ritual to summon the Dedemits to come to Kanti. Brotoseno recites mantras in Javanese.
The ritual of worshiping supernatural beings for people who believe in mystical things is considered that supernatural beings can help meet their needs. The mantra recited becomes an alternative to traditional social institutions when formal institutions are no longer able to accommodate the interests of society. The use of mantras is more of a compensation for the inability of people to solve everyday life problems using formal institutions. When formal institutions are unable to accommodate conflicts in society, compensation will appear in traditional social institutions that can resolve these conflicts. The strength of the mystical practice is based on several aspects, starting from the belief of the subject (shaman) in the effectiveness of the technique used, the belief of the object (victim) in mystical powers, and the belief and hopes of the shaman. While the community functions as a gravitational field (Saputra, 2001). This is what causes a group to inherit mechanisms for dealing with and solving sociocultural problems from generation to generation until today. The mystical beliefs that exist in society are a relic
of the animist era. After the Samawi religion entered, faith in occult sciences did not just disappear. From a religious point of view, belief in mysticism is very contrary to Aqidah.
Religion is believed to be unable to eradicate people’s belief in mystical matters. So, mystical stories will still be told from generation to generation.
Figure2. Shot of the Dedemit (ghost) summoning ritual in the film Mangkujiwo
Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023)
Figure3. Dialogue, Javanese costumes, and ornaments in the Film Mangkujiwo Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023)
Figure4. Dialogue, costumes, Javanese dance performance, footprint, sacred place, ritual offering
to a guardian spirit in film KKN Desa Penari Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023)
Figure 5. Dialogue, costumes, Javanese dance performance, footprint, sacred place, ritual offering
to a guardian spirit in film KKN Desa Penari Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023)
Figure 6. Dialogue, costumes, Javanese dance performance, footprint, sacred place, ritual offering
to a guardian spirit in film KKN Desa Penari Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023)
Mystical things that are believed by some Indonesian people have various forms, such as legends, proverbs, to something taboo.
Sometimes, mystical things are also associated with religious values because they contain high spiritual values. If violated, it can bring disaster to his followers. For example, the background story in the film Pamali (2022).
Pamali is believed to be a myth of unwritten rules that cannot be violated because it will get disaster or bad luck. The film is told when a married couple, Jaka and Rika, who was pregnant, break a taboo. Unintentionally, Rika does something that is considered taboo, cutting her nails and hair at night. Since then, Jaka and Rika have been terrorized by spirits.
Pamali comes from the Sundanese language and according to the beliefs of the Sundanese people, Pamali is a taboo that cannot be violated in custom which aims to always be careful, respect each other, and be vigilant in doing things according to the time and place.
The aim of Pamali is good, to teach people that the law of cause and effect exists, not just a myth. The incident that Jaka and Rika experienced was similar to that experienced by Ayu and Bima in the film KKN Desa Penari (2022) which violated customary rules by
polluting the sanctity of a holy place so that both of them ended tragically. Even though the headman had warned them not to be careless.
Figure 7. The scene of the prohibition of cutting nails at night in the film Pamali
Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023) The previous generation used mystical things as a learning tool which continued to be passed on to the next generation. In ancient times, science was still very limited. Every explanation of an event is often associated with mystical things. Some tribes still adhere to dynamism and animism and these two beliefs usually have mystical things as a source of their teachings. Kejawen is the main teaching science that establishes good manners or rules of life. Historically, the Javanese have been open to accepting values and teachings from wherever they come to Java and accept them if deemed beneficial to themselves and society. Kejawen is a spiritual understanding that develops in Java. According to adherents, Kejawen is not a religion, but a belief so even though religious teachings or dogma already exist, adherents still carry out rituals. Belief will give legitimacy to something mystical so followers are obliged to believe in it and there will be consequences if it is not implemented. Everything that is born from the Kejawen belief is of course only for the expression of someone who wants to be close to God through various ways such as holding a Slametan or ceremonies related to the life cycle or holding big day ceremonies. This tradition is something that has been passed down from previous generations so that people can live happily and in harmony.
However, an incomplete understanding of Kejawen is often used as an idea to attract the attention of horror film lovers. The story concept and cinematographic technique are built with mystical things that are thick in Javanese culture, starting from songs, spells, rituals, costumes, make-up, and the language
used. As one of its functions, the film has a function to entertain. Films can represent and construct reality in society. This can be seen when the film presents a picture of reality in a symbolic form that is full of meaning in its aesthetic content and message. However, the threat is that the symbolic forms in films are often seen as the truth so that what is presented in the film becomes a reality. Of course, films are not only capable of influencing attitudes but also changing people’s mindsets and ideologies. For the Javanese, Tembang (song) is the space for singing that is freest for interpretation.
Tembang is not just about singing but also the distribution of intellectual property from one generation to the next. However, in one discourse, it was instead turned into a devil- summoning song which was considered to add to the image and character of the film to make it look haunted. For example, the song of Lingsir Wengi in the film Mangkujiwo (2020) was sung during the scene where Uma tries to call Kanti who has turned into a Kuntilanak to terrorize her opponents and protect Uma. In the film Tembang Lingsir (2019), the song of Lengsir Wengi was used by Mala to get rid of Kanjeng Ratu’s bondage because since she was young, Mala was taught by her mother to sing this song to drive away evil spirits. But actually, the song of Lengsir Wengi was used as media for Sunan Kalijaga’s da’wah. Lingsir Wengi is usually sung after the Isya prayer which means a prayer to God. This stigma is then formed by the media so that people see the use of ancient Javanese as a form of the supernatural past that is frightening.
Figure 8. Scene of the song Lengsir Wengi sung by Mala facing Kanjeng Ratu in the film Tembang
Lingsir
Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023) In the traditional mindset of the Javanese people, there is a belief in days and months that are considered sacred. The myth in Javanese tradition regarding the value of the
day on Rebo Wekasan as the last Wednesday in the month of Safar is considered an unlucky day and disasters that will occur on that day are the backdrop for the film Inang (2022). If a baby is born on Rebo Wekasan day, then he will not be ten years old. In the film, it is told that Bergas was born in Rebo Wekasan, and at the age of ten, Bergas fell ill. The doctor’s efforts were unsuccessful, so his parents were forced to believe in the myth of Rebo Wekasan and perform an ancient ritual assisted by a shaman named Ki Ageng who recited a spell in Javanese. A ritual was carried out by sacrificing their maid, Mbok Sum who was about to give birth at that time. Mbok Sum was eventually killed and her baby was burned.
Bergas recovered from his illness. But the bad luck that befell Bergas was not over. On his thirtieth birthday, Bergas’s parents again performed the Rebo Wekasan ritual. Wulan, who is about to give birth to her baby, plans to be used as a sacrifice. Even though Wulan survived the ritual, Wulan believed in the Rebo Wekasan ritual and continued the ritual to protect her child. Rebo Wekasan is a tradition in the form of a prayer ceremony offering salvation to God Almighty which is still preserved as one of the cultural traditions in Indonesia. This tradition may be carried out if the aim is to maintain brotherly harmony and teach good habits to the next generation by increasing remembrance and prayer.
Figure 9. Scene of the Rebo Wekasan ritual in the film Inang
Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023)
Apart from Rebo Wekasan, the value of the day on Malam Satu Suro as New Year’s Eve in the Javanese calendar is a month that is considered sacred by the Javanese people. This is the background for the film Satu Suro (2019) when Adinda, who is about to give birth to her baby, experiences a strange situation in a hospital that suddenly disappears and turns into an empty building burning. Adinda has to face various kinds of spirits while Bayu, who is returning home from taking birth needs, arrives at an inopportune time, namely on Malam Satu Suro.
For the Javanese, the month of Suro is considered scary and full of disasters because it is believed to be the month of supernatural beings. However, the Satu Suro tradition focuses on peace and inner safety which must be recited by everyone present to get blessings and protection from harm. Satu Suro means a life that needs to be respected physically and mentally and needs to be welcomed with an attitude of Samadi (praying to God), Sesirih (self-control), Sesuci (purifying oneself), and Sarasehan (honing each other’s abilities) (Brastiswara, 2000).
Figure 10. Scene of dialogue Satu Suro as the sacred night in the film Satu Suro
Source: (Processed by Researchers, 2023) The use of ethnicity in films is very good for introducing tradition. But exploiting the mystical aspects of a cultural product can form the view that this culture is attached to scary things. What is shown in the film through scenes regarding beliefs about supernatural things, performing Pesugihan rituals, chanting old Javanese songs full of meaning, the belief that every object on earth has a soul that must be respected, respecting moral and cultural values, footprints as a sacred place, community activities that still preserve traditional dances as something sacred, placing offerings showing the still very close relationship between the local community and spirits, bathing places, places for art performances, community trust in village guard, and traditional musical
instruments such as Gamelen, Gong, and Kendhang, form views discourses and stereotypes that Javanese culture is often mystical, occult, and frightening.
CONCLUSION
The horror film genre is a genre that has been in demand by audiences for a long time.
Several elements in horror films always accentuate ethnicity. For example, exposure to Javanese culture is often brought up by filmmakers in their story ideas. As the tribe that has the largest population in Indonesia, the Javanese also have beliefs that are supernatural and mystical even though religious teachings already exist. From these beliefs and customs, it becomes an idea for filmmakers in their films to present songs, spells, rituals, costumes, make-up, to language using elements of Javanese culture which are always described as mystical. The explanation of Javanese culture that is presented in the film is of course not all true. Javanese culture is very thick with philosophy and the meaning of life. The Javanese interpret life as a destiny that has been determined by God and has a basis for life by maintaining the welfare of oneself, the nation, and the world. Historically, when modernization in Java increased, society often had a negative view of Kejawen. Kejawen is equated with the mystical, and supernatural, something that doesn’t make sense but is believed to be true and is continuously followed. Its adherents are always oriented towards irrational things, so sometimes their behavior becomes irrational and makes more and more unreasonable, for example, they want to be rich but don’t take it seriously but instead seek the help of a shaman. This view is wrong because it does not fully understand Kejawen and only sees it from a certain point of view, giving rise to a priori. Indeed, in Kejawen some things are irrational, but Kejawen’s thinking is not solely oriented toward irrationality. Irrationality is only a small part of Kejawen. Kejawen is an idea, a mindset in behaving and organizing the mind (spiritual) and life according to the values that the Javanese people recognize for their goodness and truth. Kejawen is a philosophy as well as a concept of life and in fact, it is not occult mystical, or supernatural things. Even though there may be such things, mysticism, and the occult are only part of the Kejawen
understanding, as is the case with other understandings of local cultural customs and beliefs in the archipelago. If viewed from a positive perspective, Kejawen can be interpreted as a creation of Javanese philosophy to bring about much-coveted safety, peace, balance, harmony, and happiness in life. In other words, the life of the Javanese is full of Angger-Angger (rules) and Wewaler (prohibitions), whose aim is to regulate individual and social behavior to obtain peace and safety in the world and the hereafter (Santosa, 2021).
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