Lewat Tengah Malam

(title translation: Past Midnight)

In Sjuman Djaya’s directing debut, he stamps his cinematic vision: a dedicated concern for social issues as well as a romantic approach. Lono is a rich thief, driving his Alfa Romeo car, who is romantic like Robin Hood. He only robs rich corrupt people and the stolen goods are used to help a poor village. He always leaves a mark after conducting a robbery: a black-coloured hand glove. This behaviour is formed by his troubled childhood and his adolescent experiences during the Revolution in 1945. This revolutionary angst prevails after the war, especially when he sees how his old comrades are now enjoying their lives to the detriment of the state. Djoko, his brother, is a police commander who wishes to stop the cunning felon. So he uses Sukma, the daughter of a state official, who is paralyzed due to his fervent activity in eradicating corruption. Intimacy begins to grow between Lono and Sukma. Then Lono's secret identity slowly unravels, and this confuses Sukma. The dialogue between Lono and Sukma, actually reflects Sjumandjaja's views to social problems. Lono has still one more issue to solve with one of the big cheats. Disregarding the risk, he goes to Jakarta, and he succeeds, even under the police siege led by his brother. Later, he meets his brother and they take a walk a nostalgic stroll, drinking iced water with sugar to remember their poverty, before the final scene, when Lono is arrested. But Sukma is ready to defend Lono in the trial. This is arguably one of the best movies that Sjumandjaja had ever directed.