chocolate
A quiet tale that reminds us that, despite the multifaceted contradiction of Malaysia, life goes on – even if not all of it is sweet.
"this chinese boy is closed up in the crowded area, and at the same time, the mother's nagging at him bout wanting him to go overseas, because that's where... we're supposed to be to earn a living lah... or so that's what the old chinese people think, and how malaysia is only catered to their "own kind" sorta thing. Then when the malay girl comes in, he sense the freedom, and the space is bigger too.... and then the fact that she didn't have enough money to buy chocolates, showed that there are some malays or other races in malaysia who are suffering just like the chinese.... but not all the chinese also lar... cuz some chinese people think they're too well to do too...and the fact that she couldn't buy the chocolate shows that not all malays get what they want... So yea, that sums up the whole meaning of this short film" Elena Lee
"whole message is BORDER.the mum urging the Son to cross over the border to find better job..the mum telling the son the country treat ‘that kind of people’ better, ‘our kind of people’ need to work hard…his kind…our kind…set another border again…the son is talking normally wif the gal….he thought of nothing even may be hav some feeling wif the gal…then his mum remind him abt the ‘border’ again…”y u talk wif Malay gal’? the border of race…things get simpler n better without setting up border among us.." Rain
"An utterly-remarkable work by Yasmin Ahmad. The mother in the story represents the social burden that Malaysian Chinese carry, which is the fact that they’re not given equal opportunities and have to look for better chances in unfamiliar foreign lands. The boys refusal represents his bond with his country and its people, despite the unfairness that he might face here, Malaysia is where his heart is. The Malay girl represents the multi-racial community in Malaysia. The boy is attracted to the girl, and actually had the intention of ignoring the fact that the girl is short of 5 cents for the chocolate. However, the very moment that the mother speaks out about the ‘Malai Po’ (Malay girl), he got reminded about the social inequality again and refuses to sell it to the girl. He had some remorse feelings later, but as his mother again shouts at him, he harden his heart again and slams the chocolate on the counter due to his rage. The whole idea of the story is that Malaysian, regardless of race, can actually live harmoniously together. But what parts us today, is not our differences, instead its the inequality of the government policies that cause the racial chaos"Kenzo
"why chocolate?? because it’s ‘bitter-sweet’ taste" Arez
"This is beautiful. Notice how time just stands still when the two meet. It’s a special moment- that short 1 minute “relationship” is for that moment perfect- pure, color-blind, free. And then his mum shouts and it snaps him back to reality- back to the sometimes disturbing, unsettling, contradictions of Malaysian society" Grace
"Add one more hidden point to this film, the parent’s mindset is shaped by external factors like government policy.The boy first handed the girl a milk bottle. An involuntary subconscious action meaning the girl, representing one side of malaysia are being ’spoonfed’ and well taken care of from young to old, while the boy representing the other side, have to struggle for everything in life. Batteries symbolising energy, life. It is a neccesity. But chocolates are not. Yet it still wants the other side to subsidise their good life. The Chinese youth initially has no bad feeling against that Malay girl (Malay race), indeed he was attracted by her politeness and good manner. He was fed up with her mother’s racist remark and projected his bad mood toward that innocent Malay girl.He actually regretted for his own bad manner, but hesitate to apologize to her under the influence of his mother.The hidden message is parents are shaping the worldview of the children. A Malay saying, “bapa borek, anak bintik”." NkKhoo
"A sad but true reflection of life in malaysia all powerfully played out in a few short minutes with many cryptic messages embedded waiting for us to decipher and interprete from which ever side you stand.In life, chocolate is something you can do without if you can’t afford it; so do not try to get it at other peoples’ expense.The boy first handed the girl a milk bottle. An involuntary subconscious action meaning the girl, representing one side of malaysia are being ’spoonfed’ and well taken care of from young to old, while the boy representing the other side, have to struggle for everything in life. Batteries symbolising energy, life. It is a necessity. But chocolates are not. Yet it still wants the other side to subsidise their good life" AhPek
" i think it’s a story of how the poor live their life. there may be alot of hard times along the way,but they still move on with thier lives. As for the boy for suddenly asking the girl “tak payah beli lah” i dun think that’s a symbol that show chinese are money minded freaks that they can’t even spare 5 cents of good to the malay girl. I think he was just pissed at his mom for nagging at him continuously.cos in the end,he decided to let the girl have it by putting the choc on the table then walk off." Clement Ting
"Mesej filem pendek ini adalah tentang pengaruh generasi tua terhadap generasi muda. Mula-mula, lelaki yang tak berbaju itu sudah mempunyai suatu perasaan yang baik dan mesra terhadap gadis bertudung itu, namun disebabkan leteran ibunya yang mendesak dan memburukkan keturunan yang lain, lelaki itu jemu dengan keadaan yang dihadapinya (dalam hidupnya di Malaysia) dan berputus untuk bersikap kasar terhadap gadis Melayu itu. Dia sebenarnya tidak sampai hati berbuat demikian. Tuntasnya, generasi tua jangan sekali mempengaruh fikiran generasi muda kita dengan sikap perkauman mereka" Azman Nizam
" “He’s cheating you of your money, you know?”“Why cannot, I’m happy mah.”Can the mother’s attitude be said to be hypocritical? The son wants to stay here because he’s happy here, but she doesn’t allow it; yet she allows her boyfriend to take advantage of her, as long as she’s happy.Typical problem with chinese family. Parents care too much about education and not happiness or mental growth of children, less liberal ones at least. Communication is a big problem." MeiYen
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