Ungu Violet (2005) Review: An Indonesian Romance About Love and Trauma

Ungu Violet | 2005 | 1h 55m
Genre: Drama / Romance | Country: Indonesia
Director: Rako Prijanto | Writer: Jujur Prananto
Cast: Dian Sastrowardoyo, Rizky Hanggono, Rima Melati
IMDb: 6.2
My Rate: 6/10

Lando meets Kalin by chance and opens a path for her into the modeling world, leading to a growing romance between them. But the trauma from his past causes Lando to walk away from the woman he loves.

Warning

Contains sensual scenes and strong language.

 

Synopsis of Ungu Violet

Lando (Rizky Hanggono) falls into depression after his fiancée leaves him. His work as a photographer for a well-known magazine is also becoming increasingly difficult. He struggles to find a suitable new face for the magazine's cover.

Instead, he submits a photograph he took of a pickpocketing incident on a bus. His boss is not impressed, but still gives Lando another opportunity.

While going through his photographs, Lando notices the face of a woman who catches his attention. She is Kalin (Dian Sastrowardoyo), a TransJakarta ticket booth attendant. Curious about her, Lando approaches Kalin and offers her an opportunity to work as a model.

Kalin initially refuses. However, her grandmother needs money for medical treatment, so she eventually finds the courage to visit Lando and accept the offer.

Their photoshoot goes well, and Lando's boss approves of the results. Kalin's face eventually appears on the cover of the magazine, and she is deeply grateful to Lando.

But after the photoshoot, Lando suddenly disappears and seems determined to keep his distance. Kalin visits his apartment, but he is not there. She can only leave her phone number behind.

Eventually, Lando gathers the courage to call her, and their relationship begins to grow closer again. Kalin also starts receiving modeling offers from other agencies.

However, Lando's unresolved trauma continues to haunt him. Instead of confronting his feelings, he tries to distance himself from Kalin and eventually breaks up with her.

The decision deeply hurts Kalin.

But forgetting Kalin proves much harder for Lando than he expected. Her face appears everywhere—in magazines, advertisements, and billboards—as if he cannot escape the memory of her.

Will Lando and Kalin find their way back to each other?

 

Review of Ungu Violet

Ungu Violet marks Rako Prijanto's directorial debut. The film has an interesting premise, although the idea itself is not particularly original.

Unfortunately, the execution does not leave as strong an impression as it could have. One of the biggest questions is the title itself. Even after reaching the end of the film, its connection to the story remains unclear.

The narrative is presented systematically, but the flow sometimes feels uneven and fragmented. The foundation of the story is established reasonably well, but the development of the conflict and the resolution remain relatively shallow.

There are many elements that could have been explored more deeply to create a richer emotional experience, especially considering the film's fairly long runtime.

The chemistry between the main actors also does not come through strongly enough. Their relationship is supposed to be the emotional center of the film, yet the connection between them sometimes feels distant.

The performances themselves also feel uneven between the main and supporting cast. Some moments feel stiff, despite the involvement of several established Indonesian actors and actresses.

There are also several details that could have used more attention to logic.

For example, Lando's apartment room is apparently never locked, making it very easy for Kalin to come and go. Considering the possibility of theft, this feels unrealistic—especially when the apartment caretaker also appears to make little effort to monitor who enters and leaves the building.

Another questionable scene occurs when Kalin's grandmother faints in the bathroom. The house has a leaking roof, so she apparently wants to get a bucket to catch the dripping water. However, she goes to get the bucket from a bathroom that is already filled with water.

The next scene shows Kalin holding the same bucket she used for mopping, which makes the previous situation even more confusing.

There is also the moment when Kalin realizes her feelings and runs after Lando while still carrying the glass she has just been drinking from.

Was she so overwhelmed that she simply forgot to put it down?

Spoiler: The glass eventually becomes important to the storyline because Kalin is later made blind. However, there are many other ways this could have been handled more logically.

Near the end, another character is suddenly introduced to create the final twist. Because there is almost no background development for this character, the appearance feels somewhat forced, as though it exists primarily to push the story toward its resolution.

There are several other smaller details that could also have been handled more carefully.

Despite these weaknesses, Ungu Violet remains an enjoyable film with a clear storyline. It may not be as emotionally developed as it could have been, but there are still enough interesting elements to make it worth watching.

 

Memorable Scene

Lando meets with his doctor and talks about his decision to leave Kalin.

He tells the story while laughing, but his expression remains visibly sad.

This scene captures something that often happens in real life: people sometimes hide their sadness behind laughter because expressing the pain directly feels too difficult.

But hiding those feelings does not make them disappear. Sometimes, the sadness only becomes heavier when we continue pretending that everything is fine.

 

Memorable Dialogue

"You only realize someone's worth when they're gone."

 

Ending

Happy Ending

 

Recommendation

Okay to Watch

(Aluna Uwie)