Laila Majenun

A little boy is told the tale about the development of Jakarta, when a village was divided into two, and causing the people to oppose each other. On one side, there is Anton while the other side is lead by Mahmud. Maulana, the village boy whom Anton has adopted, falls in love with Laila, the sister of Mahmud. This love affair irritates Majid, Mahmud’s right-hand man, because he has loves Laila, long before her meeting with Maulana. Maulana and Laila refuse to take sides between the two opposing sides, and try to reconcile them. But a battle is inevitable. In the end, Mahmud kills Anton; but Mahmud dies at the hand of Maulana, his future brother-in-law. Then Maulana runs to Laila’s house and confesses. Laila forgives him, but Majid cannot. He orders a boy to steal the gun of Sabeni, an informant, and he shoots Maulana with it. While the intention was to make this film a musical, it didn’t work as the “realistic world” and the “musical world” could not blend fully.

Directed by Sjuman Djaya, Laila Majenun leans on a strong ensemble — Achmad Albar, Parto Tegal, Deddy Sutomo — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1975.