Tertembaknya Seorang Residivis

Wawan is an orphan who grows up in the midst of squalour and thieves. Like his friends, he has to pay tribute to their mean boss who enjoys torturing them if the money is too little. This memory is remembered in his adult years, although he works for another boss. He commits no more petty crimes. He has temperance and he won’t kill anybody. But he forgets this restraint when he robs the house of a gold trader. The daughter of the trader who is hiding in the room suddenly runs out when she hears a siren. Wawan panics and kills her. This incident begins to haunt him. With the help of his girlfriend, Suci, whom he meets in the brothel, Wawan intends to give up crime. He works as a labourer in a construction project. His friends worry that he would betray them so they want to kill him. When they attack him, his fellow worker, Daniel, helps him. Daniel, who is a Surabayan thug, invites him to join the gang.

Directed by Imam Tantowi, Tertembaknya Seorang Residivis leans on a strong ensemble — Barry Prima, Wieke Widowati, Advent Bangun — 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 action titles of 1985.