This City Is a Battlefield

Unrated

7/22/20251h 59m

Premiere Release (US)

Overview:

In war-torn Jakarta 1946, a haunted violinist ordered to bomb a colonial theatre sees his plan unravel when a charismatic rebel falls for his wife—jeopardising Indonesia’s freedom and their lives.

Director:

Mouly Surya

Status:

Released

Language:

Indonesian

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

based on novel or book
violin
violinist
teacher
soldier
fictional war
british soldier
military
period piece
indian military

Cast

Chicco Jerikho

~ as ~

Guru Isa

Ariel Tatum

~ as ~

Fatimah

Jerome Kurnia

~ as ~

Hazil

Ar Barrani Lintang

~ as ~

Salim

Imelda Therinne

~ as ~

Mayang

Chew Kin-Wah

~ as ~

Baba Tan

Rukman Rosadi

~ as ~

Kamaruddin

Indra Birowo

~ as ~

Abdullah

Anggun Priambodo

~ as ~

Semedi

Alex Abbad

~ as ~

Tentara Sepoy

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CM
Call Me Dunham
Written 1 month(s) ago
8
Adapted from the novel by Mochtar Lubis, Perang Kota marks Mouly Surya’s long-awaited return — and honestly, it’s such a joy to see her back in the director’s chair.

After waiting so long for its release, there are several things I truly love about this film: its lavish production design that brings us back to the post-independence atmosphere of the archipelago, the beautifully composed score that enhances the mood and deeply supports the narrative, and the performances of the three leads — calm yet intense, soulful, and emotionally vulnerable.

What didn’t quite work for me were the overused long takes that felt unnecessary in some scenes, and a few characters that seemed underdeveloped, making them feel somewhat shallow. The love triangle subplot also didn’t add much tension to the relationship between Isa and Hazil.

Not exactly amazing, but overall, I really enjoyed the film.