Line #24 Film/Merantau


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1_1.png]]
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3	''Merantau'' (''Journeying'') is a 2009 MartialArtsMovie directed by Gareth Evans and starring Creator/IkoUwais.
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5	It tells the story of a young Indonesian martial artist named Yuda, practitioner of the ''[[UsefulNotes/{{Silat}} silat harimau]]'' style, who leaves his home to travel to the bustling city of Jakarta in order to make a name for himself, in a centuries-old RiteOfPassage called Merantau. However, after a series of setbacks leave him homeless and uncertain about his new future, a chance encounter results in him defending the orphaned Astri from becoming the latest victim of a European human trafficking ring.
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7	The film, a surprisingly dark one for its genre, is considered the movie that gave international fame to Uwais, who later starred on ''Film/TheRaidRedemption'' along part of the same cast and again under Evans's direction.
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10	!!This film provides examples of:
11	* AffablyEvil: Luc is very polite and calm, especially next to [[AxCrazy Ratger]].
12	* AxCrazy: Ratger isn't very mentally stable, and [[spoiler:Luc's death]] only worsens it. He seems to spend most of his screentime screaming at people or beating them up.
13	* BadBoss: Ratger beats Johnny up during a tantrum and breaks a glass over Luc's head during another. Subverted in that he immediately repents doing the latter and hugs Luc in apology, but the act, rather than making him look caring, only shows further how nuts he is.
14	* BerserkButton: For Ratger, hurting Luc (if it is not Ratger himself).
15	* BigBad: Ratger, the AxCrazy head of the human-trafficking ring.
16	* BigBrotherInstinct: Yuda ends growing some for Adit, if only driven by circumstances.
17	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Yuda dies, but Astri and Adit get out of their crappy life on the city.]]
18	* BrokenBird: Astri, due to her ParentalAbandonment and subsequent hard life. Even more after [[spoiler:Ratger rapes her.]]
19	* CombatPragmatist: A trait of silat. Yuda is not above using improvised weapons, although he usually ends up fighting barehanded.
20	* CountryMouse: Yuda comes to Jakarta from a farming village.
21	* CrapsackWorld: How the city is portrayed in contrast with Yuda's idyllic former life on the country. Adapting to it is a part of the Merantau journey.
22	* CoolBigSis: Astri is forced to become one to Adit, which is commented by Yuda.
23	* TheCynic: Eric has become this over time, and considering what we are shown of the city, he definitely has his reasons.
24	* TheDragon: Luc, Ratger's second-in-command and best friend. The two are constantly seen together and fight together against Yuda in the climax.
25	* ElevatorActionSequence: Yuda and Eric fight in an elevator just before the climax. This is preceded by an uncomfortable elevator moment.
26	* EvilCounterpart: Eric to Yuda.
27	* EverybodyWasKungFuFighting: Yuda and Eric are pencak silat masters, Ratger uses UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} and UsefulNotes/WingChun, Luc uses wushu, and more or less all of the mooks have silat moves as well.
28	* HairTriggerTemper: Ratger has a major one.
29	* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Astri, who works as a strip dancer just because it's the only way for her and her brother to get money to live.
30	* HowDareYouDieOnMe: Astri on [[spoiler:Yuda]]'s last moments.
31	* KickChick: A male example - Luc, due to being quite tall with proportionately long legs, uses a lot of kicks to keep Yuda at bay in the final fight (in contrast to Ratger, who mostly throws punches, elbows and knees).
32	* MookChivalry: Zig-zagged during the final brawl. Although Ratger and Luc fight Yuda in a very coordinated manner, they do some strategic hesitating in order to keep the duel in an alternate one on one. However, at the same time, they do attack him in unison at vital moments and use actual team moves on him.
33	* NiceGuy: Yuda is an unambiguously nice and shy person, in contrast with the rest of characters, who go from the {{Tsundere}} Astri to the downright AxCrazy Ratger.
34	* NobleDemon: Eric, who is obviously disgusted by his line of work and [[spoiler:sacrifices himself to save Yuda]].
35	* NoIndoorVoice: Ratger shouts his lines in nearly all of his scenes.
36	* TheNotLoveInterest: Yuda and Astri show some closeness later in the film, but nothing comes up between them [[spoiler:due to his death at the end.]]
37	* OneManArmy: Yuda, who beats down countless goons without catching a break.
38	* PintSizedPowerhouse: Eric is rather short, but he definitely was not a bad Silat practitioner before coming to the city. [[spoiler:He is a match for Yuda in a one-on-one fight, something that not even [[BigBad Ratger]] and [[TheDragon Luc]] can claim]].
39	* ThePowerOfLove: Pulled out at the final battle, when a battered Yuda manages to break out from Ratger's furious stranglehold only after hearing Astri inside of the container he is being choked against.
40	* RankScalesWithAsskicking: Aside from being top guys of a human trafficking circuit, Ratger and Luc are tremendous martial artists.
41	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Eric sacrifices himself after his HeelFaceTurn to save Yuda from the guards's bullets.]]
42	%%* RiteOfPassage: The Merantau, obviously.
43	* StreetUrchin: Adit steals wallets in order to survive.
44	%%* TagAlongKid: Adit.
45	* VillainousFriendship: There is a dysfunctional but solid one between Ratger and Luc.
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Context Film / Merantau