WARNING: Spoilers ahead for The Queen Of Black Magic
The Shudder original release, The Queen Of Black Magic, is a remake of a 1981 Indonesian classic supernatural horror flick of the same name, but how do the two compare to each other? Directed by Kimo Stamboel and written by Joko Anwar, the movie follows a group of friends who venture back to their orphanage to say their final goodbyes to their caregiver, while Lilik Sudjio's work goes in an entirely different route. In fact, there are so many differences that it would be more appropriate to regard 2021's The Queen Of Black Magic as a movie based on the original, not a direct remake.
Throughout 2020, foreign horror movies became increasingly prevalent on major streaming services such as Netflix and Shudder. Indonesian screenwriter and director Joko Anwar became fairly well-known in 2020 following the release of his folk horror movie Impetigore. It notably subverted traditional tropes and themes of the sub-genre while providing insight into folk legends and mythology in Indonesia. Impetigore was recently nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, which it is more than deserving of winning. With such a creative and innovative screenwriter who draws from his own culture with such a keen eye for detail and purpose, The Queen Of Black Magic makes for another impressive addition to Anwar's repertoire. Kimo Stamboel has been attached to several horror movies as well, including DreadOut and Macabre. The two joined forces to make this incredibly haunting supernatural horror mystery that holds its audience's attention from start to finish.
Traditionally, remakes follow some semblance of the original movie's plot, but that's not necessarily the case with The Queen Of Black Magic. It retains the same basic elements of the 1981 movie, but alters characters, situations, point of view, and the overall storyline. It's somewhat similar to what horror author Stephen King tried to achieve with his adaptation of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting Of Hill House, which eventually turned into Rose Red. The foundation is there, but everything else was altered to fit a more cohesive and captivating story. A thorough viewing of 1981's The Queen Of Black Magic reveals just how many differences there are from this Shudder original movie — here's every major difference between the two movies, explained.
The Queen Of Black Magic's Setting
While the setting of 1981's The Queen Of Black Magic encompasses a small village in Indonesia, 2021's takes place entirely at an orphanage. This is largely due to the changes that Anwar made to the original movie, which ultimately bettered the storyline while also complicating a few aspects of it as well. The orphanage is the location where Murni (Putri Ayudya) became the queen of black magic as a result of her mother's (Ms. Mirah) unjust murder by its caretaker. Thus, the revenge plot of the story is introduced, but only within the last half of the movie. Perhaps, if it had been at the forefront, it could've bettered the impact of what was happening to the characters. At the same time, it does add a level of mystique. However, it must be noted that The Queen Of Black Magic's 1981 setting did allow for the filmmakers to situate Murni's revenge at the very beginning.
The Queen Of Black Magic's Point Of View
The point of view is entirely different between the 1981 movie and the 2021 remake. While Liliek Sudjio's The Queen Of Black Magic is told through Murni's eyes, Stamboel and Anwar's movie focuses on the perspective of the group returning to the orphanage. More specifically, it hones in on Hanif's, who is portrayed by Ario Bayu of Impetigore.
By altering this point of view, it makes Murni's revenge less powerful, as the 1981 feature showcases a woman who was wrongfully accused of black magic fighting back against those who caused her harm. Instead, 2021's The Queen Of Black Magic makes it seem as though her desire for revenge isn't entirely justified, as she kills whoever crosses her, even the children.
Why The Queen Of Black Magic Seeks Revenge
Stamboel and Anwar's Murni seeks revenge because the girl's mother was wrongfully accused of being a witch after Pak Bandi (Yayu Unru), the caretaker of the orphanage, poisoned three young girls. He did so because he was sexually assaulting them and wanted to send a message to the others that he would do the same to them if they were to tell the woman who cared for them — Murni's mother. To cover all of his bases, he asserts that she's a witch, leading Hanif and his friends to lock her in a room where she pounded her head on the door so hard that it cracked. It's mentioned in passing that she chose to hone in on black magic, which would align with the 1981 movie, as the wrongdoings done to Murni led her to use it, but it's never fully developed. The 2021 version of Murni wants revenge for her mother, who was unjustly killed and buried on the property. In the 1981 movie, Murni is the one who is unjustly accused of using black magic, leading her to actually use it as a form of revenge. These are entirely two different types of vengeance. One pertains to the self, while the other seeks retribution for a major loss.
Every Major Change To Murni's Character
Murni's character is not the same at all. In fact, there are so many differences between 1981's Murni and 2021's Murni that they shouldn't even be considered the same person. For instance, Sudjio's titular character only uses it in order to teach everyone a lesson, but she finds that the harm she caused was just as bad as the violence that she experienced. She sees the errors of her ways and apologizes with her last dying breath.
Stamboel and Anwar's Murni is vengeful through and through, she does not feel bad about anything she is doing. Even as she tortures the children, she asserts that it is entirely justified, as they are a product of their father, who played a hand at taking her mother from her. Murni is a vicious user of black magic and has seemingly no redeemable qualities, especially since her mother's sole intent at the orphanage was to keep the children safe and her daughter is going directly against that.
The Queen Of Black Magic's Message
The foundational story centers around the mistreatment of women done by men. While Stamboel and Anwar's is far more subtle than Sudjio's, they ensure that it is exhibited through small pieces of dialogue and passing comments. For instance, during the dinner scene, Anton (Tanta Ginting) tells Lina (Salvita Decorte) that she looks skinny, so she shouldn't worry about eating. Behind closed doors, she expresses her desire to continuously lose weight for what seems to be a result of her husband's doing, though it is never fully explored. Even one of the children, Hasbi (Giulio Parengkuan) calls Hanif's daughter a "slut" because she wants him to turn the lights, as she is afraid of the dark.
Both movies highlight abusive patterns in men, which Anwar made a key point in Impetigore as well. It delves into the dangers perceived by women with power (witches), how young girls can be preyed on by men like Bandi, and the desire for revenge women may experience, which has also been recently detailed in movies such as 2020's Promising Young Woman. While the 1981 version of The Queen Of Black Magic is drastically different from its 2021 remake, both critique women's place in society through a horror lens and add important social and political commentary to the genre.
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