Allegorical representation of <i>Kuntilanak</i> in Rizal Mantovani’s films

This article examines the allegorical representation of the mythical ghost kuntilanak in Rizal Mantovani’s films on kuntilanak. Kuntilanak narrative can be found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. This representation is then interpreted as a cultural and political allegory as argued by Linnie Blake when talking about the function of horror cinema. Mantovani is a contemporary Indonesian film director who is well-known for his horror films, and the first director to release a non-conventional horror film, Jelangkung (2001), after the Indonesian reformation period at the end of the 20th century. Rizal Mantovani has a strong interest in the kuntilanak figure as evident in six films about kuntilanak that he directed that were released in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2018, 2019, and 2022 under the same title, Kuntilanak/The Chanting. This research explores the first trilogy and focuses on the visualization of the monster, the major female character, and the narrative as the data source. The method used is Hall’s theory of representation combined with film studies. The findings show that the representation of kuntilanak, the portrayal of the major female character, and the film narrative carry specific political and cultural allegorical meanings that pertain to the period.