Wayang Kulit as Cinematic Form in Dain Said’s Bunohan (2012)

This study investigates wayang kulit as a cinematic form that transcends its traditional theatrical presentation and reshapes current visual storytelling. Focusing on the critically acclaimed 2012 film Bunohan, directed by Dain Said, this study reveals how the key structural aspects of wayang kulit, notably performance, spatial framing, and narrative repetition, are transformed into a sophisticated cinematic language. Employing rigorous textual analysis alongside semiotic approaches, the research performs a deep examination of five notable scenes under three repeating motifs through multiple viewings guided by Roland Barthes’s denotation–connotation–myth framework. These specific scenes were picked for their general narrative consistency, evident thematic alignment, and their analytical movement from direct description toward higher levels of denotation, connotation, and myth. The findings identify three principal structural mechanisms through which this synthesis operates: the kelir (muslin screen) functioning as a symbol of cultural fracture, the visual strategy of an image-within-an-image (mise-en-abîme) transmitted via television imagery to signify inevitable violence, and a recursive narrative design that ultimately offers structural closure. Ultimately, this research offers a vital contribution to Malaysian film scholarship by illustrating how wayang kulit functions as a crucial narrative instrument, boosting recursive storytelling strategies while directly confronting traditional practices of modern filmmaking.