The Players : 
Eman Manan(Amir) ; Rosyam Nor(Zarin) ; Nina Juren(Zita) ; Pansha(Uncle Gopal). 

Behind The Scenes :  Lenjan means 'to whack repeatedly'. Lenjan is a suspense thriller, scripted by Akhbar Hashim with screenplay and direction by Ismail Yaacob. This movie is produced by Pansha under Berjaya Films. Pansha also makes a cameo appearance as Uncle Gopal. Lenjan which has a lot of outdoor scenes was shot extensively in Tasik Pulau Banding, Grik, Perak; Lata Kijang, Tapah, Perak; Kuala Rui, Perak; Hutan Belum, Perak; Hulu Langat, Selangor; Bukit Cerakah, Shah Alam and Klang among other locations. Lenjan was done at a cost of RM850,000 excluding promotions, with post production in Hong Kong.

 

The Story :  Amir is a young, successful entrepreneur who is happily married to Zita, a lovely loving young woman. You see, Amir never found out who his real parents were and found the meaning of true love in Zita. Zita who is every man's dream girl, means the world to Amir.

Amir and Zita further seal their love by going on a vacation deep in the forest far away from the madding crowd and the hustle and bustle of city life. There they run into Zarin who appears hurt. 

Unknown to them, Zarin is a cunning rapist and murderer who has killed a few people. He traps his victims with his good looks and charming disposition. His friendly personality makes way for his cold and cruel one. And he turns into a killing machine. Every woman who brings him home will end up dead in his hands. 

Meanwhile, Zita feels uneasy around Zarin. Her gut feelings tell her that there's something not quite right but Amir suspects nothing of it. 

Shrewd and manipulative, Zarin waits for the right time to get rid of Amir and possess Zita all for himself. Does he succeed? Only time will tell. 

The Review : 

A tale of love, lust and betrayal, Lenjan is a suspense thriller that strays from the humdrum love and romance we're fed. A daring approach for the producer to adopt a new genre in a storyline that offers something different from the usual fare.  However, such a genre would be better if the pace had been quicker. Initially especially, the movie dragged a little, with slow cuts-to of close-up shots of one character to another. The cast didn't help either, as they appeared like waiting for the cue to speak.

Eman Manan seemed awkward at the beginning scenes but was better at the later. Rosyam Nor gave a commendable portrayal as the serial killer with a crude sense of humour. With a maturity that few local actors possess, he built an intense persona for the deranged madman. The fight sequences between the two were well directed, with credible sounds. And for once, the blood on the rape victims looked real and not like beet root juice! 

However, there were wasted scenes in between the good ones that marred the pace of this thriller. The mushy scenes between Nina and Eman were too many for a movie that's less than two hours. 

The dialogue was well written except for the constant "sayang" between the couple, which made it unreal. It looked as though they knew we were watching and were putting up a good front. The sound and music was well composed. Credit should go to audioman, Peter Lim. 

Unlike predictable storyline, Lenjan offers a twist in the plot but like they say, its for me to know, for you to find out. As a suspense thriller, Lenjan does offer some thrills! 

Posted : 27 JUNE 1998