The Year of Living Dangerously

Guy Hamilton, a fresh-faced foreign correspondent for an Australian television network, lands in Jakarta for his assignment. Upon his arrival, he encounters a tightly knit group of foreign correspondents that includes reporters from the UK, US, and New Zealand, along with diplomatic members and a unique figure named Billy Kwan. Billy, a Chinese Australian man with dwarfism, is distinguished not only by his intelligence and moral gravity but also by his caring nature towards the locals; he even supports a destitute woman and her young son.

Initially, Guy struggles to find his footing as a journalist, mainly because his predecessor, disillusioned by life in Indonesia, exited without establishing connections for him. The tight-knit journalistic community shows little compassion for Guy, each member vying for elusive information from Sukarno’s regime, the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), and the Indonesian military, dominated by conservative Muslims. However, Billy takes a shine to Guy and helps him secure interviews with key political figures.

Through Billy, Guy meets Jill Bryant, an attractive young assistant at the British embassy. Though Billy and Jill share a close friendship, Billy subtly orchestrates their interactions, compelling Jill to warm up to Guy. Even as she prepares to return to the UK, Jill’s heart softens towards Guy, and they fall deeply in love. When she learns that Chinese communists are arming the PKI in anticipation of an impending civil war, she relays this critical information to Guy, alerting him that foreigners increasingly face danger. Despite her warning to leave, Guy is driven to write a compelling story about the forthcoming chaos, but this choice alienates him from Billy and Jill, who fear the repercussions could trace back to Jill as the source.

Left to navigate the perils of Jakarta with only the American journalist Pete Curtis and his dependable assistant and driver, Kumar—who is quietly aligned with the PKI—Guy perseveres. Kumar, however, remains loyal and attempts to illuminate the grim realities unfolding around them.

Tragedy strikes when the young boy Billy cared for falls gravely ill and passes away. This loss sends Billy into a spiral of despair, leading him to display a poignant banner reading “Sukarno, feed your people” from the Hotel Indonesia. This act of defiance costs him his life, as he is thrown out of the window by security personnel, dying in Guy’s arms, with Jill as a witness to the horror.

With the war on the horizon, Guy pushes ahead in his quest for the scoop, trying to infiltrate the presidential palace amid a violent military takeover. He suffers a grievous eye injury at the hands of an army officer. In solitude, recuperating in Billy’s bungalow, Guy reflects on wise words Billy shared from the Bhagavad Gita: > “all is clouded by desire.” As the turmoil deepens, Kumar enlightens him about a failed coup attempt. Ignoring the risks of permanent eye damage, a bandaged Guy urges Kumar to take him to the airport, where he boards the last flight out of Jakarta, yearning for a reunion with Jill.

Last Updated: November 15, 2024 at 20:50