Death by durian is a topic of uneasy humor in places with durian trees, as injury by falling durians is not uncommon. A durian’s damage potential is about the same as a medicine ball covered in thick, incredibly sharp spikes.
In melodramatic Thai soap operas, durian shells are the weapon of choice for women who want revenge on their husband’s mistress. Art critics jeeringly describe women running around with durian shells, trying to land one on their female enemy’s (or husband’s) cheek.
The Case of Adi Aziz, Footballer takes the use of durian as a way to solve marital strife one step further. The comedy short won “Best Film” at the Malaysian 2011 48-Hour Film Festival, in Kuala Lumpur, (where we are now!) earning it entrance to the 2012 short film festival, Filmapalooza, in New Mexico, USA.
The 8 minute film follows Detective Bob as he investigates the death of Adi Aziz, a fictional soccer player that is not to be confused with Abdul Aziz, a real soccer player from Pakistan. It’s a hilarious version of Roald Dahl’s short story, Lamb to Slaughter, with a flavor that’s intrinsically SE Asian. I felt like I was given insight into some of Malaysia’s idea of humor. Which is funny (to me).
Watch the short:
I especially loved that the victim is murdered for being vegetarian. I’ve been a vegan for five years now, and I appreciate vegetarian humor. There’s plenty to make fun of. Who hasn’t seen a cartoon of the skinny, carrot-nibbling college student with a superiority complex? I found the reason for murder especially ironic as it is often the vegetarian westerners who are obsessed with durian.
My favorite line: “Man comes home, (yells) ‘Wife! I’m a born again vegetarian.’ Wife gets really really angry and kills him.”
While the plot does seem to take after Roald Dahl’s short story, in which a crazy pregnant lady feeds detectives the leg of lamb with which she murdered her husband, online critics have argued that The Case of Adi Aziz is far less clever. Nobody eats the durian rind, which, combined with the weight of the fruit, is the dangerous part you could actually use to kill someone. In the murder process, the sharp, spiky thorns would be splattered with blood and bits of skin, which the murderer would then have to dispose of somewhere. In the case of durian the evidence is not consumed, the ironic and horrifying element of the Roald Dahl story that has made it famous.
I can’t imagine bludgeoning someone with the soft custardy edible portion would
have much effect other than covering your enemy in a snot-like
substance. This could in itself be satisfying, but not an effective way to kill someone. In the film, the detective is served a sweet durian porridge made from the flesh of the durian used to kill Adi Aziz. He is then horrified to discover that he has eaten the murder weapon in his favorite dish.
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| The insidious durian porridge |
So maybe the detective didn’t exactly eat the murder weapon, but I think I would be upset too if I had eaten a durian used for murder. But then, if it was a super delicious durian maybe I wouldn’t care. It’s a humorous 8-minutes of entertainment, and I loved seeing durian used in the movies. While it’s not quite as uproariously funny as The Bed Intruder, its better than checking facebook (again).
For more murderous durian fun, try the recipe for Pulut Bubur durian I posted earlier this week.
Anonymous says
What insulting trash. If you had grown up vegetarian, and seen what superiority complexes meat-eaters have and how much they abuse you, you wouldn't laugh and applaud vegetarians being murdered.
Lindsay says
Did you read that I am a vegetarian? I have been mostly vegetarian since I was 11 years old.
Your response is the kind of thing I am talking about – I wish more vegetarians would grow a sense of humor!!