Early in her career, Suzanna (with one “Z”) was practically Indonesia’s sweetheart. She appeared in sentimental dramas and even recorded sugary pop records with her first husband, fellow thesp and frequent co-star Dicky Suprapto. During the 1970s, she started making more exploitative genre movies for less formal “Layar Tancap” cinemas, often projected on bedsheets for neighborhoods without brick-and-mortar theaters. Of course, they loved her.
Suzzanna (with two Z’s) only made one horror in the 1970’s, but it became a sort of prototype for her 80’s output. In 1983, she also made an exploitation film about a mother’s lurid relationship with her estranged son, played by teenaged Clift Sangra, who in real-life became her second husband. Weirdly, he also portrayed her son in her final film.
To make things even more awkward, many of Suzzanna’s friends and family members clearly suspected him of complicity in her death. Some even accused him of trying to contract her murder. While Sangra sat for extensive interviews, he emerges as his own worst advocate. Sangra never legally compromises himself, but he just radiates bad vibes.
Indonesia has long been a prolific producer of horror film, but the export market for them has grown dramatically in recent years. Suzzanna clearly helped lay the foundation for the success now enjoyed by filmmakers like Anwar. It is nice to see her get the credit she deserves from the genre establishment beyond her native country. Recommended for fans of Indonesian horror and those interested in the potential (but unproven) true crime elements, Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic is included in the Suzzanna: Empress of Darkness 3-disk set releasing tomorrow (5/26).
