Ballad of the Man is the title of Teguh Karya′s first film, produced in 1970. By observing and contemplating the main message at the film′s core, it is revealed as a reflection of Karya′s individuality. Amallo feels like a stranger in his own house. His father lives lavishly, chums around with hookers and loves to carouse. His father is also marrying again, and his mother′s grave has been forgotten. On his father′s wedding day, Amallo leaves his three brother and sisters, Ina, his fiancée, and his beloved village. In the capital, Amallo sees many things that he′s never seen before. Colonial suppression by the ruling Dutch toward the people and killing and shooting the innocent by the brigades gives him the inspiration for an uprising from repression. From the natural purity of a young village boy to mature manhood, he starts to find his own existence, and all at once feels the restlessness of the people under colonialism. Amallo meets the nationalist activists and then joins in their anti-colonial activities. Amallo tries to steal his father′s horses to raise money for those activities, but poor Amallo: when stealing the horses, he has a gun trained in his direction and a bullet goes through his chest. (Slamet Raharjo)