A melodramatic suffer-fest that would give Lars von Trier pause. On a quest to find her biological father, teenager Yeni is sidetracked when she's raped by her stepfather and ends up in a nuthouse. After she's released, her prostitute sister takes her to work at a brothel. There, she becomes second wife to an old, miserable man until her stepfather returns and tries to lay claim on her. After unsuccessfully trying to strangle Yeni to death, he and Yeni's mother get in a fight and end up stabbing each other to death. Once Yeni finds out she's pregnant, she's then rejected by her miserly husband, who denies the child is his.
Sumiati lets her husband marry Yati because she cannot bear a child. But when Yati delivers, Sumiati is pregnant and gives birth to Mira. Mira’s presence worries Yati. Therefore Yati accuses Sumiati of cheating. Sumiati leaves the house. Mira learns of this history as Yati always insults her when she asks for her monthly allowance. There is more tension when Rachmat, who is matched to Yati’s daughter, Neneng, is more attracted to Mira. By chance, Mira repeatedly catches Yati having affairs. Her father is furious. Then Yati runs away with the fortune and the child of her affair. Neneng, who stays, commits suicide. Her father realises his mistake and reconciles with Sumiati. Rachmat has also come back for Mira.
There is a street food stall in a village where unemployed men hang around, singing and gambling. Ani’s parents and Heri’s father, a judge, are angered by the gambling. But Rhoma, son of a poor widow, often sings his self-composed songs there, as he is still unemployed. A friend suggests that he should go to a recording company. He succeeds and his songs are hits. Then Heri falls in love with Ani, Rhoma’s girlfriend. So he conspires with the friends that he often gambles with at the eatery, and when Rhoma tries to help a hostess who has been killed, he is instead accused as the murderer and jailed. In the end, the true murderer is discovered, and Rhoma and Ani can be together again.
At his teacher’s urging, Lie studies martial arts under Saleh, together with another student, Rachmat. Lie awakens the competitive spirit in Taufik, one of the best fighters in the village, who challenges him to a friendly spar. But Taufik loses and then starts training again. So more fights are organised which becomes the main plot of the film.
The story revolves around the Minangkabau Hanafi and his friend, the half-French half-Minangkabau Corrie du Bussée. Although Hanafi is Minangkabau and a Muslim, he considers European culture to be superior and has many European friends.
The colonial court sentenced Tohir harshly on 22 September 1938. The sentence is made harsher because the prosecutor, Hasan, discriminates more on Tohir’s lineage than his crime. But in fact, Tohir commits his crime out of necessity as his wife is pregnant and about to give birth. He is sentenced to hard labor in exile so when he finds out that his wife and child are dead, Tohir escapes and kidnaps Hasan’s son, Husin. He raises the son in a life of crime, but lives like a respectable man. Husin also lives a double life. He is loved by an innocent girl in the village, but in other places, he plays around with women. In his old age, Tohir becomes a drunk and then he finds out that the government has awarded Hasan for his services. He uses Husin, nicknamed Boy, to avenge himself by sending him to rob Hasan’s house. Husin fails and is sent to trial. There, while drunk, Tohir reveals who Husin really is. Hasan and his wife then welcome Husin back.
