The newly-restored Oro, Plata, Mata is an epic war movie that recalls the fiery grandeur of Gone With the Wind, and the horrors of corpse-filled Apocalypse Now. With a running time of 194 minutes, it is one of the longest films in the pre-Lav Diaz era. Peque Gallaga’s film is stuffed with memorable characters, bravura set pieces, and coruscating images. Jose Javier Reyes wrote the screenplay from a story by Gallaga, Mario Taguiwalo, and Conchita Castillo.
‘The war turned us into animals,’ said Trining Ojeda (Cherie Gil). An ingénue at the start of the film, she morphs into a chameleon vamp as the hellish hounds of the Second World War reached her paradise of a home. A contemptuous Trining learns to use her charm as a weapon for survival. In the end, she sheds skin once more.
Other members of the Ojeda and the Lorenzo clans slowly shed their inhibitions and bare their true natures as well. Miguel Lorenzo (Joel Torre) makes the biggest transformation. The mama’s boy is the object of Trining’s scorn. Shamed further by guerrillas, he takes to heart the survival and fighting skills training he received from Hermes (Ronnie Lazaro). The ‘torpe’ guy loads up on beastly courage and embarks on a daring rescue-the-damsel mission.
Margarita Ojeda (Sandy Andolong) is unfairly labelled a snake by her sibling. It isn’t her fault that Miguel falls in love with her. The young lad gets some respect from her and experiences tender affection which he didn’t get from Trining.
I loved certain small images that capture perfectly the Silver, and Death segments of the film. Trining’s yearning for a single santol fruit results in a dozen of fruits being strewn away to the ground. This wasteful act foreshadows her selfish desire to save herself at the expense of other people. There is also a dreamy shot of the young adults frolicking with sheeps while being guarded by armed men. It is a memory of their halcyon, innocent days, which ended too soon. The death of Yaya Tating (Mary Walter) is powerful for being depicted offscreen. The set up at an ominous open field has the hallmarks of a horror film set piece. The frail elder trekking towards her death followed by a long shot of a Japanese convoy ups the suspense factor of the film. All hell breaks loose as hacienda fields go up in flames. Another vivid image is that of a servant preparing watermelon seeds for the mah-jong ladies. Of course, we can’t expect the ladies to use their mouths for tasks other than eating and gossiping. The four ladies remind me of another quartet of bitchy, foul-mouthed women from another Jose Javier Reyes-penned film Mga Mumunting Lihim. Doctor Jo Russell (Mitch 'Maya' Valdes) stands out from the bevy of flawed female characters. Initially, she comes onscreen as a snooty balikbayan. But, her demeanor and behavior with unexpected visitors shows she has the biggest, plumpest pair of caring heart and intuitive mind. Oro, Plata, Mata is a feast for the eyes and must be seen on a theater widescreen. Despite the film missing about 90 more minutes in footage, the story is good enough for showing that war is hell. More than the gunshot wounds, the psychological wounds are harder to heal. The inner conflict lingers on lending truth to what Nick Joaquin wrote, 'there has been no peacetime since (the start of the Second World War).'
The
highly-regarded film Himalahas been around for thirty years and is still
relevant as before. Film issues such as end-time signs, the need for miracles,
sainthood, apathy, and the importance of faith are very much in the news and on
theater screens.
A Cinemalaya 2012 film Sta. Niña borrows heavily from the
film. Another Cinemalaya finalist Aparisyondeals with people's indifference to
crimes during the Marcos regime.
Just when we’d shook off end-of-the-world jitters, a meteor pierces through the
skies of Russia
and ends up hurting hundreds of people in February 2013. The burst of blinding light
is in stark contrast with that of a total eclipse of the sun. Both, however,
had the same effect of scaring shitless the superstitious and weak-hearted
amongst us.
Ito na yata ang
katapusan!
Himala begins
with a woman getting hysterical as darkness engulfs her village during mid-day.
A neighbor calms her down by saying it is just a solar eclipse.
Meanwhile, Elsa (Nora Aunor), a petite woman in her mid-twenties, wanders
around a hill. She hears a voice calling out her name twice. Then, she kneels
down and prays as if caught up in a trance.
The filmmakers
capture the end of the eclipse with a stunning shot showing the transition from
darkness to bright-lit day. Elsa gets basked in shimmering sun rays. She is
staring at something or someone high above. We soon learned that she saw
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The New Society
movement of the Marcos administration was supposed to be the new light that
will reinvigorate the troubled country. The early years showed some semblance
that indeed it was the cure to society’s ills. But, kleptocracy, human rights
abuses, and excesses by the administration soon diminished the luster of the
movement.
Director Ishmael
Bernal, a member of the underground movement, is noted for subtle jabs at the
Marcos administration. In Working Girls, he tackled the rise of yellow-clad
activists and women empowerment. He also toyed once more with the idea of a
woman president, which was the childhood dream of Elsa.
Walang himala!
With Himala,
Bernal highlighted people’s apathy towards crimes in their midst. A documentary
filmmaker witnesses a rape but didn't lift a finger to help the victim. (What is
going on in his mind? Is he expecting something miraculous like a vengeful
angel wrecking havoc on the rapists?) In the film’s climax, a gun, from the
vantage point of the camera operator, goes off and silences the truth bearer. The
positioning of the gun makes me agree with Nick Deocampo’s theory that the assassin
is a filmmaker.
Bernal and
scriptwriter Ricky Lee suggest some of their fellow filmmakers are not brave
enough to fight evil doers. Worse, some of them are the ones committing crimes.
These people shun away from showing the true state of the nation in their
films.
Himala alludes
to the descent of a disciplined society into a chaotic, corrupt, and morally
bankrupt country. Martial law was not the solution. Elsa was right. There never
was a miracle. It will come much, much later after a pack of lies, falsehoods, and
assassinations (real ones and faked ambushes). The impossible dream of having a new president comes into miraculous reality with the ascension of a female president, Corazon Aquino, in 1986.
From the fertile mind of the National Artist for Visual Arts, Carlos 'Botong' Francisco, come forth iconic images of a nation struggling to be free and progressive.
A stupendous three-panel mural highlighted in the short film shows these images in a grand manner befitting the stature of Botong. We see the rajahs of Tondo in all their splendor and majesty. We see Francisco Balagtas tormented seemingly by his fictional characters. Then, there is arguably the definitive depiction of Andres Bonifacio, with a bolo in his right hand and a gun in his left hand, leading the impassioned charge against the Spanish forces. And interspersed, along with the famous heroes, are countless Filipinos pushing forth with the fight for freedom. The mural, titled Filipino Struggles Throughout History, is a national cultural treasure that can be found in the Bulwagang Katipunan of Manila City Hall. The short film is a convenient and fantastic way of appreciating the highly-detailed mural. You don't have to strain your neck ogling at the piece.
Peque Gallaga, in a brilliant creative decision, brought these brave Filipinos to life in the short film. Foregrounding them in the festive, historical plaza across Quiapo Church, Gallaga alludes to Francisco’s two major visual themes; larger than life historical paintings and personal portraits of his hometown of Angono in Rizal. The Filipinos later thanked the Maestro for teaching them to see and remember their past. Bestowed the nickname 'Botong,' from a dark-skinned character, the young child never outgrew his fondness for doodling and sketching. He preserved into paintings the dying traditions, fiesta events, and rituals of his townmates. A dancing couple gets morphed into a colorful fiesta scene. A boy wakes up from his siesta and walks out of the painting. The latter painting is notable for being half of a double-sided painting. It was an early work and there must have been a dearth of material to paint on for the young lad.
Years later, Botong will no longer have to deal with scarce material. He will get to work on gigantic panels and murals. My school memory and recollection of Botong's images was that they were all life-size or larger-than-life paintings. But, when I saw several actual works such as The First Mass at Limasawa and the Introduction of the First Christian Image, they were not gigantic at all. I wasn't disappointed, though. The theme and composition of the paintings make them seemingly large. Most of Botong's images seem to sprung out from a CinemaScope film production. The martyrdom of Jose Rizal, the role of the babaylan in health care, Bayanihan, and the Blood Compact, among other images, will always be widescreen big in my mind. Botong also got involved in the field of filmmaking. He was production designer for the classic film Genghis Khan, directed by Manuel Conde. The short film didn't tackle this fact although Ayala Museum's exhibition has a couple of watercolor works showing Genghis Khan-like characters. There is also a poster sketch for a period film titled Apat na Alas.
Catch the short film and exhibits celebrating the birth centennial of Botong Francisco at the Ayala Museum. They run until March 31, 2013.
Rizal Park is packed with people every day. Several groups
wield canes for their arnis training. Towering over them is the bronze statue
of Lapu Lapu, a master in eskrima. Further across the park is the monument of Jose Rizal, a fencing aficionado.
Although there is no concrete evidence of his having been trained in eskrima,
Rizal was portrayed in the film Rizal sa Dapitanas having taught arnis/eskrima
to local kids.
With an illustrious history
and heroic practitioners behind it, arnis was declared as national martial art
and sport of the Philippines
in 2010. That event pushed various Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) groups to set
aside differences and work together on a common goal: popularization of
arnis/eskrima/kali.
The documentary film The
Bladed Hand shows the growing clout of respected arnis/kali experts around the
world. They help foreign police groups with their self defense training. They
choreograph jaw-dropping action sequences for film productions.
Clips from the Jason Bourne film series showcase the efficiency of kali as a form of self defense. If
only I’ve been exposed to these types of footage early in my life, then I
would have enjoyed my arnis lessons in high school. Back then, I thought arnis
is useful only with sticks. Boy, was I wrong. A mere ballpen in the hand of a
kali expert is more than a writing implement. It becomes a deadly weapon. That scenario
gives new meaning to the saying ‘the pen is mightier than the sword.’
With or without a weapon at
hand, a kali expert uses blinding speed and coordinated movements to thwart
enemies during close combat. In the documentary, politician Juan Miguel Zubiri
shared his secret in winning an arnis competition. He narrated that he practiced
learning one movement until it became second nature to him. He repeated it with
every new movement. It is akin to the training regimen of Ralph Macchio’s
character in the Karate Kid. Zubiri was responsible for the passage of the
arnis bill into law.
There had been a
crucial change in the world of arnis since 2009. In that year, a documentary
titled Eskrimadors by Kerwin Go dealt with in-fighting among the numerous FMA
groups. Nowadays, the focus is on standardization of techniques and forms and
the creation of a unified system of rules. Those are major challenges to the
popularization of arnis as a sport.
The task is
doubly hard as other close combat sports such as taekwondo and wrestling, both
of which risk losing their Olympic status, try to improve their own popularity.
Another issue for arnis is the need for competitors to wear protective gear
which hinders some movements, thus taking away the potent, enchanting mix of
breathtaking speed and dangerous blows.
Still, arnis as
an art is a wonder to behold. With the dazzling sequence of attacking and
parrying movements and side-steps, it is akin to a dance. It is tinikling,
self-defense, komedya, and cha-cha rolled into one. Now, that is what I call a
beautiful, lethal concoction of mixed arts.
The Bladed Hand,
just like its subject Filipino Martial Arts, is a work in progress. At the time
of its screening at Cinemanila 2012, director Jay Ignacio came across more
footages of interest. But, as it is, the work screened at the Market Market cinema
is striking enough to lure more people to the world of arnis. So, who wants to
take up arnis/eskrima and join the company of Matt Damon, Professor Felipe Jocano,
Dan Inosanto, and the legendary Bruce Lee?
This film is the first ever
project of Mindanao-based filmmaker Teng Mangansakan. It must have been so
special and important to Mangansakan that it took him three long years to
finish it. At least three other feature films of Mangansakan were released
before we ever got a glimpse of the film titled The Obscured Histories and
Silent Longings of Daguluan’s Children.
The film’s initial scene has
a prostrated girl by the sewers. From that grim image alone, I sensed the
influence of Sherad Anthony Sanchez. Sure enough, other scenes and segments
seem to have been culled from Sanchez’s experimental epic Imburnal. A trio of
gossiping girls by the river recalls the exchange of rated-R stories of
juveniles by the mangroves. The non-narrative style is similar to that of Sanchez’s
Imburnal film. The credits listed him as producer although he must have also acted
as creative consultant, even though indirectly.
There’s a memorable,
gripping image of a male child riding a bent trunk of a coconut tree. Towering
nearly five meters over his playmates, he clings precariously on to the
elephantine trunk without a care for the world. Meanwhile, his playmates
seriously vow to attend his funeral in case he falls to his death. That image
of the reckless child struck me as representative of people risking their lives
in order to leave the southern island.
The war in Mindanao
may not have been shown directly but its effects are there alright. Scores of
people are leaving for greener pastures. Socioeconomic services do not reach
people in war-torn areas. Human trafficking is rampant. Young girls
nonchalantly talk about cherry popping. Water and electric utilities are
scarce. The woven stories and tapestry of images portray Mindanao
as a lost paradise.
While Imburnal showed dead-end, cockroach-laden paths for the doomed juvenile delinquents,
Mangansakan’s film shows glimpses of hope in shots of wide-open fields and
verdant mountains. The seeds of peace and progress are waiting to bloom.
This charming little film
tells the story of an ambitious Baguio kid aiming to make it good in Metro Manila. Armed with a few hundreds of pesos
and a story manuscript, the intrepid Sixto Mangaoang takes the city bus in
order to meet up with a publisher.
It had been quite a journey
for the bullied fifth-grader. He gets encouragement from his English teacher
and hones his writing skills. He manages to come up with an amazing tale about
a highly adaptive shark that runs away and lives in the boondocks.
Highly adaptive students have been featured
in two excellent films, Mes de Guzman’s Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong and
Auraeus Solito’s Pisay. The former had a pair of siblings so focused on their
studies that they can endure walking for miles in ruthlessly cold mornings. Meanwhile, Solito’s film featured a teacher asking his class of brilliant
students, ‘why did the fish leave the seas?’ The answer was it had to leave its
oxygen-poor surroundings and adapt to new feeding and breathing conditions. Just like the bullied, chubby Pisay student
Mat who’d needed a breath of fresh air, Sixto needs a breather from bullies and
parental abuse. He draws inspiration from his shark tale and decides to run
away. He is, I hope I get it right, what Ilocanos call ‘anac ti pating’ or one
who is fearless, and wily. He is determined to pursue his dream even if it
means leaving his family. Sixto, who’d thought of going to Philippine
Science High School, is a smart kid who knows how to fight his battles. He
might not have relatives in Metro Manila but he sure has an ace up his sleeve
in Doctor Rayos. The latter is the same person who’d shown him pictures of
flooded Baguio,
which makes the shark tale somewhat believable. The film Anac Ti Pating has genteel warmth
and wicked humor that makes it likeable. I loved the kodakan moments on
Christmas eve. There’s something funny with the way Sixto engages in a swear
word jousting with a Korean neighbor. Watch out, too, for the cameo of Kawayan
de Guia. The kid who portrayed Sixto
is not the abrasive type of brat. His command of English is just right. English-speaking
kids, most often, mar films made by Fil-Americans (e.g. Ron Morales' Santa Mesa and Tyrone Acierto’s The Grave Bandits). Poor Filipino kids are made to speak
fluent English because it is convenient for the films’ target non-Filipino
audience. On the other hand, Sixto is believable as an intelligent, English-speaking
student. He is also the type of kid who can survive in the jungle city of Manila. Yeah, with his street smart ways and Ilocano blood in his veins, he’ll go places just like the Ilocano shark, Teófilo
Yldefonzo, and reap literary honors and awards just like F. Sionil Jose.
Marian\ghostly apparitions. Elderly people waiting for
death. Peace and security in Southern Philippines.
Those are some of the dominant themes at film festivals in
2012. Elsewhere, the main theme tackled by mainstream films is infidelity and
adultery. Okay, the last bit may not be right as I based it on articles about blockbuster
local films. I’m no expert on mainstream films because I seldom see one. Why?
There are lots of indie films out there that seem better and deserving of my
support.
Last month, December 2012, was pure cinema heaven as film
festivals showered audiences with numerous choices. Even if Cinemanila changed
its sked it still clashed with the Cinema One Originals and Italian Film
Festival events. The downside of having simultaneous screenings is I’d missed
out on some films.
Here is a sampling of notable local feature films in 2012:
Anac Ti Pating(Martin Masadao) - tells the story of an ambitious Baguio-raised kid hoping to make it big in the jungle city of Manila. Armed with a few hundreds of pesos, the fearless Sixto takes the bus in order to seek out a publisher interested in his amazing tale of a highly adaptive animal.
An acting showcase for a wild bunch of mostly unheralded character
actors. They portray crazy, cash-strapped guys who are so passionate about a
film project that they abduct the most-sought after actor in the local indie
scene
Ang Paglalakbay ng mga Bituin sa Gabing Madilim(Arnel
Mardoquio) –
This film, more than Captive, shows us how kidnappers\abductors
in Southern Philippines managed to evade
platoons of soldiers. It’s just a matter of blending in with the surroundings
and staying in their territory
Amidst a bevy of amazing documentaries, this is the one I
like to watch again and again. A solid boost for our national sport, arnis (aka
eskrima or kali).
Or, in short, Imburnal Part Two. From the first scene up to
the end, this great film is as much a work of Sherad Sanchez as it is a work of
fellow Mindanao-based filmmaker Teng Mangansakan. Best thing to come out of Southern Philippines since the signing of the framework
agreement on Bangsamoro. This film will tell you why there was a need for the framework agreement.
Here are two notable short films:
Manenaya (Richard Legaspi) –
One of the best films about desaparecidos. The Pampanga
landscape is perfect backdrop for a story about a burial. Thank you to our
lawmakers for coming up with a Republic Act defining and penalizing enforced or
involuntary disappearance.
Para Kay Ama (Relyn Tan) –
A welcome addition to Chinoy filmography. Che Ramos portrays
a woman coming to bear with tradition and her father’s secret. Can’t get
enough? Then attend the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Pasinaya Open House 2013, which will highlight Filipino Chinese arts
and culture.
That’s it folks. Yes, I’ve seen the new films of Lav Diaz,
Brillante Mendoza, and Raya Martin. Those are not their masterpieces so I
didn’t include them. I’ve seen Colossal and a pair of Gym Lumbera films. They
are not my cup of tea.
I missed though the films Alagwa, Huling
Biyahe, Rigodon… Paging the Film Development Council of the Philippines,
please add more videotheques that can serve as complimentary screening venues
for deserving films.
Year 2013
promises to be a joyful one for local film faithfuls. Newbie film festival CineFilipino released its line-up of finalists, including Sari & Kiri Dalena and Mes de Guzman. Not bad. We'll just have to wait for the film events to happen. There's still time to save money for festival passes and cinemarathons. Have fun watching local movies.
************ The piece below is my 2011 list ************
Not only are indie movies more fun than mainstream ones, they are by far better and more colorful. My list of notable films of 2011 is made up mostly of independent film productions. And, they are just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of indie movies worth spending time and money on.
Here, then, in no particular order, are my most memorable film experiences:
“A ballsy magnificent cotillion scene in Sayaw shows the two boys having an argument. Karen steps in to defuse the heated exchange. It sounds simple enough, but the amazing thing is the characters are ‘conversing’ using only their eyes! Bravo!”
Isda (Adolfo Alix Jr)
Like: The best birthing scene in local cinema in 2011. Upstaging the shockingly effortless childbirth moments of Bahay Bata and Tundong Magiliw, the brilliant scene at the stairs sets the tone for viewers to believe in the story of a mother who’ve had a fish for a child. Auraeus Solito and Jeffrey Jeturian may have had better Director’s Showcase entries but can they come up with that masterful shot of a fish jumping into the murky waters?
Dislike: I can’t find a major fault with this film except to say that maybe people see Busong and Bisperas as better films because both deal with socially relevant issues.
“Right off the bat, Ka Oryang grabs the viewer’s attention with its lean, jugular black-and-white depiction of the Diliman Commune at the University of the Philippines (UP). The crisp powerful images (including that of a female Oblation) and chilling soundscape (e.g. piercing banshee wails of the students) send shivers to my bones. I’m moved and teary-eyed as I recall the heroism of students and the sacrifices of young martyrs during the seventies.”
Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story (?)
Like: Ever wondered why Asiong Salonga managed to escaped a couple of times from the national penitentiary? Or, why he reigned supreme for years in his turf in Tondo, Manila? The fleshed-out screenplay by Roy Iglesias and Rey Ventura finally answered those lingering questions of mine. The culprit, as always, is politics.
Dislike: The only mainstream movie in this list has a couple of headscratchers (e.g. Mad World song at the climax and the laughably bad ‘may gatas pa sa labi’ dialogue).
Otherwise, the film is surprisingly good and refreshing. As you might have guessed, I’ve not seen Ong Bak or those Hong Kong-styled actioners.
“I consider scriptwriter Vera’s contribution to be equal, if not greater, to that of Arcenas’. His script and dialogues are truly vivid and memorable. He has the ability to make the audience feel and smell the characters.”
“There’s a giddy fan in every one of us. Quark Henares and co-writer Diego Castillo imbue the film with the mentality of rabid, passionate, doe-eyed fans. Movies and songs that made a mark on their young minds decades ago get their fair share of screen time.”
Siglo ng Pagluluwal (Lav Diaz)
Like: The best birthing of a local film in 2011. Days before the opening of the .MOV film festival in September, I was drooling over the event’s slate of films. The teaser listed two films by Diaz, Siglo ng Pagluluwal and Babae sa Hangin. Unfortunately, both films didn’t make it to the fest. A weak, hastily-assembled Diaz film was shown instead.
Cinemanila came and all my disappointments vanished. Siglo ng Pagluluwal was finally screened. Wow! If a masterpiece such as this has to go through difficult birth pains, then we the viewers will patiently wait for months or years in order to savor sumptuous film offerings. Lav, take your time with the editing of the second book of Heremias.
I love the scene in Siglo ng Pagluluwal wherein Angel Aquino advises a filmmaker to let go of her project Babae sa Hangin, which had been causing editing problems for the director. Aquino must have been really wishing for Diaz to let go of Babae sa Hangin footages because she has some apprehension over delicate scenes from the project. What Aquino did in the project is in contrast to her angelic image.
Dislike: Crowd control during the shooting of a preaching scene at the sidewalks. Low budget and guerrilla filmmaking can’t overcome the uzisero and paparazzi behavior of Filipinos.
“Jadaone’s film is a stunning meta-movie mind-fuck. It blurs the line between fiction and reality. All throughout the movie, one is left wondering what the truth is.”
Worth mentioning:
LawasKan Pinabli (Christopher Gozum)
Like: I’ve seen only a third of the film and I loved every moment of it. I will definitely view it again soon (probably in UP Diliman). If it lives up to my expectations then it will be my tenth notable film of 2011. Otherwise, a Cinemanila competitor Sa Kanto ng Ulap at Lupa will be it.
Dislike: I have to leave early because of work. Why can’t Cinemanila screen local films at an early evening slot or better yet, a slot during Friday or Saturday?
*****
Thank you to…
Cinemalaya,
Cinemanila,
Cinema One Originals,
Film Development Council of the Philippines’ Briccio Santos, .MOV's Khavn de la Cruz,
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Society of Filipino Archivists for Film, and the
University of the Philippines Film Institute
for their indefatigable support of local independent movies and classic Filipino films.
