Minsa
SOURCE: The Urian Anthology 1970-1979 Nicanor G. Tiongson, The Philippines Daily Express, 1976 Minsa'y Isang Gamu-Gamo: Filipino with a Passion Contemporary Filipino moviemakers who seek to paint authentic Filipino experience on screen have to steer a difficult course between today's Scylla and Charybdis. On the other hand, they must fight the currents of commercial formula films that can suck and drown them into a whirlpool of song-and-dance, and blood-and-thunder and "tawa-iyak" inanities. On the other hand, they must not run aground on the "artistic" rocks of Europeanized sensibilities that can crush and powder them into self-indulgent insignificance. Only a preciously few films have steered through this difficult course with some measure of success. Some, like "Lunes, Martes..." have come so perilously close to commercialism. Others, like "Nunal," have all but been devoured by "Frechified" artistry and sensibility. A few, like "Bitayin si Baby Ama," "Sakada," "Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos" and "Tiket Mama, Tiket Ale" have come through with commendable colors. Filipinos should, therefore, rejoice that this year has witnessed the rise of a number of produc
Santos' case is dismissed, Boni comes to see Cora. de la Cruz, and docile and attentive to Ingkong. Truly, no other movie in 1976 has succeeded in turning out such uniformly superb performances. Outstanding is her court scene where her face registers a gamut of emotions --- from anger to confusion to depression and despair --- in the space of ten seconds. First and foremost credit must go to playwright Marina Feleo-Gonzales for creating a story and screenplay that is so passionately real and unequivocally Filipino. Her brother, inspite of all her warnings to the contrary, decides to join other scavengers in the base's garbage dump and is shot dead by trigger-happy American soldier. "Minsa'y Isang Gamu-Gamo preeminently belongs to this gallery of authentic Filipino portraits. Cora foregoes her plans of going abroad and brings the case to court, only to be told in the end that the case cannot be tried because the accused has already been assigned to another country. de la Cruz is a mother hen who can only think of her own brood and can watch fellow Filipinos massacred and not lift a finger. Right after Boni tells Cora that he is giving up his plans of going to America, the boy's red-blue-and-white kite (which has been equated with American jets and the couple's own dreams) dives onto the foreground. Once again, Nora Aunor proves herself to be one of the finest actresses today, with an acting style that is both 'raw" and "fine," characterized by a disarming sincerity and force, that can break into an unbelievable number of nuances, shades and colors of emotion. Jay Ilagan's performance is likewise commendable. Wherever there is symbol, however, it is worked in naturally, as in the scene where Cora and her mother are reflected on the "aparador's" two separate mirrors, while they present contrary points of view about bringing their case to court.
Common topics in this essay:
America America,
Cora Boni,
Nora Aunor,
Americans Ingkong,
Lily Miraflor,
Lupita Concio's,
Navy Cora,
Scylla Charybdis,
Philippine American,
Tiket Ale,
de la,
isang gamu-gamo,
minsa'y isang gamu-gamo,
minsa'y isang,
de la cruz,
story screenplay,
la cruz,
lupita concio's direction,
paquito salcedo,
cora boni,
authentic filipino,
gloria sevilla,
concio's direction,
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Acceptance Essays
