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wendibird · 4 years

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SPN 15X15 Observations

The saga of my shitty cable/internet provider continues. This week I was again watching it on my computer through the streaming app since TV still isn’t getting reliable reception, and my internet connection kept dropping! (Luckily, I’ve also set it to record, so I was able to re-watch the episode after it aired.) So, my notes are much less coherent probably, and I’ve had a long day so my after-episode thoughts probably are too.

Everything else under the cut for those who wish to avoid spoilers and all my rambling:

- Connor isn't going to last long. - wtf? (freaky teddy bear!) - "she and I used to have a thing"? Seriously Dean? - Cas: "Sam?" (aka "Please be the reasonable one.") - soooooo much salt from Cas. - "Agent Swift!" - BABY YODA!!!! - I think the crossroads thing is Cas just making a phone call more or less. - Cas, there are NEVER "too many cats". - LOL I love Cas' literalness - Eeeeee..... love them bonding. - Hrm. So there's definitely a karmic element to these killings. I mean, "Lair" seemed like a bit of a stretch for the other kid, unless the "lie" was in him agreeing with the snobby girls. But I have a feeling this lady here is going to end up with something like "thief" carved into her. (So, thoughts: Avenging Angel? Just Deserts? Probably something new.)

- Also I feel like there was maybe something in that "previously" scene that I don't remember seeing before. (Was talking about Dean going into detail about needing to take Amara out as well as Chuck. I remember part of that conversation, but some parts felt "new" to me? Though I've only seen through this current season once, so I might just not be remembering everything right.) - Sam's worried/concerned about Jack! <3 - "At least this time it's not you and me." Oh man does that feel like foreshadowing. - Not sure I trust the pastor. - I've been watching this show too long. They all feel sketchy. Especially the girl with the headband. *LOL* - Oh man. Are they really going "Torture Porn" on us again? (Apparently) - His (Jack’s) Mom died 3 years ago too. - "I have more dads than most." <3 - "Put your trust in God." Wow. *LOL* Poor Jack. - Cas, you're totally one of his dads. But yes. It is complicated. - Ahhh. Maybe that's what the "Liar" thing was about. (Connor being gay and hiding it?) - Hi Amara! (My cat wants to get into my closet.)

- Amara's still in relatively light colors.

(Stupid internet signal is being a pain)

- I wish I knew what was going on.

(Aaaaand more internet problems)

- I love Cas! (still confused about what's going on.)

- So, what's with the random demon in the squad car? - Dammit.... I had a feeling Jack would end up having to die to kill Chuck and Amara.

(OKAY! Now that the episode is over, I'm going to re-watch parts of it so I can find out what the hell I missed! (still irritated))

- Jack HAS one of those teddy's! I wonder which one got it for him.... (My guess is Sam or Cas) - Maybe it was Zack in the cop car at the end? He DID say he was really bored. - Reason why I was thinking it might be something supernatural was because the one who did it seemed to know in advance who they were going after, but that lady just now stole from the poor box. So, how did the daughter know? Unless she'd done it before? Hrm. - Minor note: "We've been on the road almost two days." WTF? SPN doing somewhat realistic travel times?! *LMAO* - Trying to tell what's in her other hand. Looks like it's duct-taped closed into a fist around something. A transmitter maybe? It's an odd detail that I don't think gets explained. - So, did she call him a "liar" because she saw the two of them as having dated and then he came out as gay at some point? - So, they're just gonna leave the Impala there while it's gassing up? *LOL* - I still love Cas for this part. Sharing his "Journey". - Okay, got to see the guys' talk with Amara. (At least the first half of it.) I still think it's risky for Dean to tell her about Jack even being a player on the board. Though I get that he had to give her SOMETHING so she would get that the threat is credible. That they actually CAN do something against Chuck. - Also, SPN can't settle on its history. *LOL* But that's nothing new. Back in S5 it was God and Death and Death couldn't remember who came first. Then at the end of Season 10 we got an updated version with the Darkness (Who didn't seem to have met Death prior to her imprisonment.) Now, Darkness and God were twins. - Ewwwwww.... dead guy. - Wow.... They actually textualized that. (About Mary.) - He sounded like he meant it when he said "I will never hurt you." - I still love Cas being a subtle badass. - Jack... it's NOT the only way... (And I'm pretty sure Sam HAS forgiven Jack. But I don't think they've really talked.)

SO.

I apologize that my "notes" this time are a train-wreck, but so was my internet connection, so sadly, this is what happens when I watch part of the episode, miss some important bits, and watch most of the rest of it (while still missing more bits) and then when it's finally over I can finally go back and re-watch the bits I'd missed. And I wound up mostly just re-watching the whole thing again anyway. And some things definitely made more sense, and I definitely noticed some things I hadn't caught the first time.

I know a lot of people aren't going to like it because it mostly featured Cas and Jack while being light on the brothers. (But there WAS some good brother content!) I did enjoy it well enough though. (Like, it's not gonna make my top 10 total episodes, but I liked it better than a lot of the ones earlier this season.)

Organizing my thoughts is gonna be a bit hard (I've had a long day) but I'll make an attempt here.

Cas and Jack's arc: It definitely had a more old-school SPN horror vibe to me, though more like some of the newer horror movies (like Saw and the like) and I think both characters were written well. We had two awkward angels who still don't get all things human, but they obviously care. There was also a lot of talk about God in a way that I felt made both of them feel awkward considering their perspective on Chuck. I do still wonder though about some of the details of what Sylvia was doing. Like, I get how she'd probably been stewing about the one boy for a while. But the lady (could never quite tell if it was Valerie or Mallory) had literally JUST stolen from the donation box when she stepped outside into the trap laid for her. So, was this maybe a habit of her's? How would Sylvia have known about it beforehand? And also, what was with the crossroads demon at the very end posing as/possessing a police officer? Is he going rogue because he's bored? Is he acting on some weird kind of orders? I saw some theories about maybe the Dad made a crossroads deal to spring his daughter, but... I dunno. Unless it's supposed be a tease for something to come later, it feels odd and random.

Overall, I did really like Cas in this episode. I thought his blend of salt, cluelessness, and altruism was good, and I loved what he said about his past, and how he found his new purpose. Because he has been drifting quite a bit since he lost his original purpose. But he definitely seems to have found it again with Jack. So naturally he gets to find out that Jack is fated to die taking out God and the Darkness. *sigh* Dude CANNOT catch a break! Also, JACK! I love him so much! (And honestly, I'd had suspicions already that this is what had been troubling him. I'm glad he finally told one of his dads at least.)

Also, just wanna reiterate, I loved that bit at the beginning when Dean suggests Cas and Jack go tackle this case "that probably isn't anything (supernatural)" and he turns to Sam like "Please be the sane one here." (My hope/headcanon is that Sam encouraged him to go because he knows something has been troubling Jack, and if Jack won't open up to Sam about it, maybe he was hoping he'd open up to Cas at least. Then maybe SOMEONE could help him. But I don't know if the writers are thinking that deeply about Sam.)

Speaking of Sam and Dean... Okay, overall I thought their part of the episode was okay for what we saw. Like, the brother talk in the Impala, mild bickering about driving times and regular mundane stuff. Also their talk with Amara had some GOOD emotional beats in it. For Dean and Amara. Sam was mostly just there. And then he wasn't even there for the main part. So... *sigh* It's not that I begrudge Dean having that moment. I mean, he definitely had more of a connection to Amara than Sam did. But it still feels like not much really happened with him besides being a soundingboard and showing some concern for Jack. Hopefully we get more of him actually being important to the plot in upcoming episodes.

But let me reiterate that I DID like the talk Dean and Amara had! I'm glad that she textualized something that I know a lot of fans have theorized about Mary and her purpose narratively. That prior to her resurrection she had been put on this pedestal, but Dean and Sam were actually able to get to know the real woman. That the real woman was better than the memory because she WAS real. Flaws and all. (Not that I blame Dean for being angry.) I'm just glad that it was said outright. Because I got the feeling from some of the things Samantha Smith has said at cons that that was part of the point of Mary's character since S12, to make her real. And I know a lot of people couldn't see past her flaws and still hate her. (I DO think some things could have been handled better with her character, but that's not the point of this long rambly post today.) Also, when Dean said that he could never hurt her? It felt like him telling the truth. Maybe he was able to get that feeling across because technically he WAS telling the truth, since the plan is for Jack to be the one doing the hurting. But I dunno.

Anyway, overall I thought it was a decent episode. It had some good character moments in it, and considering I thiiiiink the next episode is going to be very Sam and Dean heavy, I'm not gonna begrudge Cas and Jack some screentime in this one since things are likely going to be getting dicey here fairly soon.

(And again, I apologize for how scattered this is this time.)

P.S. Oh, and one last thing before I forget. Especially after last episode, I find it odd that Jack still thinks BOTH brothers haven't forgiven him. I get why he would think that about Dean. The dude outright said it was going to take some time. But Sam, as far as we've seen has been shown to be supportive of Jack. So, I wonder if it's because Jack still hasn't forgiven himself? Or if it's because maybe he and Sam haven't really talked about that whole issue, so maybe Jack thinks Sam is just avoiding it? (Or if the writers are just lumping Sam&Dean together again because WHY would anyone see them as two separate entities? *salty*) Because if anyone in this show SHOULD be aware that the brothers don't always think the same it should be Jack. Because from the start Sam has tended to hold a different stance in regards to him than Dean. *sigh* Ah well. We'll see how things fall out. Especially considering what Cas (I’m assuming anyway) told Dean about Jack and Billy’s plan.

#spn 15x15 spoilers #spn season 15 spoilers #episode review #my thoughts #mine internet doth sucketh #sam winchester #dean winchester #castiel #jack kline #the darkness/amara

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ink-astra · 5 years

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LINO BROCKA & MIKE DE LEON (AUTEUR THEORY)

AUTEUR THEORY: WHAT IS IT?

Auteur Theory, at its very core, attempts to get the viewers and film critics to see film as an art form--and not just as a commercial product or a product of a director. There must be a distinct style throughout a director’s body of work for it to be considered as auteur.

In the 1940s, the French New Wave developed Auteurism, rooted from the “french auteur” which was supposed to contrast the Hollywood studio system. The idea was further developed by Fracois Truffaut in the 1950s, citing that it’s the director’s job to inject “politique” into the film. According to him, a film was tied to the creative vision of the single author, the director, the “auteur”. He claims that: “There are no good or bad movies, just good an bad directors”. Following this, Truffat claims that it is more important for a film to be interesting than good; greatness is a measure of originality and vision rather than craft.

In 1962, Andrew Sarris furthered developed this idea into “auteur theory”, based on his written work, “Notes on the Auteur Theory”. According to him, in order to be considered as an “auteur director”, the director must have the following traits: (1) Technical competence, meaning a great director must at least be a good director (2) Distinguishing Personality and (3) Interior Meaning.

However, film critic Pauline Kael disagrees with this notion, stating that “entangling the perceived quality or meaning of one film with the director’s body of work indicates that you are not capable of really judging either”. She says that: “When a famous director makes a good movie, we look at the movie. We don’t think about the director’s personality.” In simpler terms, we should judge the auteur by the art, not the art by the auteur.

DIR. LINO BROCKA EARLY LIFE AND CAREER BEGINNINGS

Catalino Ortiz Brocka, most famously known as Lino Brocka, was born in Pilar, Sorsogon in 1939. His father was a great influence on him; his father was the one who taught him math, English, and the arts. When he was young, his father was killed in a political murder, resorting him to flee with his mother and brother to his mother’s sister. From then on, his life had not been easy. Brocka constantly experienced physical and verbal abuse from his relatives, he was forced to do hard labour.

Despite his upbringing, Brocka excelled academically and even won a scholarship to a prestigious academic institution, The University of the Philippines. At first, Brocka studied pre-law, but he dropped out in order to pursue literature instead. During his college years, he joined the Dramatic Club, but he was criticized for his provincial accent and demeanour; this treatment disgusted him. He watched American films, films that he had taken a strong interest in his youth, in order to practice his English and improve his accent. This later gained him approval from the Dramatic Club, but he only ended up being a stagehand.

After travelling to American for his missionary work, where he had been offered an American citizenship having lived there for a while, he returned to the Philippines instead to revive his interest in filmmaking.

Lino Brocka’s first film was Wanted: A Perfect Mother which was released in 1970. The film was inspired by The Sound of Music and it was his first and last film that was not heavy on social injustice and drama. After that film, his films became more personal; he started depicting the life, plights, and suffering of the Filipino people. This sparked movies such as Manila in the Claws of Light, which was released in 1975 and Insiang, which was released in 1978.

BROCKA’S ARREST AND DEATH

Due to the heavy censorship under the Marcos dictatorship, Lino Brocka was forced to smuggle his film outside the country to avoid heavy cuts and to screen the whole film. In 1984, he flew to Cannes Festival to support a nomination, which was the film Bayan Ko. During his fight for freedom of speech, he exposed Ferdinand Marcos had taken control of the media, resulting in its heavy censorship. Upon returning to the Philippines, Lino Brocka was arrested.

After the fall of Marcos, he was released from prison an invited by Corazon Aquino, the successor of Marcos, to help draft the 1986 constitution. Brocka later left as he saw that the policies only worked against the FIlipinos.

Brocka died in a car accident years later, in 1991.

BROCKA IN THE CONTEXT OF AUTEUR THEORY

MANILA IN THE CLAWS OF LIGHT AND INSIANG

Brocka’s film, Manila in the Claws of Light was nominated in the Cannes Festival. The film is about a countryman, Julio Madiaga, who came to the city of Manila to find his missing lover.

The film’s protagonist is a fisherman raised in the province, who is subjected to the busy hustles and money-hungry city of Manila. When he first enters the city, he tries to find a job after losing his first one as a carpenter. Through this journey, he realizes that earning money in Manila, a city perceived as “the big city” or a city that promises a good life, is not as easy as it sounds.

Manila's economic situation does not welcome those with little cash in their pockets; Julio is no exception from this. This is given by the line, “It’s nice to live here if you have money, if you don’t, you’ll die.” Being a simple fisherman raised in the province, he struggles to find a good-paying job, often landing in jobs that pay him less. The audience can especially feel his urge to find money when he asks the call boy later in the movie, “Do you think I can work there?”. This indicates that he’s interested to work in a club, where the call boy works, even though he’s never been into one or knows about the business. Julio even attempted being a call boy himself, only to hesitate and eventually quit the job after one client. Julio’s desperation to find a good job is very real and raw; this reflects the current situation of the country--when lower-class Filipinos aren’t provided the means to support themselves because of their struggle in finding better-paying jobs in conventional means. In the hopelessness of their situation, they turn to illegal means such as prostitution.

Julio Madiaga is a manifestation of Lino Brocka himself; his upbringing of being a naïve country folk, who finds it the hard way that the promise of a good life in the big city is only an illusion. In the film, Manila in the Claws of Light portrays, Mrs. Cruz, a wealthy woman from Manila, lures young girls from the province, promising an education and the good life in the big city, only to sell them into prostitution. The unapologetically corrupt people, with little to no morals, and the gritty violence the film portrays; does not shy away from the depressing reality of the FIlipino society. Other than character, Lino Brocka’s portrayal of the state of the Philippines is one of his signature storytelling styles.

Overall, the film does not shy away from exposing and even critiquing the dark side of Manila; how it twists its people to their path of self-destruction or selfishness. In mainstream Filipino entertainment, the overall pattern is to watch the protagonist, usually someone poor, to struggle and then succeed. The Filipino protagonist must embody hope and perseverance. This film deviates from that; exposing the dark truth that not everyone has a happy ending, sometimes the protagonist themselves are victims of a time, place, or setting. Manila in the Claws of Light is bold in that aspect and is not afraid to show the ugly sides of Manila.

Besides social injustices, Lino Brocka also portrays sexuality; a topic that most directors during his time tended to avoid, especially since they were under the Marcos dictatorship. This was seen in Manila in the Claws of Light; when Julio Madiaga met the call boy. When he talks about sex work; there is no shame--it’s shown at is it is, a job. Brocka also tends to have characters like him, as well as prostitutes, street hustles, slum dwellers, etc. shown in his films. Through this, Brocka aims to highlight the marginalized as well as highly ignored sector of the society.

Insiang was released in 1978 and it won a prestigious award in the Cannes Festival called Palm d’Or, solidifying his reputation of being one of the greatest directors in Southeast Asia. The film is about a young woman named Insiang, and her revenge from being raped by her mother’s lover.

Brocka also likes to portray confident and strong-spirited women in his films. Although, that may not be the case at first with Insiang; at the beginning, the film was extremely anti-woman. It showed cases of street harassment, cat-calling, sexism, and objectification of women. An example of this scene was when a friend of Insiang was harrassed in the streets; Insiang’s family made excuses for the harasser by saying “he was drunk”, making Insiang and her family enablers of this harassment.

The peak of this anti-woman notion in the film was when Insiang was raped by his mother’s lover, Dado. Insiang’s mother, Tonya, was incredibly angry towards Dado. When Tonya confronted him, Dado blamed it on Insiang, saying she seduced him. Tonya then turned her rage towards Insiang, cursing at her. This reflects a sad reality that women have to face, especially in the Philippines where the society is patriarchal and sexis, rooted in traditional perspectives.

Insiang, distraught and disgusted with herself, plots her revenge. This was not evident at first, since women were viewed as weak and sexual objects. Furthermore, Dado continues to have sex with her, thinking that she’s in love with him--but in reality, she was slowly gaining his trust. On top of that, Insiang would continually provoke Tonya. Insiang was going as far as lying and telling her that Dado finds her disgusting, much to her dismay. When Tonya finally had the last straw, she stabbed Dado to death and was eventually imprisoned. Later, when Insiang visits her mother, it was revealed that Tonya killed him so that they wouldn’t be together. This was given by the line, “If I can’t have him, you won’t either”. This was not the case, however; Insiang said that she was never in love with him, she only wanted revenge and so she did what she could to provoke Tonya into murdering him.

The final revelation exposed Insiang’s true colors and twisted desire. In normal Philippine setting, no one would expect a woman to be capable of doing such vile actions; but that notion was twisted in Insiang.

Unlike Manila in the Claws of Light, in the film Insiang, the protagonist somehow got what they wanted; and it was through taking advantage of what society perceives as women. Brocka wanted to show strong-spirited women in his films and Insiang was one of them. Despite being raped and cursed at by her mother, and working in the slums of the Philippines, she was still clever enough to come up with a plan to murder her rapist. She has shown intellect and perseverance, albeit in a wicked way. In Insiang, the audience can see the elements of a story that Brocka liked to include in his body of work; (1) a protagonist being subjected to hard labor that does not pay well (2) a protagonist that is not entirely well-off, just like Julio and (3) the protagonist is a woman, who is also part of a marginalized or oppressed group in the Philippines.

Overall, can Lino Brocka be counted as an auteur director? If using Andrew Sarris criteria--which Technical competence, Distinguishing Personality and Interior Meaning. Then yes, Lino Brocka possesses all these traits to be counted as an auteur director.

IMPORTANCE OF LINO BROCKA’S FILMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Lino Brocka died in 1991, and most of his most prominent works were released decades ago; however, its importance still prevails today, as the same issues back in his time are still prevalent, and more issues arise every year.

Brocka, being an openly gay man, included homosexual narratives in his body of work, despite having that topic shunned upon by directors during his time. On top of that, the Philippine society in general turns away from the LGBT community. According to a report written by Outrage, “Thirty percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in the Philippines reported being harassed, bullied or discriminated against by others while at work because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). This is according to a United Nations (UN) study that looked at the levels of SOGIESC-related discrimination encountered by LGBTI people in three countries: China, Thailand and the Philippines. It is in the Philippines where the rates are highest, compared to 21% in China, and 23 percent in Thailand.” Filipinos need directors like Lino Brocka, who does not only represent the LGBT, but also directors who are not afraid to talk about topics despite the current conditions in the Philippines.

Brocka was also an advocate for women, having a strong female lead like Insiang in his body of work. The film treats Insiang as a woman capable of being strong. On a light note, women have more opportunities these days and their voices, concerns, and campaigns are more listened to than before, equal to me. The sad reality is that there are still people who do not see women are equal to men, some are even unconsciously sexist. While women are more than capable of handling the same jobs as women, there is a mindset that holds them back, that mindset is that they primarily belong as housewives. According to BusinessWorld, “Society is generally the last trisector element. Deeply rooted attitudes play an integral part in limiting the potential of women and an investment in public awareness can ease the path for working women. According to statistics from the Department of Labor and Employment, about 30% of working-age women report that household or family duties prevent them from working.”

Another aspect that Brocka was not afraid to show the current conditions of the lower class Filipinos; which, until today, remains the same. There are still improvements in this situation. According to Rappler, “The PSA said the country's poverty incidence among Filipino individuals in the first semester of 2018 was estimated at 21%, lower than the 27.6% recorded during the same period in 2015. This is referred to as the proportion of the population living below the poverty line to the total population. "Over the course of 3 years, we can see that poverty decreased substantially – down by 6.6 percentage points – thanks to sustained economic growth and critical and broad-based reforms and investments that have translated to employment generation and social protection," said Socio Economic Planning Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro.” Despite the improvement and the slowly declining poverty line, there are still plenty of Filipinos that cannot afford basic human needs such as food, water, and social protection. This results in FIlipinos getting sick, a worsening mortality rate, and majority of Filipinos in danger during a disaster.

DIR. MIKE DE LEON EARLY LIFE AND CAREER BEGINNINGS

Mike De Leon was born in Pasig, Pineda in May 24, 1947. His interest in film began when he pursued his master’s degree in Art History at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.

De Leon’s first film, Itim which was released in 1976, speaks about guilt and violence. This shows De Leon’s skill in delicately balancing cinematic elements to project mood and character.

DE LEON IN THE CONTEXT OF AUTEUR THEORY BATCH ‘81 AND KAKABAKABA KA BA?

Much like Manila in the Claws of Light, a film that he was a cinematographer in, Mike De Leon does not shy away from the true conditions Filipinos have to go through. According to an article in BusinessWorld, “Most significant of all, Mike is a concerned Filipino citizen who has often portrayed, exposed and criticized the ills of his country through his art. Citizen Jake is one such portrayal by citizen Mike.” This is also evident in his other films, such as Batch ‘81 and Kakabakaba ka ba? Wherein in Batch ‘81, he uses a fraternity as a political allegory for the Marcos regime. Meanwhile, in Kakabakaba Ka Ba? It is a more direct portrayal of the drug trafficking issue here in the Philippines.

Batch ‘81 revolves around Sid and the other neophytes going through an initiation from the university's most prominent fraternity, Alpha Kappa Omega. The film portrays a fascist society through hazing and their fraternity. The neophytes or newcomers are subjected to humiliation, physical, and verbal harm; all coordinated by the fraternity’s seniors, the masters. The neophytes were forced to do inhumane and humiliating things; they were told to strip, run around in public naked, and even silenced until told to speak. The story has underlying fascist tones, akin to the Marcos regime where even reporters and media were silenced.

Sid represents a part of that fascism, an enabler. As the initiation goes on, Sid only gets worse and more brutal. This is given off in the scene where Ronnie is tied to an electric chair. Every time Ronnie’s answer is incorrect, a neophyte would have to press the button and electrocute him; the intensity of the electrocution depends on how hard a member presses it. The act is deemed as inhumane and cruel. When Ronnie answers incorrectly, the other neophytes press lightly. The audience would expect Sid to do the same; however, he does not. He pressed the button for so long that it “kills” Ronnie, the other neophytes called him insane. At this point, the audience can conclude that he would do anything to the fraternity, even if it means killing another brother.

The film sets up Sid as someone who would develop in the end, someone who will change and see the wrong in the fraternity. This was made obvious by how flawed and brainwashed his views are; he believes that one should follow and trust the masters no matter how abusive or manipulative they would get. The characters around him, such as his best friend, his girlfriend, and even some neophytes of the fraternity express how they truly feel; that they fear for their safety and the masters’ abuse. This was not the case for Sid. Despite the constant physical and verbal abuse, Sid does not get his development. This is reflective of the Filipinos who are not only brainwashed, but blindly follow the beliefs and ideals of Ferdinand Marcos.

Being a socially conscious citizen, De Leon does not hide Marcos’ abuse and corruption through the film, Batch ‘81. During the making of the film was the Marcos regime, in order to slip through the prying eyes and avoid censorship, De Leon hid Marcos’ dictatorship through a seemingly harmless college fraternity.

In Kakabakaba Ka Ba? It follows a group of four friends who get wound up in a drug war between two foreign gangsters--the Japanese and the Chinese. Johnny, one of the friends, gets ahold of a premium-grade opium from an unsuspecting cassette tape. Throughout the movie, they are being pursued by both gangs, especially the Japanese gangsters. The audience is taken on a journey with the four friends as they try to escape them, while attempting to discover the people behind the drug trafficking, and eventually report them to the police.

The film also shows how the church or organized religion in general can also be corrupt under all the perceived innocence. It was revealed towards the end of the film that the Japanese gangsters and the church work together in smuggling and even producing drugs to be sold. It shows that even for a country that’s dominantly Catholic, and even for an institution that is shown to be “in good faith”, wicked intentions are still present, there are people who hide their intentions by putting on a mask of innocence.

The two gangsters fighting over opium is also a symbolism of how giant corporations in the Philippines constantly fight over resources. According to a review in Film Police, “The film posits the idea that we Filipinos are helpless yet still blithe victims as underground forces battle for control over our resources. One such institution, according to Kakabakaba Ka Ba?, is the Catholic Church, the hypocrisy of which the movie pokes fun at in several scenes, such as when the characters take opium like Holy Communion – a quite literal depiction of the well-known if disparaged Karl Marx phrase ‘Religion is the opium of the masses’”

The four friends, who are just ordinary people, also symbolizes how the masses have to be the ones to stand up against oppressors when those people in power--like the government, or even the church--do nothing about it or get involved in the problem itself, despite having the responsibility to serve and protect the people. They symbolize how everyday people have to be the ones to risk their lives for society in order to solve the problem that endangers them.

There are story elements that are present in both De Leon films; (1) Unlike Lino Brocka’s films, both protagonists are well-off; they are able to pay for basic things such as education, clothes, food, a house, etc. (2) If Lino Brocka’s films are character-driven, Mike De Leon’s films are driven by the broader issues that they present, such as drug-trafficking and the Marcos regime.

To elaborate on the first point, Sid is studying in college as a zoology major. He does not need to earn money to pay off his education, or to help provide for his family. Sid’s mother also appears in the film; displaying her posh demeanor, wears nice clothes and jewellery, nothing about her feels poor or starving. In Kakabakaba Ka Ba? All four main characters also seem to be well-off and not worrying about money. Their houses were shown in the film; they were big and extremely lavish; Johnny even has a maid in his house. The four main characters were also able to afford their dates with the respective partners.

IMPORTANCE OF MIKE DE LEON’S FILMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Overall, between Kakabakaba Ka Ba? And Batch ‘81, there is a huge difference when it comes to genre, synopsis, style, and treatment. Both films, however, cover a broad issue that is still present in the Philippines, especially with Kakabakaba Ka Ba? Mike De Leon wants to give light in these issues, as he uses his platform as a director and the film industry to uncover these. In Batch ‘81, Mike De Leon exposed the Marcos dictatorship; even if Marcos is long dead, there are still people in government seats who abuse their power. In addition, exposing someone else’s power and abuse makes the masses more aware if it is happening to them. Mike De Leon’s Batch ‘81 is more relevant than ever, as corruption still persist and there are people like Sid who blindly follow their leaders. Batch ‘81 shows how one who was brainwashed into dictatorship can be turned into an abusive dictator himself; what the audience can take away is that one must be aware if their leader is truly a selfless servant, or someone who only wants power.

The broader theme that Kakabakaba Ka Ba covers is drug trafficking in the Philippines; other issues include abuse of power, particularly the Catholic Church and the two gangsters. As for the gangsters, they use their power and money to do illegal activities such as smuggling drugs in order to profit off of it. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church, one of the most powerful institutions in the world, use theirs to get involved in drug-trafficking, presumably to earn profit as well. The hypocrisy is evident; even in real life. Despite being a beloved, multinational institute, Catholic Church is guilty of many crimes, not just money-related, but sexual abuse. According to an article from CBC: “The Roman Catholic church does, which is the only explanation for why, after the release of a grand jury report that detailed more than 1,000 cases of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania over several decades by more than 300 predators in clerical collars, many of whom are still alive, millions of American Catholics continued to attend mass. The report detailed anal, oral and vaginal rape. It told of cases like the Pittsburgh priests who forced a young boy to strip naked and pose as Christ on the cross, then photographed him and shared the pictures for their later enjoyment – an in-church child pornography operation. Or the priest who forced a nine-year-old boy to perform oral sex on him, then "purified" the boy's mouth with holy water. Or another priest who forced his victim to confess to him.” Again, this urges the masses to be more aware and conscious of the people they choose to give power to, especially in a democratic country like the Philippines, as much as they paint themselves to be harmless.

CONCLUSION

Just as there are people born into different race, skin color, personality, sex, etc.; there are many directors with different upbringings, influences, styles, treatment, themes, and narratives to talk about--they’re all what makes a director unique and stand out. Everyone has a story and a way of presenting them; however, it’s also important to look into the bigger picture and see art truly for what it is--an art form, and not just a product of a name.

WORKS CITED

[1] Culture Trip. “Lino Brocka: The Philippines' Greatest Director.” Culture Trip, The Culture Trip, 17 Oct. 2012, https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/lino-brocka-the-philippines-greatest-director/.

[2] “Mike De Leon.” IMDb, IMDb.com, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0209672/bio.

[3] “Capturing an Era: Revisiting Mike De Leons Timeless Films.” SPOT.PH, https://www.spot.ph/entertainment/movies-music-tv/73126/capturing-an-era-revisiting-mike-de-leon-s-timeless-films-a27-20180313-lfrm.

[4] bw_mark. “Citizen Mike De Leon.” BusinessWorld, https://www.bworldonline.com/citizen-mike-de-leon/.

[5] Cruz, Francis Joseph A. “Understanding the Many Moods of Mike De Leon Through His Films.” Esquiremag.ph, Esquire Philippines, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/movies-and-tv/the-many-moods-of-mike-de-leon-a2186-20180604-lfrm.

[6] Cruz, Edgar O. “Mike De Leon, Presumptive National Artist.” Philstar.com, The Philippine Star, 3 May 2017, https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2017/05/04/1690678/mike-de-leon-presumptive-national-artist.

[7] Staff, OutrageMag.com. “30% Of LGBTI Filipinos Report Workplace Discrimination Because of Their SOGIE.” Outrage Magazine, 16 Oct. 2018, https://outragemag.com/30-of-lgbti-filipinos-report-workplace-discrimination-because-of-their-sogie/.

[8] Espinoza.james. “MOVIE REVIEW: Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (1980).” Film Police Reviews, 18 Dec. 2015, http://www.filmpolicereviews.com/reviews/kakabakaba-ka-ba.

[9] “Auteur Theory vs. Michael Bay | The Whole Plate: Episode Two.” YouTube, 30 Apr. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srk-tPbQVcs.

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