Image courtesy of www.linkis.com
Cast: John Lloyd Cruz, Piolo Pascual, Hazel Orencio, Alessandra De Rossi, Joel Saracho, Susan Africa, Bernardo Bernardo, Cherie Gil, Angel Aquino, Sid Lucero, Ely Buendia
Director-Screenwriter-Editor: Lav Diaz
MTRCB Rating: PG
Filmed in black and white, in very slow screenplay, the eight-hour epic expounds in great detail how - for thirty (30) days in the forest - the grieving Gregoria de Jesus aka Oryang (Hazel Orencio) searches in vain for the body of her husband, Andres Bonifacio, believed to have been killed by rival rebel troops, allegedly on orders of General Emilio Aguinaldo. She expresses her unspeakable grief, how her aimless wandering around the forest has revealed man’s unmatched wickedness towards another.
The Filipino Soul
Diaz incorporated various characters and elements in the movie, notably those from Jose Rizal’s controversial novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The viewers’ political consciousness, particularly towards the Spanish regime, gets roused as Crisostomo Ibarra/Simoun (Piolo Pascual) and Isagani (John Lloyd Cruz), come into the picture.
In Fili, Isagani, a poet and idealist,dreams of having a school for native Filipinos to help them uplift their lives. On the other hand, Simoun provokes hatred to spark the revolution and fight the abuses of the Spanish government. In the film, he gets shot by Basilio (Sid Lucero). Wounded, Simoun is fortunate to have Isagani as his savior, crossing jungles and mountains in a hammock when he needs to be secretly moved to Isagani’s uncle, Padre Florentino’s place.
Together, while hidden in the forest, Isagani and Simoun recite 'Mi Ultimo Adios,' a poem Rizal wrote before his execution. The monologue is powerful to capture the nationalist spirit of the Filipino viewer.
Needless to say, Diaz aims to awaken the Filipino soul and identity suppressed after centuries of Spanish colonial rule - not to mention, the dark years under Marcos’ Martial Law regime.
Betrayal
The beautiful woman from Silang, Cesaria Belarmino (Alessandra De Rossi), one of Gregoria’s companions in the mountains, belatedly confessed to her that she was pushed by circumstances to become the kept woman of a Spanish General (Bart Guingona). As such, Cesaria becomes accomplice in the Battle of Silang that resulted in the rape and death of women, children and old folk. She also admitted to having a hand in the capture of Bonifacio, earning for her the tag "Taksil ng Katipunan (the traitor of Katipunan)." Indeed, even then, Filipino women were as capable of anything as men, even betrayal for self-preservation.
Myths and Legends
Aling Hule (Susan Africa) plays the grieving mother who has lost her two young sons in an uprising, Karyo (Joel Saracho) a very sick man – both are with Gregoria in the mountain inhabited by the three Tikbalangs (half horse/half human played by Bernardo Bernardo, Cherry Gil and Angel Aquino) Likewise, the presence of the strange cult called Colorum doing its rituals in a big cave, headed by a queer priest (Ronnie Lazaro) once more illustrates the richness of the Filipino mythology.
Immersion
As a viewer, you have to condition yourself before you watch the movie. Be prepared physically, mentally and psychologically as it is an ultimate test of one’s patience and endurance. Expect to be immersed in the story as you breathe and live in every scene - long stretched, no narrative - while it consumes you. You’ll be hooked. No chance to get bored. You hold your screaming bladder as you don’t want to miss a thing.
It is with great comfort that the leading actors delivered more than what they could - Piolo, John Lloyd, Hazel Orencio, Alex de Rossi and the rest. Passion for the craft, for a rare opportunity to do a project of such magnitude definitely became a factor. It's not a walk in the park making an 8-hour movie with a director of Diaz's caliber who refuses to be limited by a standard. Any actor will be eaten up if he/she is not up to par. There's only one word to sum it all up - commitment - and they have tons of it. Kudos!
The film is a departure from the norm. For one, there’s no musical score to highlight the scenes to play with the emotion. There’s a dearth of close-up shots, too. But these will not be a bother as you get deeply engrossed in the story. What feels like a very sluggish flow to ‘nothingness’ ultimately gets to you, like magic.
“You learn that you don't watch a Lav Diaz film. You experience it," said actor Bernardo Bernardo.
The Power In Our Hands
Towards the end, Isagani engages Padre Florentino in serious talk. The conversation is real, it hits home in real time. He asks his uncle what curse has befallen his beloved Philippines, the promised land and its people, as it struggles repeatedly to fight the cycle of poverty, abuses and corruption. Padre Florentino’s reply has never been so familiar, “ You, the youth have the power to change it. “
“ Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis “ is still showing in cinemas.
