V.

FILM In those early years of filmmaking,

enormous capital was needed to keep
CHAPTER I up with the Hollywood industry. Despite
its weak points, Hollywood provided the
I. The 1930s to 1940s
Philippine film industry with examples
A. Early Philippine Films that the early filmmakers followed.

Filipinos started making movies in Early film producers included

1919. However, it would be important to “wealthy Spaniards”, American
know that the film industry in the businessmen and Filipino landlords and
Philippines began through the initiative politicians. It is not surprising that…pre-
of foreign entrepreneurs. Two Swiss war Philippine movies…were inhibited
entrepreneurs introduced film shows in from expressing their views that might
Manila as early as 1897, regaling question the establishment and were
audiences with documentary films lips encouraged instead to portray the love
showing recent events and natural and reconciliation between members of
calamities in Europe. Not only that but different classes…
the arrival of the silent films, along with
American colonialism, in 1903 created a Starting with Dalagang Bukid,
movie market. But these film clips were early films dug into traditional theater
still novelties. They failed to hold the forms for character types , twists and
audiences’ attention because of their turns in the plot, familiar themes and
novelty and the fact that they were conventions in acting. This set the trend
about foreigners. When two American of Philippine films based entirely on
entrepreneurs made a film in 1912 immensely popular dramas or
about Jose Rizal’s execution, the sarswelas. From the komedya of the
sensation they made it clear that the sarswela, the typical Filipino aksyon
Filipino’s need for material close to their movie was to develop. The line dividing
hearts. This heralded the making of the the good and the bad in the komedya
first Filipino film. was religion with the Christians being
the good and the Moors representing
The credit of being the first Filipino the bad. In present movies, the line that
to make a film goes to Jose divides the two is now law or class
Nepumuceno, whom historians dub as division. The sinakulo or the passion
the “Father of Philippine Movies”. play was the root of the conventional
Nepumuceno’s first film was based on a Filipino melodrama. The Virgin Mary
highly-acclaimed musical play of that became the “all-suffering, all-forgiving
day, Dalagang Bukid (Country Maiden) Filipino Mother” and Jesus was the
by Hemogenes Ilagan and Leon “savior of societies under threat and the
Ignacio. redeemer of all those who have gone
wrong”. Another source of movie
themes was Philippine literature. propaganda pictures for them. One of
Francisco Baltazar and Jose Rizal, these filmmakers was Gerardo de Leon.
through the classics for which they were
famous, have given the industry The war years during the first half
situations and character types that of the Forties virtually halted filmmaking
continue to this day to give meat to films activities save for propaganda work that
both great and mediocre. extolled Filipino-Japanese friendship,
such as The Dawn of Freedom made by
Finally, by the 1930s, a few film director Abe Yutaka and associate
artists and producers dared to stray director Gerardo de Leo. Despite the
from the guidelines and commented on destruction and hardships of the war,
sociopolitical issues, using the people…found time for
contemporary or historical matter. entertainment; and when movies were
Director, actor, writer and producer not being made or imported…they
Julian Manansala’s film Patria Amore turned to live theater…which provided
(Beloved Country) was almost alternative jobs for displaced movie folk.
suppressed because of its anti-Spanish The war years may have been the
sentiments. This earned him the honor darkest in film history…”
of being dubbed the “Father of the
Nationalistic Film”.
In 1945…the film industry was
B. Wartime Films and the Effect on already staggering to its feet. The entire
Philippine Films nation had gone through hell and there
were many stories to tell about heroic
The Japanese Occupation deeds and dastardly crimes during the 3
introduced a new player to the film years of Japanese occupation. A
industry – the Japanese; and a new role Philippine version of the war movie had
for film – propaganda. emerged as a genre in which were
“The Pacific War brought havoc to recreated narratives of horror and
the industry in 1941. The Japanese heroism with soldiers and guerillas as
invasion put a halt to film activity when protagonists…audiences still hungry for
the invaders commandeered precious new movies and still fired up by the
film equipment for their own propaganda patriotism and hatred for foreign
needs. The Japanese brought their own enemies did not seem to tire of recalling
films to show to Filipino their experiences of war.
audiences.” The films the Japanese
brought failed to appeal to audiences Movies such as Garrison 13
the same way the Hollywood-made (1946), Dugo ng Bayan (The Country’s
movies or the locally-made films did. Blood, 1946), Walang Kamatayan
Later on, Japanese propaganda offices (Deathless, 1946), and Guerilyera
hired several local filmmakers to make (1946) , told the people the stories they
wanted to hear: the heroes and the (Sampaguita, LVN, Premiere and
villains of the war. The war, however, Lebran) had its own set of stars,
had left other traces that were less technicians and directors, all lined up for
obvious than war movies that were a sequence of movie after movie every
distinctly Filipino. As Patronilo BN. year therefore maintaining a monopoly
Daroy said in his essay Main Currents in of the industry. The system assured
Filipino Cinema: “World War II left its moviegoers a variety of fare for a whole
scars on the Filipino’s imagination and year and allowed stars and directors to
heightened his sense of reality…” improve their skills.

Critics now clarify that the 50s may

be considered one “Golden Age” for the
CHAPTER II
Filipino film not because film content
had improved but because cinematic
II. The 1950s to 1970s
techniques achieved an artistic
A. The Golden Age of Philippine breakthrough in that decade.
Films B. The Decline of Philippine
The 1950s were considered a time Film
of “rebuilding and growth”. But If the 1950s were an ubiquitous
remnants from the preceding decade of period for film, the decade that followed
the 40s remained in the form of war- was a time of decline. There was
induced reality. This is seen is Lamberto “rampant commercialism and artistic
Avellana’s Anak Dalita (The Ruins, decline” as portrayed on the following:
1956), the stark tragedy of post-WWII
survival set in Intramuros. The decade In the 1960s, the foreign films that
saw frenetic activity in the film industry were raking in a lot of income were
which yielded what might be regarded action pictures sensationalizing violence
as the first harvest of distinguished films and soft core sex films hitherto banned
by Filipinos. Two studios before the from Philippine theater screens, Italian
war, namely Sampaguita Pictures and “spaghetti” Westerns, American James
LVN, reestablished themselves. Bond-type thrillers, Chinese/Japanese
Bouncing back quickly, they churned out martial arts films and European sex
movie after movie to make up for the melodramas. To…get an audience to
drought of films caused by the war. watch their films, (the independent)
Another studio, Premiere Productions, producers had to take their cue from
was earning a reputation for “the vigor these imports. The result is a plethora of
and the freshness” of some of its films. films…giving rise to such curiosities as
This was the period of the “Big Four” Filipino samurai and kung fu masters,
when the industry operated under the Filipino James Bonds and…the
studio system. Each studio bomba queen.
 The studio systems came under rejection of “adult corruption” as
siege from the growing labor movement exposed by childhood innocence.
which resulted in labor-management
conflicts. The first studio to close was The film genres of the time were
Lebran followed by Premiere direct reflections of the “disaffection with
Productions. Next came Sampaguita the status quo” at the time. Action
and LVN. The “Big Four” studios were movies with Pinoy cowboys and secret
replaced by new and independent agents as the movers of the plots
producers who soon made up the rest of depicted a “society ravaged by
the film industry. criminality and corruption” . Movies
being make-believe worlds at times
The decade also saw the connect that make-believe with the
emergence of the youth revolt best social realities. These movies suggest a
represented by the Beatles and the rock search for heroes capable of delivering
and roll revolution. They embodied the us from hated bureaucrats, warlords and
wanting to rebel against adult villains of our society. The action films of
institutions and establishments. Certain the 1960s brought into the industry “ a
new film genres were conceived just to new savage rhythm that made earlier
cater to this “revolt”. Fan movies such action films seem polite and stage
as those of the “Tita and Pancho” and managed.” The pacing of the new
“Nida and Nestor” romantic pairings of action films were fast as the narrative
the 50s were the forerunners of a new had been pared down to the very
kind of revolution – the “teen love team” minimum of dialogues. And in keeping
revolution. “Nora Aunor and Vilma up with the Hollywood tradition, the
Santos, along with Tirso Cruz III and action sequences were even more
Eddie Mortiz as their respective screen realistic.
sweethearts, were callow performers
during the heyday of fan movies. Young Another film genre that is perhaps
audiences made up of vociferous also a embodiment of the revolt of the
partisans for ‘Guy and Pip’ or ‘Vi and time is the bomba genre. Probably the
Bot’ were in search of role models who most notorious of all, this genre
could take the place of elders the youth appeared at the close of the decade.
revolt had taught them to distrust” Interestingly, it came at a time when
social movement became
Another kind of youth revolt came acknowledged beyond the walls of
in the form of the child star. Roberta campuses and of Manila.
(1951) of Sampaguita Pictures was the
phenomenal example of the drawing
power of movies featuring [these] child Looking beyond the obvious
stars. In the 60s this seemed to imply reasons as to the emergence of the
bomba film, both as being an
exploitative product of a profit-driven sociopolitical elite and the masses.
industry and as being a “stimulant”, it
can be analyzed as actually being a In terms of comparisons, the Old
“subversive genre”, playing up to the Society (or the years before Martial
establishment while rebelling and Law) became the leading symbol for all
undermining support for the institutions. things bad and repugnant. The New
Society was supposed to represent
Even in the period of decline, everything good – a new sense of
genius has a way of showing itself. discipline, uprightness and love of
Several Philippine films that stood out in country. Accordingly, the ideology of the
this particular era were Gerardo de New Society was incorporated into local
Leon’s Noli Me Tangere (Touch me Not, films.
1961) and El Filibusterismo
(Subversion, 1962). Two other films by …Marcos and his technocrats
Gerardo de Leon made during this sought to regulate filmmaking. The first
period is worth mentioning – Huwag mo step was to control the content of
Akong Limutin (Never Forget Me , 1960) movies by insisting on some form of
and Kadenang Putik (Chain of Mud, censorship. One of the first rules
1960), both tales of marital infidelity but promulgated by the Board of Censors
told with insight and cinematic import. for Motion Pictures (BCMP) stipulated
submission of a finished script prior to
C. Films during Martial Law the start of filming. When the annual film
In the 60s, the youth clamored for festival was revived, the censors
change in the status quo. Being in blatantly insisted that the “ideology” of
power, Ferdinand Marcos answered the the New Society be incorporated into
youth by placing the nation under the content of the entries.
martial rule.
The government tried to control
In 1972, he sought to contain the film industry while keeping it in
growing unrest which the youth revolt of “good humor” – necessary so that the
the 1960s fueled. Claiming that all he government could continue using film as
wanted was to “save the Republic”, propagandistic vehicles. So despite the
Marcos retooled the liberal-democratic censors, the exploitation of sex and
political system into an authoritarian violence onscreen continued to assert
government which concentrated power itself. Under martial law, action films
in a dictators hand. To win the depicting shoot outs and sadistic
population over, mass media was fistfights ( which were as violent as ever)
enlisted in the service of the New usually append to the ending an
Society. Film was a key component of a epilogue claiming that the social realities
society wracked with contradictions depicted had been wiped out with the
within the ruling class and between the establishment of the New Society. The
notorious genre of sex or bomba films innovation to a film industry that made a
that appeared in the preceding decade tradition out of improvising a screenplay.
were now tagged as “bold” films, simply Although compliance with the
meaning that a lot more care was given requirement necessarily meant
to the costumes. curtailment of the right of free
expression, the BCMP, in effect caused
Martial Law declared in 1972 the film industry to pay attention to the
clamped down on bomba films as well content of a projected film production in
as political movies critical of the Marcos so far as such is printed in a finished
administration. But the audience’s taste screenplay. In doing so, talents in
for sex and nudity had already been literature found their way into filmmaking
whetted. Producers cashed in on the and continue to do so now.
new type of bomba, which showed
female stars swimming in their CHAPTER III
underwear, taking a bath in their
camison (chemise), or being chased
and raped in a river, sea, or under a III. The 1980s to the present
waterfall. Such movies were called the A. Philippine Films after Marcos
wet look.
It can be justified that immediately
However, the less-than- after Marcos escaped to Hawaii, films
encouraging environment of the 70s portraying the Philippine setting have
gave way to “the ascendancy of young had a serious bias against the former
directors who entered the industry in the dictator. And even while he was in
late years of the previous power, the militancy of filmmakers
decade…” Directors such as Lino opposing the Martial Law government
Brocka, best remembered for his especially after the assassination of
Maynila, Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag Ninoy Aquino in 1983, accounts for the
(Manila, In the Claws of Neon Lights, defiant stance of a number of films
1975), Ishmael Bernal, director of the made in the closing years of the Marcos
Nora Aunor film Himala (Miracle, 1982) rule.
and Celso Ad. Castillo, whose daring
works portrayed revolt, labor unionism, Films such as Lino Brocka’s Bayan
social ostracism and class division, Ko: Kapit sa Patalim (My Country:
produced works that left no doubt about Gripping the Knife’s Edge, 1985) were
their talent in weaving a tale behind the defiant, not in the sense of it being
camera. openly stated by in the images of
torture, incarceration, struggle and
Another welcomed result that came oppression.
from martial rule was the requirement of
a script prior to filming. This was an
 In 1977, an unknown Filipino corrupting morals and…dubious
filmmaker going by the name of Kidlat values…sticking with formulaic films”
Tahimik made a film called
Mababangong Bangungot (Perfumed Genres that have been present for
Nightmare). The film won the the past few decades are being recycled
International Critic’s Prize in the Berlin over and over again with the same
Film Festival that same year. Kidlat stories. The teen love teams of the fan
Tahimik’s rise to fame defined the movie are still present with incarnations
distance between mainstream cinema of love teams of yesteryears. Now
and what is now known as independent instead of “Guy and Pip” are “Judy and
cinema. Beginning with Tahimik, Wowie”. The bomba film is still present,
independent cinema and films became now having grown more pornographic
an accomplished part of Philippine film. and taboo. The film Tatlo (1998) comes
to mind with its subject matter of
Filmmakers like Tahimik, threesomes. In Filipino slapstick or
Deocampo and Red are examples of komedya, Dolphy has been replaced by
what we call “alternative filmmakers”. younger stars.
Alternative or independent filmmakers
are products of film schools where But even if the films of today have
students are exposed to art films without not been quite up to par, “Filipino
“the compromises of commercial movies wields an influence over the
filmmaking”. national imagination far more intense
that all the others combined.”
B. Contemporary Philippine Film
CONCLUSION
Despite our completion of 100
years of cinema in the Philippines, the The early years of Philippine film,
same problems plague us now just as it starting from the 1930s, were a time of
had when film was still a relatively new discovering film as it was at that time
art form. The phrase “poorly made” is still a new art form. Stories for films
fitting to describe the quality of films came from the theater and popular
being churned out by the film industry literature being, as they were, “safe”,
year by year. There have been few with the filmmaker being assured of its
exceptions to the rule. appeal. Nationalistic films were also in
vogue despite early restrictions on films
Presently, films are primarily made being too subversive.
for profit, lacking any qualities to redeem
itself. Studies show that Hollywood The 1940s and the war brought to
films, with its high technology and Philippine film the consciousness of
subject matter, are being preferred over reality which was not present in the
local films. It is no wonder – for films preceding films. Filmmakers dared to
now are “too profit-oriented [with] venture into the genre of the war movie.
This was also a ready market especially seems Philippine cinema is on a down
after the war. spiral. Still, some films been successes
and not only financially. Diaz-Abaya’s
The 1950s were the Golden Years, Rizal (1998), as an example, was a
a time when films matured and became success both commercially and
more “artistic”. The studio system, critically. Hopefully, Philippine cinema in
though producing film after film and the new millennium would produce films
venturing into every known genre, made as good and better than the ones before
the film industry into a monopoly that it.
prevented the development of
independent cinema. As a conclusion, here is what
Patronilo BN. Daroy had to say about
The 1960s, though a time of the Philippine film industry:
positive changes, brought about an
artistic decline in films. The notorious Philippine cinema, in short,
genre of bomba was introduced and appears to have reached full circle: it is
from that day forward has been present at the stage of refining and formulating
in the Philippine film scene ever since. its own conventions and, in the process,
getting in close contact with the ferment
The 1970s and 1980s were in the other arts and at the same time,
turbulent years, bringing positive and the serious critical attention and concern
negative changes. From the decline in of people with a broader interest in
the 60s, films in this period now dealt culture. This is inevitable; as an art form
with more serious topics following the the cinema in the Philippines can no
chaos of the Marcos regime. Also, longer remain isolated from the main
action and sex films developed further current of sensibilities and ideas that
introducing more explicit pictures. These shape other artistic forms, such as
years also brought the arrival of literature, painting, the theater, etc.
alternative cinema in the Philippines. Neither can it fly from the actuality of
Presently, in the 1990s, we are social life which, after all, is the source
seemingly engaged in a vicious cycle – of all artistic expression. I foresee,
of genres, plots, characterization and therefore, a hand towards more serious
cinematic styles. We are unconsciously, cinema; the muckrakers will continue,
or rather consciously, imitating, copying but they will be exposed for what they
from the much more popular American are and will no longer be definitive of the
films. And when we are not copying, we quality of Filipino films.
are reverting back to the same old
styles. From the massacre movies of
late, the teen-oriented romantic-
comedies and the anatomy-baring sex
flicks which are currently so popular, it