Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Dekada 70 Shaun "Nutz Guy" Ramento :)

Dekada 70
Reaction Paper

Bellbottoms, long hair, and funky music are what I would be reminded of when someone mentions the 70’s. But in the Philippines it was a time where revolution starts to rise against the President Marcos. There is no time to actually listen to funky music when there are issues happening especially when the President is not doing a very good job running the country. This was also the decade that questions the position of women, the decade that decides what they are in this world and not just a housewife.
The film Dekada 70 started out a family of two parents and 5 sons. Amanda, the mother of the sons is an ordinary wife that rarely speaks during the film and there was something missing in her life. Something that she thought it would be great but to men it was repulsive. She was used to being with men since she’s the only female in the family. Her husband, Julian, is a devoted father and a strong husband but doe not commend to what his wife wants. He takes pride as being the man in the house and at the end it almost crushed him at the same time. His eldest son, Jules, was a revolutionary activist who joined the fight against the corruption of Marcos. Julian admired his son’s belief and supported him all the way even though he knows his inside is eating him because there’s a possibility he will get tortured to death if he gets caught by the police. While Julian’s second eldest son, Isagani, was the opposite of Jules and joined the U.S Navy. His third son, Emmanuel, is an active write that criticizes the government system illegally.
From Amanda’s point of view it seems to me women didn’t have much to say or do during the 70’s especially housewives. I can see how she suppresses her true emotions just so it doesn’t get in the way of her families’ situation. After seeing Julian throw a fit after Amanda told him that she wanted to get an office job I was astounded to see someone who gets upset jut of something like that. I was also surprised when during dinner the guys would be talking about prom and doing girls while Amanda would just be speechless about it. It’s like this was nothing to her but deep inside her I bet she wish she didn’t hear any of those things. I would be very kind of embarrassed if I was there as a friend and then I would be hearing about having sex right in front of someone’s mother. I won’t be adding any input into their conversation.
What I notice in the film is that each brother would be doing their own thing while their mother would be in the background blending in with the scenery. It seems like the 70’s were truly a rebellious decade that portrays individualism to the children especially during the revolution where students would boycott school and join in the rally. It also shows that the father is the only one that actually that their sons listen to. But it was Jules who sees his mother as someone that he can talk and listen to.
I have an auntie who is the only female in her family with four sons and I can see some similarities between the film’s family and my auntie’s family. The wife is the one provides love and support and indoor activities while the husband is the man in the house who provides money and also support and the main boss. Each of my cousins is very into rough housing and I would see my auntie try t stop them from behaving like it. At first I thought it was pretty funny but I can tell it’s no fun for my auntie since there is no one in her family that can fit the position she is into right now.
I have to say I like this movie because I can see this happening at that time especially when rebels would be outside shouting and showing the L sign to the police officers. It must have been one of the craziest decades of the 1900’s for the Philippines. During this sprig break I’m going to ask my parents and grandparents what it was like during the 70’s in the Philippines. I would like to know if what happen in the film is what my parents experienced too.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

MODULE 5- j. paulo

Dekada ’70 is a tough film to write about because of the numerous social issues it tried to illustrate. The most obvious is the status of the country during Martial Law and how the government reacted to militants who opposed them. Other issues are the evolving roles of women in society, the attitude of the people towards Filipino- American relations, and the fight for what an individual deems to be the right choice for their life.
The plot of the movie revolves around the Bartolome family living in 1970’s Manila. They seem like a normal family until the children grew into adulthood. Political unrest was happening at the time, and the eldest son Jules and his friend Willy, influenced by the various rallies and protests by their fellow classmates, become activists themselves. At first they laid low, only participating in marches and various plays about the corruption of the government and its submission to American influences. They were in the front lines on one of the marches that led to violence after the protesters shoved their way past the police barricade. And in one of their plays, it should be noted that the character who played Ferdinand Marcos wore an arinola over his head. This shows how they feel about the president, that he’s just as good as what goes inside a urine bucket.
Jules’ father, Julian, does not like his son and Willy joining the marches. He actually said that if he sees his son there, he’ll drag him away himself. Still, he respects his son’s decisions and accepts them. He approved his other son Isagani’s choice of joining the US navy, despite Jules seeing this as another Filipino slaving for the Americans. Isagani, or Gani, does not think of it as such but rather thinks of the benefits to his family’s future.
Although Julian respects his sons’ choices, it seems he doesn’t feel the same about his wife’s. When Amanda asked him what he feels about her getting a job he got offended and asked if his salary was not enough for her, even asking if there was a time he hasn’t bought anything she wanted. It is clear that the males are still the dominant figure in the family back then. He’s used to getting his way without it being questioned. This is clear when he kept telling Amanda to go upstairs to bed but doesn’t want to explain why. Amanda kept asking why and he just said it’s because he said so, and that no other explanation is needed. She is clearly disturbed by this because when he asks why, she always say the reason.
Soon Jules leaves for the countryside to join the armed struggle. He was gone for a long time, finally returning with an injured friend Rene. He didn’t want to bring him to a hospital because his wound is caused by a bullet, which will bring attention to them. This is probably Jules’ worst decision, because once Rene got better and left, Jules informed their family that they are in danger. It seems the government found out who he was and that certain things in the house should be destroyed. This includes various documents Jules owned and some papers that his brother Emmanuel, a journalist, wrote that goes against the government. Soon armed soldiers stormed the house and demanded that they give them Jules, who obviously wasn’t there. It seems he is one of the higher ranking activists, with the rank of political officer, and that they knew that Jules had been there recently and that his family knew about him. It turned out the Rene, the man Jules saved, is the one who gave away information about him. In some ways Rene is even worse than the makapili, the bayong- wearing tattle-tales of the Japanese era, because he gave Jules and his family away even though they treated his injuries.
Jules eventually gets captured and tortured to get information about his group. He was beaten severely, had electricity jolt through his body, and was forced to lie naked on blocks of ice. This form of torture interrogation was believed to be common during the Martial Law era, with no formal conviction of the prisoner’s crimes. As for how those people can do such horrible acts is unimaginable. The soldiers that arrested him did so because they were ordered to. It is their job to obey whatever order is given to him. It is not in their place to question why, but to just follow their superiors. In a sense, the arresting soldiers are just doing their job. As for the interrogators and the government, they are in a league of their own. Either they hate activists really bad or just have no sense of conscience. This act of brutality even rivals those of the Nazis during World War 2. They even killed Jules’ younger brother Jason. He was “arrested” for possession of marijuana and was later on “released”. But it is obvious from his injuries that his murder was premeditated and was on purpose, perhaps to get back on Jules.
The movie ended with Jules being released from prison, but soon goes back to the countryside to fight for their cause. Someone once said that “the only way to live a good life is to act on your emotions”. Jules felt that their cause is worth fighting for, and that’s the path that he took.
As a side note it should be noted that every time his brothers fought, the youngest brother Bingo would tell them “Saranggola na lang kayo!” or “Just fly a kite!”. The newspaper he made the kite from his one of Jules underground papers, entitles “Bayan” or nation. It’s as if the director is saying that although times were horrible in the 70’s, you can still lift up the country as high as you want, just like a kite.

MODULE 4- j. paulo

Santa Santita is a story faith. It is a story of salvation. It is a story of changing one’s life for the better. It is a story of hope.
The plot of Santa Santita revolves around Malen, the daughter of a devout Catholic named Chayong who makes a living praying for other people at Quiapo church. A prayer-for-hire one may say, she accepts the requests of people to pray for them, believing that God heeds Chayong’s prayers more than theirs. Although she graciously takes donations, she does not see her work as a business but rather as a tradition that she inherited from her mother and grandmother. Her deep devotion carries on to her home, where she has numerous effigies of Santo Nino, Virgin Mary, and saints she pray to each night.
Malen, on the other hand, does not see herself following her mother’s footsteps. She sells religious items outside of the church. Whether it is to meet men or not is unsure, but her mannerisms and outside appearance depicts that of the typical “slut”. Consequently, other prayers near her mother sees her as such and despises her based only on their own prejudice.
Another notable character in the film is Mike, who is a rental car driver. Malen met Mike while selling her goods outside the church. True to her appearance, she used her female sensuality to entice Mike to buy a necklace. Due to a mutual attraction to each other, they proceeded to see each other for the next few days. Later do we find out that Mike has another job, or rather a hidden job. He offers himself, for a price of course, to his lady customers who are willing to quench their sexual hungers.
Still another character of importance is Father Tony. Unlike any other priest I have seen, Father Tony smokes and drinks frequently. He occupied the apartment below Chayong and Malen’s place after being recalled to Manila from Cagayan. The reason for doing this is to take heat off him, who is accused of stealing money from church funds. Of course he swears he is innocent, but agrees to return to Quiapo church.
The plot of the movie takes off after Malen and Chayong gets into an argument. Earlier in the day Malen feinted having a fever so she can stay home. Her plan all along was to meet up with Mike once her mother had gone for the church. She spent the whole day with him and way into the night. Coming home late, her mother confronted her about her actions. They exchanged harsh words to each other and Malen runs away to Mike’s place.
While she was gone, her mother collapsed in church from a stroke and eventually passes away. Unaware of her mother’s status, Malen returns home to a crowd of people paying their last respects. After the burial Sister Dolor informs her that although Chayong took care of the place for the church, she still paid for the water and electricity. Faced with this problem, Malen reluctantly taken on her mother’s old job. Other prayers find this as blasphemous, since Malen is only in it for the money.
As luck would have it, every person who paid her to pray for them got their wishes granted. One person finally passed his physical examination and could now work abroad. One boy is reunited with his father after years apart. They praise Malen for her work and soon she has lines of people asking her to pray for them. Fearing her presence there would cause more chaos, the church asked her to leave and she ended up seeing people in her house.
Malen later on deals with her conscience and talks to Father Tony about it. She knows what she is doing is wrong. She just tells people that she will pray for them but she is just in it for the money. She also tells him about her dreams and how she felt pain in her hands when she woke up. He told her it is called stigmata, and that it is very rare that a person is granted the sensation of feeling Christ’s wounds. So rare that even priests may have devoted their whole life to the church and not even feel it. It is after this talk with Father Tony that Malen embraces her new life and wholeheartedly helps people out. She is so committed that even when Mike asked her to ran away with him after killing a politician, she opted to stay for she has responsibilities with the people.
The film ended with Mike getting in jail, where he learns live a better life. Malen continues on helping people out and Father Tony returns to Cagayan.
This film shows that it is never too late to change one’s life. It is possible for a man to change his stars. Just look at Malen. Who would have thought that a sinner such as her would end up being a religious figure to numerous people. Perhaps it is tied her name, for Malen is short for Magdalena, another version of Magdalene. And one should know Mary Magdalene’s story- the sinner who became a saint.
Also the movie shows that everyone has a role, or that everything has a reason. Perhaps the reason Father Tony was sent back to Manila was so that he can later on meet Malen. Perhaps it is fate that he would guide her to a better path, and her actions would make him realize that he has a drinking problem. Perhaps it is Malen’s role to show Mike that he can still change his life; that his life can be better once he gets out of prison.
Perhaps it’s the role of this film to show everyone that there is always hope.

MODULE 3- j. paulo

American Adobo is a film that highlights the lives of transplanted Filipinos in the United States. Adobo is a Filipino dish cooked with meat, soy sauce, garlic and vinegar. And just as the term American adobo suggests that this Filipino dish has been Americanized, so does the main characters of this film. They are Filipino, but their actions and way of life are clearly influenced by where they currently reside.
Mike is a busy newspaper editor working with the Filipino Times. Like numerous Americans, Mike deals with long hours of work and often gets home late. At the same time he has the unfortunate luck of having a wife with constant needs to play mahjong. With both parents away from home, it’s their children who suffers. Their food is often reheated from the previous meal. The daughter is a typical American teen who feels she’s not getting enough freedom in who she wants to spend her time with. She often rebels and does antics her parents will abhor, such as making out with her boyfriend in her room while her parents are having a party downstairs.
Marissa works in a bank and has a live-in relationship with her Caucasian musician boyfriend. She indulges in the finer points in life, believing that it’s her right to do whatever she wants. Her materialistic personality can be seen in her taste for brand name clothing and her attention to her looks, sometimes criticizing her friend Tere for not being like her. Although her boyfriend constantly cheats on her, she still forgives him as long as he says the right words. It’s as if she’s scared of being single.
Gerry is a homosexual who hides his sexual preferences from his friends. Although he is liberal enough to live wit his boyfriend, his Filipino background stops him from letting people know that. He’s ashamed of what other people may think about him and even goes to great lengths to conceal his sexuality, especially to his mother. This can be seen when he accidentally sent naked photos of himself and his boyfriend to his mother when it was meant to be for his partner. Gerry quickly books a plane ride home to the Philippines to intercept the package before it reaches her. This fear of what others think of one’s self is a trait common to numerous Filipinos.
Raul is a typical playboy. He sleeps around and is not new to having one night stands. He often participate in unprotected sex, and his heightened sexual activeness can be seen clearly in the movie. Raul’s attitude and mannerisms suggest that he grew up in the United States for the most part of his life. Unlike the rest of his friends he does not have deep roots in Filipino culture, and perhaps his only link to it besides being born Filipino is his love of eating.
Tere is an unmarried virgin who seems to have the most native Filipino characteristic value of them all. She is very religious and has statues of the Virgin Mary on her altar. She believes that having sex is an important decision of a woman’s life and she should only sleep with a person she truly loves, a belief that she gets arguments about with her friend Marissa. Tere is shy when it comes to love, sometimes falling into predicaments which is not her fault at all.
These people are all Filipinos. They are also American. As such it is expected that they behave as a fusion of these two cultures. Their morals and values might be centered around the way Filipinos behave, but their social lives are that of American influence. This can clearly be seen in how they practice their rights. Mike’s daughter is pursuing her right to be with whoever she wants to be and go wherever she wants to go. Raul’s right to his sexual activeness is clear. He’ll sleep with whoever he wants to, sometimes taking off right after. Whether this is morally right or wrong depends on one’s point of view. According to “Rights” by Velasquez, Andre, Shanks, and Meyer, it is “morally wrong to interfere with (a) right even if large numbers of people will benefit from such interference”. So as long as Raul feels that he is exercising his right when he “uses” these women, it is “morally wrong” for us to interfere with that. However Velasquez also said that each person has a dignity and that it “makes it wrong for others to abuse us to use us against our will”. So even if Raul has a right to do the things he does, it doesn’t mean he is dignifying these women. He is both right and wrong, depending which side of the coin your facing.