Response to: "Dekada '70" by Rod Antalan

Response To: “Dekada 70”

In the film “Dekada ‘70”, there was a strong sense of socio-political awareness. The film followed the life of a family who was very active in the politics of the Philippines. It was actually during a period where there were so many problems because of the Marcos dictatorship.
This family was confronted with a lot of the problems that resulted from the dictatorship. The father had seemed to have been a key figure in the lives of the children because he allowed them to do whatever it was they wanted to do.
Jules, one of their sons was a very active rebel against the corrupt and insufficient ruling of the Philippines. He was a constant threat to the instituted government officials because he worked his way up to a rebel leader. He was constantly on the run and was eventually imprisoned for his actions. Emmanuel was the writer of the group. He would constantly write about the social injustices occurring and also wrote a play about them. Jason was salvaged because he was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Donnie was the son who joined the Navy.
Although the movie followed the whole family, it was more the story of the mother that was showcased. It was a story of the typical sub-ordinate mother who would let her husband make the decisions. She was constantly talking about the rights of a woman yet never really did anything to express hers. In a world that was run by men, she felt as though she could not even be a mother to her children. She was always in a struggle to get the things that she wanted.
This is an important aspect of this film. Although it was filled with males and the roles they played in Philippine society, it portrayed many of the roles that women play as well. It showed how many women in the Philippines feel powerless and as though they cannot do anything to keep their families happy and safe. This was very much the case with Amanda because she wanted so much to be the perfect mother and wife yet could not have any say in the actions of her children as her husband did.
I thought that this is significant because you never really get to see what the woman thinks about her position in the family. It always tends to be the father who always has control. In the end of the movie, you can see that the father is the one that ultimately has no control. He too is placed in a position of no power and can understand how his wife or ex-wife feels.
I really enjoyed this movie because it showed the distribution of power in a patriarchal society and yet at the same time showed that the female roles are just as important.