Kisapmata (film): Difference between revisions
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=== Development === |
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Director [[Mike De Leon|Mike de Leon]] was interested in adapting [[Nick Joaquin]]'s article as early as 1978 but experienced difficulty in finding a producer who was willing to back a film with such dark themes. It was eventually produced by Bancom Audiovision, a subsidiary of [[Unionbank (Philippines)|Union Bank]], which had previously produced [[Lino Brocka|Lina Brocka]]'s ''[[Jaguar (1979 film)|Jaguar]]'', also based on a Joaquin article, and [[Eddie Romero]]'s ''[[Aguila (film)|Aguila]]'', on which De Leon was cinematographer.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=De Jesus |first=Totel |date=December 15, 2020 |title=The Saga of ‘Kisapmata’ |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/specials/content/175/the-saga-of-kisapmata/ |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=August 29, 2022 |website=[[GMA Network]]}}</ref> ''Kisapmata'' would be Bancom Audiovision's final production.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Hunt |first=Aaron |date=December 17, 2020 |title=“Nobody Knew About the Vinegar Syndrome at That Time”: Mike De Leon On His Newly Restored Kisapmata |work=Filmmaker Magazine |url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/110770-nobody-knew-about-the-vinegar-syndrome-at-that-time-mike-de-leon-on-his-newly-restored-kisapmata/#.YwwsIuxBz0s |access-date=August 29, 2022}}</ref> |
Director [[Mike De Leon|Mike de Leon]] was interested in adapting [[Nick Joaquin]]'s article as early as 1978 but experienced difficulty in finding a producer who was willing to back a film with such dark themes. It was eventually produced by Bancom Audiovision, a subsidiary of [[Unionbank (Philippines)|Union Bank]], which had previously produced [[Lino Brocka|Lina Brocka]]'s ''[[Jaguar (1979 film)|Jaguar]]'', also based on a Joaquin article, and [[Eddie Romero]]'s ''[[Aguila (film)|Aguila]]'', on which De Leon was cinematographer.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=De Jesus |first=Totel |date=December 15, 2020 |title=The Saga of ‘Kisapmata’ |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/specials/content/175/the-saga-of-kisapmata/ |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=August 29, 2022 |website=[[GMA Network]]}}</ref> ''Kisapmata'' would be Bancom Audiovision's final production.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Hunt |first=Aaron |date=December 17, 2020 |title=“Nobody Knew About the Vinegar Syndrome at That Time”: Mike De Leon On His Newly Restored Kisapmata |work=Filmmaker Magazine |url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/110770-nobody-knew-about-the-vinegar-syndrome-at-that-time-mike-de-leon-on-his-newly-restored-kisapmata/#.YwwsIuxBz0s |access-date=August 29, 2022}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 07:58, 29 August 2022
| Kisapmata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Mike de Leon |
| Written by |
|
| Based on | The House on Zapote Street by Quijano de Manila |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Rody Lacap |
| Edited by | Jess Navarro |
| Music by | Lorrie Ilustre |
Production company | Bancom Audiovision |
| Distributed by | Bancom Audiovision |
Release date | 25 December 1981 |
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino |
Kisapmata (English: In the Wink of an Eye) is a 1981 Filipino psychological horror film directed by Mike de Leon, and written by De Leon, Clodualdo del Mundo Jr., and Raquel Villavicencio. It stars Vic Silayan, Charo Santos, Jay Ilagan, and Charito Solis.
The plot was inspired by the 1961 crime reportage article "The House on Zapote Street", written by Nick Joaquin under the pen name Quijano de Manila. The article was first published in the January 1961 issue of Philippines Free Press magazine, and was later republished in Joaquin's 1977 non-fiction anthology Reportage on Crime: Thirteen Horror Happenings that Hit the Headlines.[1] Written in the New Journalism style, the article chronicles the true story of the double murder-suicide committed by the patriarch of the Cabading family, a forensic detective.[2]
Released at the 7th Metro Manila Film Festival, the film received critical acclaim, establishing De Leon as one of the great directors of the new generation of Filipino filmmakers.[3] It won the ten of the festival awards, including Best Film, and was screened at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival during the Directors' Fortnight, alongside De Leon's Batch '81. The film was adjudged by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino as one of the Ten Best Films of the Decade. In 2020, the film was digitally restored with a subsequent theatrical screening at the 34th Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, Italy.
Controversial upon release, it was the first major treatment of incest in Philippine cinema, and has been viewed as a commentary against the patriarchy and the regime of then President Ferdinand Marcos.[4]
Plot
Dadong Carandang (Vic Silayan), a retired police officer, is the domineering father of Mila (Charo Santos), and he is extremely jealous of the latter's suitors, never allowing them into his house. One day, Mila falls in love with Noel Manalansan (Jay Ilagan) and they decide to seek Dadong's permission to get married. Mila finds out she is pregnant. Dadong agrees on the condition that Noel pay a ridiculously costly dowry as well as shoulder a luxurious wedding. Noel agrees and works hard to meet Dadong's demands.
After the wedding, Dadong insists that the couple stay in his house. Despite protestations by the couple, they acquiesce. The couple is not allowed to sleep together for various reasons, i.e., that Mila's mother Dely (Charito Solis) is sick and Mila needs to comfort her through the night. Noel is forced to leave the house after Dadong doesn't let him inside one evening.
Mila eventually decides to escape with Noel's help. They are hunted by Dadong, to no avail. One day Dadong changes his tactic and makes some compromises to bring them back. Eventually, the couple decides to go back to Dadong's house, but only to gather their belongings. Dadong pleads with Mila not to leave as it is revealed that he has been carrying out an incestuous relationship with his daughter all along, and the baby might be his. When Mila and Noel stand firm on leaving, Dadong is driven to desperation and brings out his gun, shooting Dely, Noel, and then finally, Mila. As his last act, he shoots himself.
Cast
- Vic Silayan as Sgt. Diosdado Carandang
- Charito Solis as Adelina Carandang
- Charo Santos as Milagros Carandang
- Jay Ilagan as Noel Malansan
- Ruben Rustia as Peping Manalansan
- Aida Carmona as Onyang
- Juan Rodrigo as Ernie
- Cora Alforja as Cynthia
- Dino Angeles as Mario
- Edwin O'Hara as Policeman 1
- Mandy Bustamante as Policeman 2
- Mely Mallari as Diomy
- Monette Alfon as Landlady
- Teresita R. Sanchez as Dra. Trinidad
Production
Development
Director Mike de Leon was interested in adapting Nick Joaquin's article as early as 1978 but experienced difficulty in finding a producer who was willing to back a film with such dark themes. It was eventually produced by Bancom Audiovision, a subsidiary of Union Bank, which had previously produced Lina Brocka's Jaguar, also based on a Joaquin article, and Eddie Romero's Aguila, on which De Leon was cinematographer.[5] Kisapmata would be Bancom Audiovision's final production.[6]
The screenplay was written by De Leon, Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., and Raquel Villavicencio, the same team who previously collaborated on De Leon's 1980 film Kakabakaba Ka Ba? and De Leon's then on production hiatus Batch '81.
In order to avoid lawsuits, the names of the people in Joaquin's report were changed from the Cabading family to the Carandang family, as well as the profession of the young couple from doctors to accountants.[7] Beyond the Joaquin article, De Leon also did additional research on the crime, uncovering details that were never released to the public including the fact that the father hid under the young couple's bed while they were sleeping, and that the father had two wives, although these were not included in the film.[5] Vic Silayan, who plays Charito Solis' father, had asked De Leon if the character could be changed to a step-father as he was uncomfortable with the incest issue, but they both acknowledged it would ultimately change the film.[6]
Casting
De Leon had previously worked with Jay Ilagan on Kakabakaba Ka Ba?, on the suggestion of Lorrie Illustre due to Ilagan's comic timing, and would direct him again in the 1984 film Sister Stella L. Meanwhile, the director had met Ruben Rustia, who plays Ilagan's father, while working as a cinematographer on Eddie Romero's Aguila.[6]
Filming
The film was completed in three months, which De Leon attributed to the fact that they had "no egos to massage" when it came to the actors.[5] It was made while production on De Leon's Batch '81 was on hiatus due to budget problems.[8]
The house used as the Carandang house in the film was located in Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City and had the design of the prevailing domestic architectural style: a split-level suburban home. Production designer Cesar Hernando had come across the house while on lookout for a location to film the riot scene for Batch '81. Hernando and his team had to fill the house with furniture, including adding the barbed wires on the gate and the taxidermy deer in the living room, both of which would serve as a visual metaphor in the film. The set was completed in three weeks, with shooting lasting a mere 18 days.[8][9]
Reception
Box office
![[icon]](/enwiki/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2014) |
At the start of the Metro Manila Film Festival in 1981, Kisapmata was 10th of 10 films at the box office. After it swept the awards at the festival, it climbed into the top three at the box office.[10]
Critical response
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2014) |
Mel Tobias wrote of Kisapmata, "this complex and remarkably modulated film may be De Leon’s finest work."[11]
The movie is "de Leon’s masterpiece," wrote Oggs Cruz. "It is clear that the characters in De Leon's film are real human beings—they work, they interact with other people, they have needs and ambitions. It is that factor that turns this nightmare even far more chilling than Hitchcock's Psycho."[12]
"Even after all this time, the film continues to unsettle, not only because De Leon gives us a very real monster that anticipates many of the paternalistic ogres that continue to dominate our lives—in one form or the other—today, but rather because it shows us a world where he can exist: our own," wrote Erwin Romulo.[13] Romulo says of Silayan's character, "the way he’s portrayed by Vic Silayan makes him also very human, all too unmistakably so, and perhaps all the more terrifying because we realize how familiar we already are with his features."[13]
In a 2020 review, Noel Vera, film critic of BusinessWorld, called Kisapmata "easily Mike de Leon's masterpiece" and "one of the greatest Filipino films".[14]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Metro Manila Film Festival | Best Film | Kisapmata | Won |
| Best Director | Mike De Leon | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Vic Silayan | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Jay Ilagan | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Charito Solis | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Mike De Leon, Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., and Raquel Villavicencio | Won | ||
| Best Story | Mike De Leon, Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., and Raquel Villavicencio | Won | ||
| Best Editing | Jess Navarro and Ben Pelayo | Won | ||
| Best Production Design | Cesar Hernando | Won | ||
| Best Sound Engineering | Ramon Reyes | Won | ||
| 1982 | FAMAS Awards | Best Actor | Vic Silayan | Nominated |
| Best Supporting Actor | Jay Ilagan | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Charito Solis | Nominated | ||
| Gawad Urian Awards | Best Picture (Pinakamahusay na Pelikula) | Kisapmata | Nominated | |
| Best Direction (Pinakamahusay na Direksyon) | Mike De Leon | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor (Pinakamahusay na Pangunahing Aktor) | Vic Silayan | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor (Pinakamahusay na Pangalawang Aktor) | Jay Ilagan | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress (Pinakamahusay na Pangalawang Aktres) | Charito Solis | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay (Pinakamahusay na Dulang Pampelikula) | Mike De Leon, Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., and Raquel Villavicencio | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing (Pinakamahusay na Editing) | Jess Navarro | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography (Pinakamahusay na Sinematograpiya) | Rody Lacap | Won | ||
| Best Production Design (Pinakamahusay na Disenyong Pamproduksiyon) | Cesar Hernando | Won | ||
| Best Music (Pinakamahusay na Musika) | Lorrie Ilustre | Won | ||
| Best Sound (Pinakamahusay na Tunog) | Ramon Reyes | Won |
See also
References
- ^ Romulo, Erwin T. (February 26, 2010). "Pop crimes: Quijano de Manila's 'Reportage on Crime'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ Arriola 2010, p. 275–277.
- ^ Yuson, Alfred (November 29, 1982). "Coming of Age a La Carte". Filipino Observer. p. 28.
- ^ Tajan, Menchie; Gatchalian, Elmer (2021) [1994]. "Kisapmata". Cultural Center of the Philippines Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c De Jesus, Totel (December 15, 2020). "The Saga of 'Kisapmata'". GMA Network. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c Hunt, Aaron (December 17, 2020). ""Nobody Knew About the Vinegar Syndrome at That Time": Mike De Leon On His Newly Restored Kisapmata". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ Arriola 2010, p. 278.
- ^ a b Gomez, Jerome (September 6, 2020). "This house birthed a Filipino movie classic". ANCX. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ Quiling 2018, p. 75.
- ^ Cruz, Marinel R.; San Diego, Bayani (December 15, 2017). "Inquirer's Guyito a symbol of hope in filmmaker's fight for free cinema". Inquirer. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ Tobias, Mel (1998). One Hundred Acclaimed Tagalog Movies: Sineng Mundo, Best of Philippine Cinema. Vancouver: Peanut Butter Pub. ISBN 0897168100. OCLC 38949816.
- ^ Cruz, Oggs (October 27, 2006). "Kisapmata (1982)". Lessons From the School of Inattention. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ a b "Remembering the Second Golden Age of Philippine cinema". CNN Philippines. September 23, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ Vera, Noel (March 27, 2020). "All in the family". BusinessWorld. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
Further reading
- Arriola, Joyce (2010). "A third way to film the story: a Filipino film adaptation of a work of literary journalism". South East Asia Research. 18 (2): 271–300 – via JSTOR.
- Campos, Patrick (2006). "Looming Over the Nation, Uneasy with the Folks: Locating Mike de Leon in Philippine Cinema". Humanities Diliman: A Journal on Philippine Humanities. 3 (2): 35–73.
- David, Joel (1990). "Exceptions". The National Pastime. Pasig, Metro Manila: Anvil Publishing. pp. 28–32. ISBN 978-621-96191-2-7.
- Quiling, Tito (2018). "House of Cards: The One-and-a-Half Story House in Kisapmata (1981)". UNITAS. 90 (1): 55–78.
- Quiling, Tito (2013). "Projecting Homes: Domestic Spaces in Three Filipino Films". Humanities Diliman: A Journal on Philippine Humanities. 10 (2): 85–105.
