Kisapmata (film): Difference between revisions
| Line 37: | Line 37: | ||
'''''Kisapmata''''' (English: '''''In the Wink of an Eye''''')<ref name=":5" /> is a 1981 [[Filipino cinema|Filipino]] [[psychological horror]] film directed by [[Mike De Leon|Mike de Leon]], with a screenplay by De Leon, [[Clodualdo del Mundo Jr.]], and Raquel Villavicencio. It stars [[Vic Silayan]], [[Charo Santos-Concio|Charo Santos]], [[Jay Ilagan]], and [[Charito Solis]]. |
'''''Kisapmata''''' (English: '''''In the Wink of an Eye''''')<ref name=":5" /> is a 1981 [[Filipino cinema|Filipino]] [[psychological horror]] film directed by [[Mike De Leon|Mike de Leon]], with a screenplay by De Leon, [[Clodualdo del Mundo Jr.]], and Raquel Villavicencio. It stars [[Vic Silayan]], [[Charo Santos-Concio|Charo Santos]], [[Jay Ilagan]], and [[Charito Solis]]. |
||
The plot was inspired by the crime reportage "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''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Romulo |first=Erwin T. |date=February 26, 2010 |title=Pop crimes: Quijano de Manila's 'Reportage on Crime' |work=[[The Philippine Star]] |publisher= |url=https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/young-star/2010/02/26/552580/pop-crimes-quijano-de-manilas-reportage-crime |access-date=August 29, 2022}}</ref> Written in the [[New Journalism]] style, the piece chronicles the |
The plot was inspired by the crime reportage "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''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Romulo |first=Erwin T. |date=February 26, 2010 |title=Pop crimes: Quijano de Manila's 'Reportage on Crime' |work=[[The Philippine Star]] |publisher= |url=https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/young-star/2010/02/26/552580/pop-crimes-quijano-de-manilas-reportage-crime |access-date=August 29, 2022}}</ref> Written in the [[New Journalism]] style, the piece chronicles the lead up to the highly publicized [[familicide]] committed by Pablo Cabading, a retired policeman.{{Sfn|Arriola|2010|p=275–277}} |
||
Premiering at the [[1981 Metro Manila Film Festival|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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yuson |first=Alfred |date=November 29, 1982 |title=Coming of Age a La Carte |pages=28 |work=Filipino Observer}}</ref> 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 [[Gawad Urian Award|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 [[Il Cinema Ritrovato|34th Il Cinema Ritrovato]] in [[Bologna]], [[Italy]]. |
Premiering at the [[1981 Metro Manila Film Festival|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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yuson |first=Alfred |date=November 29, 1982 |title=Coming of Age a La Carte |pages=28 |work=Filipino Observer}}</ref> 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 [[Gawad Urian Award|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 [[Il Cinema Ritrovato|34th Il Cinema Ritrovato]] in [[Bologna]], [[Italy]]. |
||
Controversial upon release, it was the first major treatment of [[incest]] in Philippine cinema |
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]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Tajan |first=Menchie |last2=Gatchalian |first2=Elmer |date=2021 |orig-date=1994 |title=Kisapmata |url=https://epa.culturalcenter.gov.ph/4/24/1207/ |access-date=August 29, 2022 |website=Cultural Center of the Philippines Encyclopedia of Philippine Art}}</ref> |
||
== Plot == |
== Plot == |
||
| Line 82: | Line 82: | ||
== Release == |
== Release == |
||
On December 24, 1981, a day before the opening of the [[1981 Metro Manila Film Festival|7th Metro Manila Film Festival]], a temporary restraining order was filed by Asuncion Cabading |
On December 24, 1981, a day before the opening of the [[1981 Metro Manila Film Festival|7th Metro Manila Film Festival]], a temporary restraining order was filed by Asuncion Cabading to stop the screening of ''Kisapmata''. Cabading was the widow of the deceased police detective written about in "The House on Zapote Street." Director [[Mike De Leon|Mike de Leon]] admitted that the production team had forgotten that she survived the massacre. The issue was quickly resolved and the film was able to premier on schedule the following day. It was later screened at the [[1982 Cannes Film Festival]] during the Directors' Fortnight, alongside De Leon's 1982 film ''[[Batch '81]]''.<ref name=":2" /> |
||
De Leon has referred to the Metro Manila Film Festival copy, which had been edited to appease the [[Movie and Television Review and Classification Board|Board of Censors for Motion Pictures]], as the "theatrical version" and the Cannes Film Festival copy as the "final cut."<ref name=":2" /> |
|||
=== Restoration === |
=== Restoration === |
||
The digital restoration of the film was originally funded by De Leon |
The digital restoration of the film was originally funded by De Leon and used an original print the director had kept at the [[Asian Film Archive]] in [[Singapore]]. The restoration itself was done in L’Immagine Ritrovata, the same film lab De Leon worked with for the restoration of his 1982 film ''Batch '81'', as well as [[Lino Brocka|Lina Brocka]]'s 1975 film ''[[Manila in the Claws of Light|Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag]]'', on which De Leon was cinematographer and co-producer.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=De Jesus |first=Totel |date=August 13, 2020 |title=Restored ‘Kisapmata’ to be shown in Bologna this month, to be streamed in December |work=[[ABS-CBN]] |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/08/13/20/restored-kisapmata-to-be-shown-in-bologna-this-month-to-be-streamed-in-december}}</ref> While ''Kisapmata'' was in the process of being restored, [[Unionbank (Philippines)|Union Bank]], the parent company of the defunct production company Bancom Audiovision, reimbursed De Leon half of the restoration cost and offered co-ownership.<ref name=":2" /> |
||
On August 31, 2020, the restored version premiered at the [[Il Cinema Ritrovato|34th Il Cinema Ritrovato]], a festival dedicated to recovered and restored classics, in [[Bologna]], [[Italy]].<ref name=":6" /> |
On August 31, 2020, the restored version premiered at the [[Il Cinema Ritrovato|34th Il Cinema Ritrovato]], a festival dedicated to recovered and restored classics, in [[Bologna]], [[Italy]].<ref name=":6" /> |
||
Revision as of 03:06, 30 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)[1] is a 1981 Filipino psychological horror film directed by Mike de Leon, with a screenplay 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 crime reportage "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.[2] Written in the New Journalism style, the piece chronicles the lead up to the highly publicized familicide committed by Pablo Cabading, a retired policeman.[3]
Premiering 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.[4] 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.[1]
Plot
The film opens with Mila Carandang (Charo Santos) reluctantly telling her domineering father Diosdado "Dadong" (Vic Silayan), a retired policeman, that she is pregnant. Mila asks permission from her father to marry her co-worker Noel Manalansan (Jay Ilagan). Dadong gives his permission on the condition that Noel pay a hefty dowry. The young man agrees and works hard to meet the father's demands.
After the wedding, Dadong insists that the newlyweds stay in his house. Despite protestations, the young couple acquiesce. During their time living in the Carandang house, Mila tells Noel that she must stay with her sick mother Adelina "Dely" (Charito Solis), much to Noel's annoyance as he wants to move out with Mila as soon as possible. One evening, Noel is forced to find other accommodations after he is locked out of the house.
Although still fearful of her father, Mila decides to escape his home. She and Noel stay with Noel's father (Ruben Rustia). The couple, however, return to the Carandang house to gather their belongings. Dadong pleads with Mila to stay, saying he has an interest in the baby she is carrying (suggesting that he has been carrying an incestuous relationship with his daughter). As Mila and Noel stand firm on leaving, Dadong is driven to desperation, pulls out his gun, and shoots Dely, Noel, Mila, and then himself.
Cast
- Vic Silayan as Sgt. Diosdado Carandang
- Charito Solis as Adelina Carandang
- Charo Santos as Milagros Carandang
- Jay Ilagan as Noel Manalansan
- 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]
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. It was considered the first and biggest production requirement of the film, providing a crucial function to establish the setting and mood.[9] 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][10]
Release
On December 24, 1981, a day before the opening of the 7th Metro Manila Film Festival, a temporary restraining order was filed by Asuncion Cabading to stop the screening of Kisapmata. Cabading was the widow of the deceased police detective written about in "The House on Zapote Street." Director Mike de Leon admitted that the production team had forgotten that she survived the massacre. The issue was quickly resolved and the film was able to premier on schedule the following day. It was later screened at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival during the Directors' Fortnight, alongside De Leon's 1982 film Batch '81.[5]
De Leon has referred to the Metro Manila Film Festival copy, which had been edited to appease the Board of Censors for Motion Pictures, as the "theatrical version" and the Cannes Film Festival copy as the "final cut."[5]
Restoration
The digital restoration of the film was originally funded by De Leon and used an original print the director had kept at the Asian Film Archive in Singapore. The restoration itself was done in L’Immagine Ritrovata, the same film lab De Leon worked with for the restoration of his 1982 film Batch '81, as well as Lina Brocka's 1975 film Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, on which De Leon was cinematographer and co-producer.[11] While Kisapmata was in the process of being restored, Union Bank, the parent company of the defunct production company Bancom Audiovision, reimbursed De Leon half of the restoration cost and offered co-ownership.[5]
On August 31, 2020, the restored version premiered at the 34th Il Cinema Ritrovato, a festival dedicated to recovered and restored classics, in Bologna, Italy.[11]
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.[12]
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."[13]
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."[14]
"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.[15] 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."[15]
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".[16]
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
- ^ a b Tajan, Menchie; Gatchalian, Elmer (2021) [1994]. "Kisapmata". Cultural Center of the Philippines Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d e f De Jesus, Totel (December 15, 2020). "The Saga of 'Kisapmata'". GMA Network. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Arriola 2010, p. 287.
- ^ Quiling 2018, p. 75.
- ^ a b De Jesus, Totel (August 13, 2020). "Restored 'Kisapmata' to be shown in Bologna this month, to be streamed in December". ABS-CBN.
- ^ 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.
Works cited
- 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.
