Blog 005 *Minsan lang sila Bata

Minsan lang sila Bata: A Documentary

            In our film criticism class, we discussed many topics about film and one of that discussion was all about the representation. Representation is a reflection of what had happened to the video or in the movie and the film makers. It is also the central to the understanding of how media tests are constructed by film makers and how they are received by a range of different audiences. In relation to the documentary “Minsan lang sila bata”, representation will be the one of the aspects in our discussion which I can write my thoughts about the documentary.

            Minsan lang sila Bata was one of the Philippine documentary which I like very much; the way it was presented and the story in the first place was very interesting that I’d pay attention when it was presented. The kids in the video literally surprised me. I was shocked how the kids made their living during hours of the night just for a strip carrying not less than 250 sacks of cement per day for 10 pesos or strip wild grass under scorching heat of the sun for the whole day for 26 pesos. It makes me wonder how they embraced their budget for the whole family as all of them said that they are working for the food of their family.

                In the situation mentioned above I think the kids in the documentary was a sign and represented poverty. Due to the poverty we had in the country, the kids had their own will to find a job that can support and made them to survive every day. Having a job like in the documentary that violated the law of the child labor. At the very young age the kids are able to do what adults are supposed to do. The kids are more mature enough to plan things in a very ideal way because of their experiences. There is no other issue discussed but the difficulties of the kids and also to the rest of the country that until now remains a big problem, the poverty. The nature of the kids who were at that age were simply playing the whole day as what kids does normally we have seen in the streets and even in the house. But in the documentary it was a big revelation that kids are working very hard in order to support their family and themselves as well. The kids in the documentary were very different to the normal kids we have seen. In the documentary they worked hard in the middle of the night more than other adults working for.

            I was also amazed for their love for education. They really wanted to go back to school. I bet that I can hardly found this kind of kids in urban places. If given a chance, they would rather go to school than work but unfortunately, they should work than play.

Lastly, I am encouraged by the motivation of these kids – family. I am touched by their selflessness. At young age, they show great love for their family. They are not bitter for their fate. They work for their family and tried to understand their situation.

Blog 004 *West Side Story

"West Side Story: tension between two gangs"

The movie was released in 1961 and won several awards like best picture. It famously inspired by the story "Romeo and Juliet," although it shies away from the complete tragedy of the original by fudging the ending. Like for example, it was not a cosmic misunderstanding but angry gunfire that kills Tony, and Maria doesn't die at all; she snatches the gun and threatens to shoot herself, but drops it -- perhaps because suicide would have been too heavy a load for the movie to carry. (By Edward Flores – A movie article review)

The movie also talks about the tension between a white gang, the Jets, led by Riff, and a Puerto Rican gang of immigrants, the Sharks, led by Bernardo. Two of the gang members face off against one member of a rival gang, Sharks leader Bernardo, a darker-skinned, black-haired Puerto Rican immigrant. He is joined by his gang members, and they pick up the beat by clicking their fingers. The gangs both are vying for control of the streets, alternating between dominance and submission. Two of the members provoke each other, and after an extended confrontation, a full-scale brawl breaks out when the Jets come to rescue Baby John, the youngest member of their gang, from an assault by the Sharks.

I like the set design of the movie wherein the scenes were taken mostly in the places like it was abandoned; the place where the two gangs met each other. Set design helped that movie to pull off some scenes like for instance when they kept in running away because of the police men are approaching but the place had many corners where they can hide. The setting of the movie was really applicable to the story; tension between two gangs.

The places used in the movie were very accommodating to the story because when we take a look into their spaces used and their sequence as well it need big spaces for them to run and execute their part very well.

When we talk about the costumes used by the characters in the movie, I think for the standard of a 1960’s movie it was really a good design and style being used. You can see the classic grace of their costume and the elegance the way they used and wear their design. The design and the style used among men were very good-looking and it was obvious in the movie that boys are dominant compared to girls. The design used among men are simple yet attractive the way I look into the screen. Their attire fits the way they portrayed their characters in each scenes. In the other side, women’s costume in that movie were also good. I think I can compare this movie to a certain theater play wherein most of the characters were men. It is a nature of the western countries who had their theater play that most of their characters were men and men portrayed some characters of a woman using a mask.

Definitely, the acting and blocking of the movie was also really good. The choreography of the movie was the one who entice me to pay attention in every scene they had. Their movement was done very simultaneously and very neat. I can say that they are very well-prepared in every scene they had and very effective of their blocking. In such movies I’d watched, it tempt myself to pay attention in a certain story or movie when it has the following genre: action, horror, comedy and musical. These kind of movies captures my attentions very well.

Lastly we will took about the usage of the camera angles in the movie. First it was presented during the opening prologue, a breath-taking aerial shot of Manhattan from a bird's eye view captures the city with its bridge traffic and highway ramps, its waterfront docks, parks and skyscrapers. The camera passes over recognizable landmarks as it moves steadily to the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and then speedily zooms down and plunges into a concrete playground. A gang of 'cool' white youths are posed together in one corner of a basketball court, clicking their fingers to the syncopated rhythm of the musical score. The aggressive gang members leave the fenced-in playground and cross the tenement street. In the famous, dazzling opening sequence, they gradually break into a highly-stylized dance and then burst into a daring, high-stepping sequence - an exhilarating, inventive, visual ballet of pirouettes, vigorous athletic moves, and running jumps that symbolizes their dominance and energy - they are readying themselves for a gang brawl.

            As I have stated above, I like the angling of the camera the way the movie started or open. It captured an establishing and a bird’s eye views of the west side of the place and then captured also an establishing shot of the place where the opening prologue was done.

            To some up everything, for a 1960’s kind of movie it was an outstanding one because they come up with that movie where technology is not yet really that developed. Bravo the director of the movie, to the casts, script writer, the very good choreography and to all the production staff of the movie who were the tool that made West Side Story possible and effective until at present.

Blog 003 *Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice set in England in the early 19th century, it tells the story of Mr and Mrs Bennet's five unmarried daughters after the rich and eligible Mr Bingley and his status-conscious friend, Mr Darcy, have moved into their neighborhood.

I. Characters

Elizabeth Bennet – she is the second daughter of Bennet’s family. She is twenty years old and is intelligent, lively and attractive. At the later part, Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice, leading her to surrender to her love to Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy - is the male partner of Elizabeth in the movie and is twenty eight years old. He is also tall and intelligent. Darcy is the wealthy owner of the renowned family estate of Pemberley in Derbyshire. At the end, Darcy and Elizabeth overcome their differences and first impressions to fall in love with each other.

Mrs Bennet - is the wife of her social superior Mr Bennet and mother of Elizabeth and her sisters. She is frivolous, excitable, and narrow-minded. Her public manners and social climbing are embarrassing to Jane and Elizabeth.

Mr Bennet - is the head of the Bennet family, a gentleman of modest income with five unmarried daughters. Mr Bennet has an ironic, cynical sense of humour that irritates his wife. However, he loved his daughters very much.

Jane Bennet - is the eldest Bennet sister. Twenty-two years old when the story begins, she is considered the most beautiful young lady in the neighbourhood. Jane’s character is opposite to Elizabeth wherein she is sweeter, shyer, and equally sensible, but not as clever.

Mary Bennet – the one that is not really pretty among four siblings. She reads and practices music.

Catherine Bennet – she is the fourth Bennet sister. She is the shadow of Lydia and follows in her pursuit of the officers of the regiment.

Lydia Bennet - is the youngest Bennet sister, aged 15 when the novel begins. She is frivolous and headstrong.

Charles Bingley – is a handsome, good-natured, and wealthy young gentleman at the age of 23. He moved to Netherfield Park near Longbourn. He fell in love with Jane and his two sisters were not in favour in the growing affection of the two.

George Wickham – he is acquainted with Mr Darcy since childhood, being the son of Mr. Darcy's father's steward.

 Lady Catherine – she is very rich. Lady Catherine is very arrogant, bossy and superior to his people and even the way he treated Elizabeth in the movie.

II. Exposition

The exposition of the movie would be the getting to know each other with the primary characters, Darcy and Elizabeth. Basically I'd say up to the point of where she goes to see Mr & Mrs Colins. The time of the party with Mr. Darcy, this was also part where in that scene it now leads to the rising action.

III. Rising Action

I think the rising action of the movie started with Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth Bennet. When the feelings of the two come out to show up that they had feelings for each other.

IV. Climax

The time they overcome the pride and prejudice. Darcy realized that Elizabeth was right in all things she told him. In the other side, Elizabeth discovered in the later part that she is wrong with her judgment with Mr. Darcy; she knew Darcy more, the time he also fell in love with him.

V.  Falling Action

Mr. Darcy asked Mr. Bennet about their marriage with Elizabeth.

VI. Resolution

I think it would be the wedding since Mr. Bennet allow Elizabeth to marry Darcy.

Blog 002 *Little Miss Sunshine

"Dysfunctional but Functional Family at the end Thou"

Absolutely, “little miss sunshine” is a kind of movie wherein it has a symbolism. I state an example on that and that was the scenario of the family in their yellow van. I think the van and its colour represents that their family was dysfunctional. The van itself is a representation of the family and their dysfunction. For example, along the way going the California they had many problems with their vehicle and also their communication inside the van, firstly, the horn plays up, which causes them to be pulled over by a police officer. In that sense where the police came over to their van one member of their family, Richard told them try to act as normal. That was an insulting statement as the family themselves are seen as social untouchables with each other and as far away from normal day they had and they used to. In addition, the Van’s gearbox plays up and the family are told by a Mechanic that the Van can still start but only in third gear, you just have to be perfect at starting it. This is suggesting that teamwork is required in order to go further, which is difficult at that time as the Family are close to a breakdown.

The Van’s over-all beaten-up appearance also contributed the idea and emphasizes the fact that they themselves, have taken many emotional beatings. The setting of the Van plays a part in symbolizing the family, the wide-open spaces in the background, are in contrast to the cramped-up inside of the Van where the Family are forced to communicate with each other in order to attain one common end which was to support Olive in the beauty pageant.

            I’ll go the characters who gave life to the movie. First we have: Olive Hoover,  an ambitious beauty pageant. The little girl who was very hopeful to compete with the “little miss sunshine”. One day she was very happy as she received a call from one of the organizer of the pageant that she qualify for the beauty pageant in California. For the chance to fulfil her dreams, the whole family supported her and drove to California in order to compete with the said beauty pageant.

            Sheryl Hoover who's losing patience with both his crisis and their marriage. Mother of Olive, at first she was uneasy to the decision in letting Olive joined the competition but as she go through he convinced his husband to join them to California.

            Richard Hoover a motivational speaker whose career downslide is starting to give the lie to his own philosophy. He had many misunderstanding with his wife and to the other family member. He kept in resisting going to California for the beauty pageant, she told Sheryl that Olive will get upset at the end of the pageant since many of the contestants are really good compared with their child.

             Olive's teenage brother was Dwayne Hoover hasn't spoken in nine months. He's not depressed, exactly; he's been reading Nietzsche and has taken a vow of silence while training to get into flight school. Plus, he hates everybody. He only wrote whatever he wanted to say something and he also wrote his respond as an answer to the person who asked question from him.

            Grandpa, Olive's coach, spends hours working on her dance routine for the beauty pageant. Grandpa has been kicked out of a retirement home, for sleeping around and for snorting heroin; he’s into taking drugs and he was always bringing drugs with him wherever he goes and drugs was the cause of his death. His philosophy is that you'd have to be crazy to do smack when you're young, but when you get old, you'd be crazy not to.

            Uncle Frank, Sheryl's brother, is the number one Proust scholar in the world, and has just attempted suicide because he fell in love with a graduate student who neglected him. He was at the same time a companion with grandpa as they agreed each other whatever they did in their travel to California.

            In addition, Little Miss Sunshine is a friendly and breezy film, with a neatly engineered dramatic twist - yet the satiric intent is weirdly uncertain. The movie is tricked out with embarrassments and euro-literary references and the very fact that they're headed for one of these creepy kiddie-beauty pageants is intended to function as a continuous, background guarantee of edginess and indie daring.

In the competition they supported Olive all throughout the way and that made their family functional wherein they never agreed things beforehand but in that certain time they worked together as family, they showed to Olive that they’re enjoying the competition even though his grandpa was dead due to overdose of the drugs. They gave their all support to olive because it was her dream to attend in that beauty pageant.

Blog 001 * Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros

“Poverty + Acceptance + Equality = Together Family”

In the Philippine movie setting like we had in squatter places in Manila, the movie “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” representing Poverty, conflict of man to man, talking about love and struggle to fight for the situation of the family. One of the film's most interesting aspects for a lot of viewers is the seemingly surprising possibility that homosexual can exist relatively peacefully in the towns. It is most refreshing to see loving, tender feelings binding a marginal family together, rather than the usual scenario we have seen in the other movies who has a gay member of the family. 

As the movie goes it was presented obviously that the family of Maxi was in the midst of poverty. However, their relationship within the family members were very intact because of him who served as the mother in the family. Maxi’s responsibility in the house simply in cooking, preparing the table the time they eat and other stuff which was given to him by his father. What was much highlighted in the movie I think was the love of the family, acceptance and most of all equality to the status of their youngest sibling, Maxi. Maxi was the weakness weapon of the family; best example was the time they’re going to revenged of what had happened to their father and then Maxi was kept in resisting his two brothers not to do that while saying “kuya huwag po, mamamatay din kayo, paano na ako”, that line was very interesting because Boy and Bog’s wasn’t able to get revenged to Victor and to the rest of the police officials since they felt pity to their youngest brother.

Dialectic principle was used in the movie very nice. Like the real situation if we took about the characters, the antagonist of the story was the family of Maxi, his father and his two brothers. In the movie Paco had many cases of shoplifting and other illegal doings that leads him to become cruel. His son Boy killed someone due to their bad work; that situation calls my attention that the family of Maxi was the antagonist of the story. Paco, is a thief and has been doing this job beforehand. . In the other side Victor, the police officer was the protagonist in the movie. He was very responsible to his job and an authoritative guy who was also assigned in some cases where father and brothers of Maxi involved. However, dialectic principle was presented in the movie very clear but I think they’re not the antagonist at the same time because they are only in that situation fighting to survive every day because of poverty. If they had any choice and a job that can support them all thought-out they’d never I think in that kind of occupation.

Another thing the Diegesis in the movie was also presented. The scene that the chief of the station where Victor assigned was not even shown why he was transferred to another place. Next happened in the situation was the new chief assigned in the station where Victor was also consigned. The new chief knew Paco since they encountered each other the time he was assigned in the precinct where Paco live. Victor joined him in the operations he had until in the night of confrontation the new chief gunshot Paco.

 After all, the movie ended that Bogs and Boy take good care of their youngest brother, Maxi. They served as the father and mother of Maxi. The ending of the movie was hanging because we can’t tell that his two brothers ended up with their illegal doings and start a new chapter of their life without their father but with Maxi Oliveros.