Makahiya at Talahib

Released: December 25, 1976

The Plot: Arturo (Rudy Fernandez) is a convict on the run after being framed for rape. Aurora (Vilma Santos), a sculptress at odds with her overbearing mother (Gloria Romero), falls for him and is convinced of his innocence. When Arturo takes revenge on those who framed him, Aurora helps him plot his escape. This, while her sister Beatriz (Trixia Gomez) has a brief affair with Arturo. - Music & Laughter TV (READ MORE)

The Reviews: - "...Produced by Goodwill Productions, Makahiya at Talahib (1976) featured Rudy Fernandez as Arturo Clemente, an escapee who was framed up for rape and murder of a child. He was sodomized in jail and psychologically tortured and successfully escaped. The film started with Arturo attempted to kill two men, he took their clothes and truck while allowing them to run for their lives naked. He was abled to go back to his hometown, hiding in the forest. The following scenes were the introduction of Arturo's lover, Aurora played by Vilma Santos, whose voice was noticeably dubbed by someone. She's a wood carver, sculpting native craft with the woods planted from a nearby forest. While working, she heard a radio broadcast and together with her co-workers and a by-stander, Steve (Romeo Rivera) the news about Arturo's escape. The news mentioned the killing of a prison guard and that he is arm and dangerous. Meanwhile, her sister Beatrice played by Trixia Gomez was seen making out with a man, in a farm, an obvious ploy to get the attention of male movie goers, as even with this scenes deleted, it will not affect the movie's main story.

The news of Arturo's come back made the guilty party scared, Ingo (max alvarado) and Steve together with their gang discussed their next move, warning everyone of Arturo's revenge. Also worried is Aurora's mother, played by Gloria Romero, preaching her two daughters about the dangers looming specially Aurora, who she knows was Arturo's ex. Baldo, (Rocco Montalban) was the first goons to die. Arturo met him. They fought and Baldo, was seen collapsing. Arturo left assuming he killed the goon. The next day, Beatrice warned her sister that she still likes Arturo. Also, at work and like her sister, she was bothered by Steve, asking her if she already met Arturo. Thinking that she might be hiding in their secret hide away back then, Aurora asked her boss to allow her to go to the forest to find a better wood for her next project. She left work and carrying a wood chopper, she head to the forest. There she find Arturo. She confront him and find out that he's not sure if he killed Baldo as he left him on the ground after they fight. She was hoping for her early parole not for her to be an escapee. Vanishing her hope of them getting back together and living a quiet life. While waiting for her to be free, she he decided not go out to avoid seeing the places they routinely hang out. But she was forced by her mother to work.

The two talked about a man named Mang Inggo, a sick man, who disappeared and live in the forest, both became close to the man. He disappeared in the forest when the towns folk started to treat him like a pariah. And this is where she figured where Arturo might be hiding. He mentioned that he was raped inside and was psychologically torture by prisoners daily talk of revenge. Thinking tha Arturo might be hiding in the parish church, Steve and a group of police raided the house of the parish priest but failed find Arturo. That night, Aurora's mother informed her two daughters that the bullet found in baldo's body was the same type of bullet from the jail guard's gun, concluding it was the bullet Arturo uses to kill Baldo. The same night Steve visited Ingo, (Max Alvarado), making sure they're alone, Steve killed him. It was clear that Steve is trying to frame Arturo for the second time. For the second time, Aurora met Arturo and now assured her he did not kill Ingo. The decided to elope. Without Aurora's knowledge, Beatrice followed her. When Aurora's gone, she seduced Arturo. They had sex but told her Aurora will remained her love. That night, Beatrice was caught by her mother meeting secretly her other lover, she blame Aurora for not warning her. She warned her sister that she will pay for this.

Arturo went to isko's house. The two fought but Isko was shot by Steve, who was watching all along. He confronted Arturo and they too fought when a group of police came. Arturo managed to escape. A series of events followed. Aurora asked the parish priest for advice. She told him that Arturo was innocent and where Arturo is. Her mother discovered that her sister Beatrice is pregnant and forced her to the community clinic, assuming she wanted her to have an abortion. The two were arguing on the street while the town's gossiper gawking at them. They were interrupted by Steve's meeting with the town's people, urging them to have a community raid of Arturo's whereabouts. Hearing this, Beatrice left her angry mother and joined Steve's and his followers. Informing them she know's Arturo's hide away. Then the priest who Aurora just talked to, decided to find Arturo himself. There he was able to convinced Arturo to turn himself in. Aurora convinced that it is time for her to join Arturo went home to get some clothes, when her angry mom arrived interrupting her plans. Thank godness, their pregnant pig started to labor. Her mother quickly attended to her pigs and she quickly leave the house. Surrounded by the police and the town's people, Arturo fought. The group ring leader, Steve was shot, strugling for life, he confessed to two town's people that he was the murderer.

It was too late, the police shot Arturo several times. Aurora witnessed this, she screamed but too late. Arturo was dead. The end. Written and directed by Emmanuel H. Borlaza, Makahiya't Talahib spoon fed its story. No element of surprise, as we already know from the very beginning Arturo is innocent and who was responsible. It was obvious that the film tried to sell sex. The ending, showing the sex scene of Rudy and Vilma (and used as the promo) was a proof of this. The casting of Trixia Gomez and the inclusion of her sex scenes was another. Borlaza tried to entice the male movie goers of the December film fest, as the film compete with other festival entry. It was clear, that the ploy was not enough as the film failed both commercially and artistically. Although this is a prelude to Vilma's career transformation (a prep to her Burlesk Queen) as she agreed for the first time to do her first kissing (sex) scene. This event has eclipse by someone dubbing her voice making her performance forgettable. Rudy Fernandez tried very hard to portrayed Arturo but lack the intensity. Like Aurora's unfinish wood scultures, the supporting cast needs more work. Gloria Romero's acting was ordinary. Trixia Gomez's was bland. Romeo Rivera, Rocco Montalban and Max Alvarado were all stereotypically uneventful. It was reported that Borlaza was so in-demand by producers, he was shooting two films at the same time. Which was the case of Makahiya. Borlaza non-apologitcally admitted his film was more commercial than other directors. But given the clear storyline of Makahiya, the film would probably work if it was adapted by a more creative, non-commercial writer. - RV

"...Her metamorphosis began in late 1976 when she agreed to be kissed by Rudy Fernandez in Makahiya at Talahib. It was a “feeler” of sort and when the public clacked its tongue in obvious approval, Vilma shelved her lollipops-and-roses image and proved that she, too, could be a woman – a wise move indeed because at that time her career was on a downswing and her movies were not making money. Then she did Mga Rosas sa Putikan for her own VS Films where she played a country girl forced into prostitution in the big city. The movie did fairly well at the tills. Good sign. And came her romance with Romeo Vasquez, boosting both their stocks at the box office (thier two starrers, Nag-aapoy na Damdamin and Pulot-Gata where Vilma did her own wet style, were big moneymakers). The tandem, although it did help Vilma, actually helped Vasquez more in re-establishing himself at the box office (without Vilma, his movies with other leading ladies hardly create any ripple). In Susan Kelly, Edad 20, Vilma played a notorious-woman role that required her to wear skimpy bikini briefs in some scenes, following it up with two giant sizzlers (Dalawang Pugad, Isang Ibon and Masarap, Masakit ang Umibig) that catapulted her as the newest Bold Queen. Then came Burlesk Queen..." - Ricardo F. Lo, Expressweek Magazine January 19, 1978 (READ MORE)

"...Why Borlaza? Because Emmanuel H. Borlaza is a formula director, a tried and tested moneymaker for local film companies and an example of a commercial success who also hungers for artistic fullfillment. It was Maning Borlaza who directed the box-office hit revival of Darna and Dyesebel, those heroines of less demanding times, and followed of less demanding times, and followed them with more Vilma Santos-Edgar Mortiz starrers...Whether the lure was really Borlaza and not Vilma (as Darna) or Alma (as Eva), one would still not find out in Makahiya at Talahib, the Goodwill production that Maning is directing as a filmfest bet. Vilma is starring, you see, opposit Rudy Fernandez who portrays the man on the run. Maning, however, has been quoted to have said that "My next 20 years are modestly provided for, I don't think I will live more than that. Henceforth, I will split my movie work to what I want to do and what the public likes. He wants, it seems, to recover his old self, the Borlaza who filmed Pyscho-Maniac, a suspense thriller which cast Divina Valencia, Dindo Fernando and Ray Marcos and won him the Academy's best screenplay award in '68, who packed so much good action in Mindanao, the movie that bagged four statuettes in the Manila Filmfest of the same year, and who directed Vilma Santos's way to the FAMAS best actress award for the performance in Dama de Noche. And yet, he is not that keen to do films that might suffer the fate of O'Hara's Mortal or Bernal's Nunal sa Tubig. "Their box-office results are not encouraging," says Maning. He admits he still goes a little commercial. That is why there is a love scene between Vilma and Rudy in Makahiya that Maning expects people might be talking about, more than the torrid shots of Rudy and Trixia Gomez. The 41-year old director also wrote the story and screenply of Makahiya...Nowadays, he even makes two pictures at a time. "I just finished Makahiya and Teatro Manila. It's cheaper that way. You don't waste any calendar day. No stars available for Makahiya, we would work on Teatro..." - Chelo R. Banal, Philippine Panorama Magazine, 26 December 1976 (READ MORE)