Released: December 25, 2002
The Plot: - Amanda Bartolome is a mother of a middle-class family who has five young sons. Her eldest son, Jules, had a normal upbringing. Being the eldest in the family, he was already old enough during the declaration of martial law President Marcos. He became exposed to rebellious reading material, and inevitably molded his mind into that of guerilla. Jules grew up to become a member of the communist New People's Army. Amanda and her husband, Julian, had suspicions of their son's inclination to become an anti-Government winger but became convinced when they find copies of rebellious pamphlets lying around the house. They confronted their son about them, and he had to admit his decision. At first, conflict ensues in the family. Eventually, the parents learned to accept their son's decision, and eventually became proud of him. Since then, their home became a constant place of recreation for Jules who often brought a friend along with him. One of these friends of Jules is Domeng who stayed with the family for some time while recuperating from an injury. The family became close to the young man because, among other things, he reminded them of their son Jules. Unfortunately, it was already late when they realized that Domeng was an operative of the government all this time and that the friendship was all a front. Domeng exposed Jules participation and involvement in the NPA movement. And Jules was subsequently sent to prison.
Isagani, the second child, grew up to become a sailor, and became the family's cream of the crop. Gani, however, quickly became the goat of the family because he had made the simplest mistake of getting a girl, his girlfriend Evelyn, pregnant. Naturally, being a Catholic country, the parents insisted on marriage. Alas, their lives were nothing but hollow imitations of couples in love, without enough of the very essence that keeps two people together. Their separation was inevitable; Gani never lived the shame down. The third Bartolome offspring that provided himself with the most secure future. Emmanuel lived the same life as his elder brothers, but knew that the extreme left and the extreme right had no place in society. He called for peaceful evolution, change in the form of expression. He wanted to become a writer, a noble profession, one exceptionally crafted for someone of Emmanuel's ability. His problem was, his father violently objected to his son's decision, due to practical reasons. There is no good pay for a writer. Jason was Julian's favorite among his children. He was also the opposite of Emmanuel. While Emmanuel was studious and hardworking, Jason was a typical teenager. He joined rallies to make noise, not express a message. He was a constant failure in school, albeit his problems were self-inflicted. He stole from his parents. He lied to them. However, in the midst of the first three brothers' hardships, it was Jason's happy-go-lucky demeanor that provided Amanda and Julian with a well-needed dose of happiness. Unfortunately, in the end, it was Jason's felonious tendencies that caused hm his life; it wasn't his fault, but he was out with his usual round of pecadillos that the police accidentally killed Jason. Sometime before he was sent to prison, Jules himself met a girl he wanted to marry. And unlike Gani, he truly loved this woman, Marah, and also got her pregnant. While in prison, he married Marah, and so there was the first addition to their family. The youngest son was Benjamin. After all had come to pass, he was in the middle of his teens. - Star Cinema (READ MORE)
Dekada '70 (Dekada '70: Ang Orihinal at Kumpletong Edisyon), translated into Filipino as the '70s decade, is a Filipino novel written by Lualhati Bautista. Dekada '70 is the story of a family caught in the middle of the tumultuous decade of the 1970's. It details how a middle class family struggled with and faced the new changes that empowered Filipinos to rise against the Marcos government. These series of events all happened after the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus, the proclamation of Martial Law, the bombing of Plaza Miranda, the random arrests of political prisoners. The oppressiveness of the Marcos regime made people become more radical. This shaping of the decade are all witnessed by the female character, Amanda Bartolome, a mother of five boys. While Amanda's sons grow, form individual beliefs and lead different lives, Amanda awakens her identity to state her stand as a Filipino citizen, mother and woman. Dekada '70 introduces the new generations of Filipino readers to a story and a family of a particular time in Philippine history. Its appeal lies in the evolution of its characters that embody the new generation of Filipinos.It is the story about a mother and her family, and the society around them that affects them. It is a tale of how a mother becomes torn between the letter of the law and her responsibilities as a mother. A defining but not subversive Filipino novel, Dekada '70 was one of the two grand prize winners for the 1983 Palanca Awards for the novel. It was adapted into a film by Star Cinema in 2003, starring Christopher de Leon and Vilma Santos. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)
The Reviews: - In critical acclaim and commercial grade, Lualhati Bautista’s “Dekada ‘70” is the most significant Filipino novel in the 1980’s. That’s just about saying it is also the most difficult to adapt to other versions, notably film. Chito Rono and Star Cinema have taken on that challenge and the result is what to many estimates is the best movie of the 2002 Metro Manila Film festival, not withstanding the vastly different estimation of the jurors. “Dekada ‘70” is difficult to adapt partly because as a best-selling novel, it is like a film that has already been made in the minds of its many readers. But a bigger difficulty it poses to adapters is its social realism since it is basically a chronicle of the Marcos era. Its time-bound character makes it difficult to transcribe on screen in as much as a logistical gulf divides the original material from its realization in another medium.
But perhaps the biggest difficulty is generational. Despite the fact the Marcos dictatorship aand its overthrow were historic turning points, they seem to have receded from the collective memory, particularly the memory of the young, as a result of the nation’s failure to come to grips with them, so that up to now, the Marcoses have made inroads at political rehabilitation and young Filipinos know more about the crimes and misdemeanors of the American presidency and the glamour of Hollywood than the depredations of Marcos. The logistical gulf can be bridged by resources (and Star Cinema has plenty of them), but it requires a creative vision on the part of the filmmakers and creative faith on the part of the audience to make a socio-political novel spring to life. In coming up with the creative vision to complement a largely hypothetical creative faith on the part of Filipino moviegoers. Rono and his cast and production have achieved a rare feat. They have made a socio-political novel come alive with urgency and import.
The movie is largely successful because it is defined by an economy of focus (the Bartolome family), of vantage point (the developing sensibility of Amanda, the mother character), and of milieu and setting (the Philippines in the ‘70s under martial law). The novel was written from a woman’s point of view, and it is the particular strength of the film that it underscores the patriarchy of much of Philippine society in terms both macro (the military dictatorship) and micro (Bartolome’s excruciatingly macho husband Julian, played convincingly by Christopher de Leon, and her all-male brood).
Rono and Bautista, who writes her own adaptation, have obviously worked very closely in fleshing out the novel on screen. The result is an effective and even subtle tableau of scenes to present the Bartolome family’s struggles from the late ‘60s to ‘70s that not only set the domestic drama, but also prefigure the wider social and historical saga unfolding before the nation. No scene is wasted, no useless pandering to the viewer’s sense of spectacle or penchant for soap opera is even attempted. The competent production design, the agile editing, the stark photography (which impresses even the Paris-based Filipino-Spanish painter Sanso who calls it comparative to the best in Europe) ensures a panoply of images that is immediate, recognizable, and keen.
Like Regal Films, Star Cinema has been compelled to throw in its stable of stars so that the Bartolome siblings look distractingly too much like a boy band. But because they play well-thought-out characters, their damage is put to a minimum. In some cases, like Piolo Pascual as Jules, the young communist rebel, the effect is heart-wrenching. Pascual plays, along with Vilma Santos as Amanda, one of the centers of gravity of the movie; the other center consists of Santos and Christopher de Leon. As arguably the first unabashedly feminist Filipino novel, “Dekada” shows a woman’s awakening to her nature and gender through the men of her life-her husband and her first born. Their age, generation and preoccupation divide both men, and Amanda serves as their bridge and transition. In the process, Amanda herself is transformed. She becomes herself.
The most moving scenes of the movie are of Jules and Amanda meeting on the sly and forced to carry on mother-and-son endearments hurriedly because of the threat of arrest. But the most poignant scene is Julian and Amanda confronted with the terrible loneliness of their advanced years, left by their children, he turning away from her to hide his tears, and she asking him to face her and not to be ashamed. It helps that the scene is played by Santos and De Leon, truly one of Filipino cinema’s most effective screen couples. As Amanda, Vilma Santos shows again why Brocka, before he died, had likened her to water. “She can register anything,” he said. In “Dekada”, its the same Santos of vigor and transparency. The only difference is the depth, the resonance, and the greater confidence. Can she ever go wrong? - Lito B. Zulueta, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Dec 30 2002 (READ MORE)
“...Santos’ Amanda effortlessly and movingly chronicles the changed consciousness of the family and the country, with understatement her most reliable tool. Pic begins and ends with images of Santos at the forefront of a political demonstration, and nothing, from first image to last, for 128 minutes, is allowed to spontaneously or slyly deviate from the logic of her consciousness-raising.” - Ronnie Scheib, Variety Magazine (READ MORE)
“…about Vilma’s performance in “Dekada ‘70”: Some jurors, viewers and reviewers have expressed dissappointment over it because they regard it as too passive, low-key, unemotional, too much taken up with observation, and reflection instead of action. Thus, it doesn’t deserve the best actress award. We disagree. We think that, precisely because Vilma’s portrayal was so restrained for the most part, it was more difficult to achieve. It’s far easier to rant and rave, to “feel” bigtime, to run the gamut of emotions from A to Z- but, if Vilma did that, she would have gone against her character’s nature, as written...during the first half of the film, Vilma’s character occasionally felt unhappy, taken for granted or unappreciated as a person, but she held her emotions in check to keep the peace in the family. It was only later, when the national trauma of martial law rule affected her sons in various tragic ways, that she found the voice and rediscovered the heart to assert herself as a person and to give her emotions full play.
We submit that Vilma’s portrayal is excellent precisely because she vivified he character as the wife and mother was in the ‘70s. Her thematic and emotional high points towards the end of the film rivetting, but it was her quieter, more controlled moments that showcased Vilma’s true gift as an actress. During those moments, Vilma didn’t just observe what was going on, she was constantly conflicted only, she had been programmed not to speak out because it wasn’t her “place”. Thus, when she finally changes and expresses herself in the end, the contrast makes her transformation all the more stunning. In the movie’s first half, Vilma is such a good actress that, although she may not be the active element in her family (her husband is), she is quietly involved in each and every scene, and every new development is seen from her point of view. Even better, despite her relative lack of dialogue at this point, we can “read” her thoughts on her face as clearly as though she were speaking. And we see her slowly changing before our very eyes, gradually overcoming her reticence, discovering her true worth, and finally finding and expressing her true self. This is very difficult to do, as any true thespian will affirm. Which is why, unlike some people who dismiss Vilma’s portrayal as passive and weak, we think it ranks among her best, right up there with her performances in and fully deserving of the filmfest’s coveted best actress trophy.” - Nestor Torre, Philippine Daily Inquirer (READ MORE)
“…Last seen in ANAK (SFIAAFF ‘01), Vilma Santos delivers an understated, profoundly moving performance as the matriarch whose awakening redefines the traditional mother and wife role she donned for years. This is the story of an incredible character that survived an unforgettable decade.” - Michael Magnaye, San Francisco Premiere, 22nd San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (READ MORE)
“…The reason “Sister Stella L” will probably end up better appreciated is that the movie was shown during the martial law era. The movie was relevant to the times and Vilma was portraying an activist nun, a role not usually associated with the Star for all Seasons… As the mother, Vilma does justice to her character, holding back her strong emotions until the end, when she finally confronts Christopher de Leon and wants to break up with him. Despite the many tragic events that befall her character, Vilma chooses to underplay her role except at key points towards the end of the movie. Boyet is his usual competent self as the chauvinistic husband of Vilma who is forced to change when his wife breaks out of her shell. Piolo Pascual also deserves mention for his realistic portrayal of the activist turned NPA rebel…” - Edmund L. Sicam, Philippine Daily Inquirer (READ MORE)
“…Unlike Vilma Santos’ Sister Stella L. character, who becomes politicized practically overnight, her Amanda role in “Dekada ‘70” takes longer to mature politically (almost the whole decade). And she goes through a very painful process because she experiences the abuses of the marcos regime by seeing her own children suffer. With Vilma hurting inside and suffering almost in silence, we have here in “Dekada ‘70” some very moving dramatic scenes that are mostly devoid of hysterics but are still very effective nonetheless. Actually, we see yet another facet of Vilma Santos’ acting talent in this film. In the story, she goes through guilt (with the fate of one of her sons), pain, anguish and anxiety (particularly with the eldest, Piolo)-plus discontent as a plain housewife who wants to do something more with her life other than to keep house for her husband and kids. The great actress that she is, Vilma is able to manifest clearly the different layers of her character in a very quiet manner, which-you have to admit-is quite difficult to achieve. But Vilma-after all these decades -can do no wrong anymore in the field of acting. Although it’s not the greatest performance of her career (it’s still Sister Stella L), her portrayal of Amanda in “Dekada ‘70” is no doubt one of her finest. More importantly, her role (and her approach to it) is different from the hundreds of other roles she has done in the past…” - Butch Francisco, The Philippine Star (READ MORE)
“…The acting is generally impressive, most especially that of lead actress Santos, who gives a luminous, sensitive performance. Santos essays the transformation of Amanda so effectively that we do see clearly at the end of the film that there has been a fundamental change in her character…” - Antonio D. Sison, Katholieke Universiteit Nijimegen, Journal of Religion & Film, University of Nebraska (READ MORE)
In the 70's, the Republic of the Philippines was suffering under the midst of then- President Ferdinand Marcos' reign as ruler. It was in September 21st, 1972, that he chained close whatever inkling of democracy the Filipinos had by declaring Martial Law. Unfortunately, it was a rule of a a twisted sort: the nation would be under the rule of the Armed Forces, but contrary to its definition, Marcos' Martial Law kept himself in power. Dekada '70 (Translated into English, the 70's decade) is a bittersweet tale of love in the face of hate, hope in the face oppression, and new life in the midst of death. It is a novel of a mother, her examination of her oft-unappreciated role in modern society, and how she struggles to find for herself a sense of purpose and identity while suffering through the very pit of the nation's disintegration. It is a novel of a mother and her family, how society around her affects her family. It is a tale of she becomes torn between the letter of the law or her responsibility as a mother. Dekada '70 tells of how under hate, greed and corruption, one normal person transcends beyond right and wrong: instead learns that it is freedom that entails survival. Set in the 70's, urban Metro Manila, Amanda Bartolome is a middle-class mother of five young men. Amanda acts as a supposed symbolism of detachment. First of all, she was a mother, a housewife; such were not considered integral parts of society during those times. She was not the breadwinner; she did not experience the foremost effects of the decline of the Philippines economy back then. She was a member of the middle class; her family did not take money, like the rich, nor did her family suffer the worst of the financial crises, like the poor.
The lives of Amanda's children each went in different directions in the story, and each varied. Her eldest son was Jules. Jules grew up normally, similar to every other ideal family. His upbringing was that of what ideally conformed to normal standards and circumstances. Being the eldest, however, Jules lived, and more importantly, matured through the shock caused by the declaration of President Marcos' martial law. Thus, Jules lived his adolescence exposed to rebellious reading material, and inevitably molded his mind into that of guerilla. Jules grew up to become a member of the communist New People's Army, and his evolution came full circle. Amanda and the father, Julian, had suspicions of their son's inclination to become an anti-Government winger when they found copies of rebellious pamphlets lying around the house. It was when they confronted their son with it that he told them of his decision. At first, the conflict that had arisen was unbearable. But eventually, as parents, they grew to accept their son, and became proud of him. In fact, heir home became a constant place of recreation for Jules, and more often than not he would come by with a friend. The friend of Jules whom Amanda had become the fondest of was Doming. Doming stayed with their family for quite a while, because he was recuperating from an injury. The family became close to the young man because, among other things, he reminded them of their son Jules. But, it was all too late when they realized that Doming was an operative of the government all this time. He exposed Jules. His friendship was all a front. Jules was subsequently sent to prison. Possibly the most successful of the children was Isagani, their second child. With Jules becoming a rebel, they became more careful with how they handled Isagani, or Gani, as they fondly called him. Gani then grew up to become a sailor, and became the family's cream of the crop.Gani, however, quickly became the goat of the family because he had made the simplest mistake of getting a girl, his girlfriend Evelyn, pregnant. Naturally, being a Catholic country, the parents insisted on marriage. Alas, their lives were nothing but hollow imitations of couples in love, without enough of the very essence that keeps two people together. Their separation was inevitable; Gani never lived the shame down.
Ironically, it was the third Bartolome offspring that provided himself with the most secure future. Emmanuel lived the same life as his elder brothers, but knew that the extreme left and the extreme right had no place in society. He called for peaceful evolution, change in the form of expression. He wanted to become a writer, a noble profession, one exceptionally crafted for someone of Emmanuel's ability. His problem was, his father violently objected to his son's decision, due to practical reasons. There is no good pay for a writer. Jason was Julian's favorite among his children. He was also the opposite of Emmanuel. While Emmanuel was studious and hardworking, Jason was a typical teenager. He joined rallies to make noise, not express a message. He was a constant failure in school, albeit his problems were self-inflicted. He stole from his parents. He lied to them. However, in the midst of the first three brothers' hardships, it was Jason's happy-go-lucky demeanor that provided Amanda and Julian with a well-needed dose of happiness. Unfortunately, in the end, it was Jason's felonious tendencies that caused hm his life; it wasn't his fault, but he was out with his usual round of pecadillos that the police accidentally killed Jason. Sometime before he was sent to prison, Jules himself met a girl he wanted to marry. And unlike Gani, he truly loved this woman, Marah, and also got her pregnant. While in prison, he married Marah, and so there was the first addition to their family. The youngest son was Benjamin. After all had come to pass, he was in the middle of his teens. - Think Quest (READ MORE)
True Gift - "...For these reasons, we believe that Vilma's character in "Dekada '70" is the female lead, while Ara's role in "Mano Po" is a supporting player. This is because "Mano Po" is an "ensemble" film, with not just one of two but many members of the central family involved in various ways in slowly and painfully reorienting the Chinese family's attitudes and actions in relations to Filipinos and to the Philippines, where the family lives, works, and has held her emotions in check to keep the peace in the family. It was only later, when the national trauma of martial law rule affected her sons in vaious tragic ways, that she found the voice and rediscovered the heart to assert herself as a person and to give her emotions full play. We submit that Vilma's portrayal is excellent precisely because she vivified her character as the wife and mother was in the '70s. Her thematic and emotional hight points towards the end of the film rivetting, but it was her quieter, more controleed moments that showcased Vilma's true gift as an actress. During those moments, Vilma didn't just observe what was going on, she was constantly conflicted only, she had been programmed not to speak out because it wasn't her "place." Thus, when she finally changes and expresses herself in the end, the contrast makes her transformation all the more stunning..." - Nestor U. Torre, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan 14, 2003 (READ MORE)
Speak-up - "...We really wish that viewers take a more personal interest in this controversy, make up their own minds, and verbalize their opinions. You see, if films people complain, they can always be accused of being sore losers. If reviewers take a stand, they can be suspected of subjectively favoring either one of the top contenders. But if viewers speak up, they can't be accused of having a hidden agenda. And if a clear majority of them favors one film, that can be taken as the collective voice of the movie audience, for whose benefit all of these "quality" films are supposed to ahve been made, in the first place. A final word, this time on the Vilma Santos-Ara Mina competition in the filmfest best actress category. When Ara was adjudged winner, we thought she should more properly have won in the best supporting actress category. And when we saw "Dekada '70," we knew that Vilma fully deserved to win as best actress. Ara's performance was outstanding, but Vilma's was in a league all its own, the sterling product not only of her talent, but also of her long experience as an actress. With her new maturity, she's even better than she was in most of her award-winning starrers, and all that Ara Mina needs to do is to watch Vilma in "Dekada '70" to concede that, although she did well in "Mano Po," Vilma has clearly outdistanced her in Chito Rono's film..." - Nestor U. Torre, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan 05, 2003 (READ MORE)
Humanity's Liberation - How does one outlive the monstrosity of the Martial Law years and how do we pose the relevance of such question now when we tend to be indifferent and apathetic to events going on, both here and around the globe? The film "Dekada '70" raises such issue and concers. Like the monster it tries to exorcise, the film spawns more question for anyone who continues oneself in relation to others and to a contemporary reality. Upon watching "Dekada '70," one gets the impressive things haven't changed that much since then and that we are still suffering post-traumatic syndrome of the seventies malaise. We wonder then, what went wrong after two EDSA revolutions? There's no effective way of depicting such reckoning than by way of story and thus, the master storyteller herself, Lualhati Bautista, frames "Dekada '70" conveniently from mother's point of view, Amanda Bartolome's, whose coming, into terms with the problems of child rearing, domesticity and sexual relations become the very venues for articulating change and advocacy in our political and collective life. Amanda herself becomes the point of departure for our reading. Her questions and doubts about her femininity specifically her role as a mother to Jules, Gani, Em, Jason and Bingo, and as wife to Julian, are subsumed in thelarger context of our socio-political discourse today. We are not just simply sympathizing with her, but instead we see her struggles as constitutive of whatever far future history has in store for all of us - men, women, gays or lesbians. In other words, Amanda's liberation is the humanity's liberation and no genuine emancipation can be realized nor revolutions are complete if a person like her still remains in thedark. Her nurturing hands shall also be the symbolic raised fists against any imminent danger. Where do we trace Amanda's oppression and concomitant silencing? First, she cannot relate to her husband's circle of friends. In one scene, she attempts to join a discussion about poetry but only to be repudiated in return.
Khalil Gibran - Second, she notices how her relationship to Julian is quite uneven. One time, Julian asks her to reprimand their kid's lewd singing. She hesitates and tells him there's nothing wrong with the song. However, when she has heard her husband humming the same song to her, she feels wronged and insulted. This is one of those incidents when one sees Amanda's relationship with Julian seems disproportionate with regard to what one says to one another for instance and in such situations, Amanda has no choice but to remain silent and kepp her feelings for herself. She will have to adjust to Julian. Thus, Amanda learns to shut up even during dinnertime when her husband talks. In one scene, Julian talks about how they were seduced by the girls and Amanda's face bears all the marks of insult and humiliation. Amanda's alienation further manifests in her relationship with Jules, her eldest son who become an NPA agent. The fact that Jules becomes an NPA is already difficult for her to hear. She cannot understand why Jules will have to go away from her. One time, Jules wrote his brother Gani a letter in which he quotes a poem from Khalil Gibran, saying the sons of light do not belong to their mothers. Amanda, upon hearing what Jules wrote, gets hurt. She tries to communicate her feelings to no avail. Her family fails to answer her adequately. Her yearning will only be accomodated at the turn of the events in the country when her son Jules will be one of those political prisoners who will be tortured and Jason will be brutally murdered for no apparent reason by unknown assailants. Amanda cries for justice and when she confronts her husband that they should do something, she learns from him that they are helpless against a fascist oppressive state. Summary executions have been rampant in the country at that time and this only confirms Amanda's worst nightmares. We learn Amanda's silence is indeed a symptom of the state's machinery control and the Bartolome family function as an ideological apparatus in which other institutions like the Church and the school remain subservient to the state in order to perpetuate fascists' interests and agenda.
Self-worth - For Amanda, her oppression take the form of the myth of motherhood and limited domestic functions, and thus, she cannot get an answer why she has to go to bed with her husband, in the same way that she cannot go to courts to demand justice for her sons. How does Amanda outlive the monstrosity of that decade? We see in the film how the Bartolome family is not only the stake but also the site of struggle and often of bitter forms of Amanda's struggle. She finds means and occasions of expressing dissatisfaction within the family and outside as she allies with the rest of the exploited. In one poignant scene, she consoles her husband that they should cry together out of desperatin. She believes there is strength in togetherness. Their vulnerability is the source of Amanda's power. Utilizing such contradiction, Amanda learns the painful way of discovering her agency, potential and power to direct the family's state of affairs and contribute to the political stabilization of the country. When her youngest son, Bingo, asks her if ever the pigeons will come back to them, Amanda says they will. She knows both the pigeons and her sons will come back home to her. Her struggles are not yet over and thus the film ends with a beginning, her longing for home. By the same token, we, like Amanda, are also called to respond to the challenge of our contemporary reality. We must seek out also our potential and use the very instrument of oppression against our oppressors to articulate dissent and resistance. We shall not cease from taking active participation in politics because our conditin must be one of continued striving and restless dissatisfaction; a condition more of discenment than complacency to possess the only kind of self-worth of which we can best be at home ultimately. - Gary C. Devilles, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan 08, 2003 (READ MORE)
Restraints - So shoot me. Chito Rono's "Dekada '70,." this year's Metro Manila Film Festival's second best picture, is tops for me. Not because I like thedecade and danced to it's music and gave my mother the same Kahlil Gibran poem about your children not being your children but the sons and daughters of the universe - something like that - which figured in the movie, and fleshed out the pain in Vilma Santos' mother role. It was one of the most powerful moment in the film, full of undertones and unabashed celebrations fro surviving the most tumultuous decade of the last centure. In that scene, a stoic Amanda Bartolome (Vilma), mother of five boys (Piolo Pascual, Carlos Agassi, Marvin Agustin, Danilo Barrios, John Wayne Sace) and wife of a chauvinist (Christopher de Leon) was cleaning the room of her eldest son Jules (Pascual), who had gone underground, so that her other son Jason (Barrios) could move into it. Jules had sent her mother the Kahlil Gibran poem. With Jason rejoicing in the background, Amanda mubles, "Hindi ko naman daw anak, nagdaan lang naman sa akin, (He is not my son, he just passed through me)." This was the moment of Amanda's acceptance of Jules convictins, even if she still could not reconcile her role in the changing landscape of her universe. Despite its title, "Dekada '70" is not all about political activism. It's about a woman's struggle to become more than a wife and a mother. It's wife and a mother. It's about finding a career and about being proud of herself. It's about Vilma Santos playing her age in a movie, and defying the harsh lights and theunforgiving close-ups. With the events of the '70s intruding into her family's life, Amanda comes to terms with herself and her losses. As usual, Rono has brought out the best his performaers. Restraint was all over the movie: From Christopher, who could not cry despite the death of a son, to Vilma, who kept her discontent in her heart, to the actors who played their sons and in whom you would see a brother, a boyfriend, a husband, a professor, a managing editor.
Martial Law - The Bottomline is that they are husband and wife, and why shouldn't they laugh and cry together in the end. Lualhati Bautista, who wrote the novel in which the movie was based, had drawn from characters whom she had known in the '70s, like the salvage victim whose body was found at the back of the Ramada Hotel in Ermita, the disappeared professor-activist Charlie Del Rosario, according to Rono. The torture scenes of Jules when he was caught by the military were based on an actual documented case, he said. "I interviewed people who lived through the torture, like the mother whose son was shot in the stomach and was tortured by soldiers by poking the barrel of a long gun into the wound and stirring his intestines with it," he said. "That was how the mother described it to me and it was in Hati's dialogue." Rono, too, is faily acquainted with the decade and with the generals who were in power. His father, the late Jose S. Rono, was Ferdinand Marcos' deputy prime minister. "I was in high school when Martial law was proclaimed," he recalled. "At that time, we were in Samar and my father was governor. I remember that while we were watching Marcos on TV, I asked my father what Martial Law meant. "My father, even if he was a lawyer, did not know much what it meant. The first thing he did was meet with the mayors and they talked among themselves." The next day, soldiers arrived in their house to pick up his father. "I was scared. He was carrying his leather bag where you could fit in two pairs of pants. He waived at me so I thought it was fine." His mother Carol explained to him that Marcos had called, asking for his father's service in the new society the strongman would create. "Dekada '70" might not be the ultimate film about the '70s, but it is Rono's vision of a world that was flawed, awesome, even frightening but never to be forgotten. "It was my time," he said. And mine. - Nini Valera, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan 02, 2003 (READ MORE)
Dilemma - Actress and Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos is torn between showbiz and politics. The taping of her 40th anniversary special last Wednesday had to be postponed, following her dilemma about Republic Act 7160, which prohibits public officials from appearing on TV and doing movies. "I was told the law has been existing for a long time now, but I only found out about it after the Manila Film Festival," discloses Vilma, who starred in Chito Rono's period drama, "Dekas '70," one of the official filmfest entries. "I am not familiar about the law, so I want to know its exact definition and clarify it first before I start working again. That's my dilemma now." Vilma's TV special was schedulred to be aired on ABS-CBN this Sunday, but the telecast has been postponed indefinitely until Vilma can get the green light to work. "I don't want to start anything only to be prohibited in the middle of my work," Vilma says. "Of worse, they might even file a case against me." Vilma has a dialouge with the ABS-CBN executives, who signed her up for the TV spcial. "I had to request them to postpone the airing until I can get a clear interpretation of that law," Vilma says. "Even if I make a movie, I want to be sure if it's possible and I will be allowed. "But according to the Local Governament code, a public official can take a leave of absence for three months, like what (Caloocan City Mayor) Rey Malonzo did, so he could do a movie, Kung talagang hindi puede, I have no choice but to follow the law. Integrity is very important to me." Vilma insists she doesn't agree with RA 7160, prohibiting showbiz stars-turned-politicians from doing TV or movie work. "For me, there's no conflict of interest there," Vilma explains. "We can work on weekends or after our daily jobs in our public offices." She is bent, however, on finishing her second term as Lipa City Mayor. "Then maybe after that, I can just make a choice if it's really show biz or politics." - Leah Salterio, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Feb 14, 2003 (READ MORE)
that's good enough" - "...So let's talk about acting. I've attended many acting workshops in my younger days, and have also been privileged enough to study film making. Some of my good friends are film school graduates, and others are professional working actors in New York City and Los Angeles . So what's the first thing they teach you in acting class? What's that most important thing you have to remember as an actor? It's really quite simple... You have to make the audience believe! Ask any seasoned actor. Whether it be Nora Aunor or Meryl Streep; they will tell you that your goal as an actor, is to make your audience believe in your performance. You have to make them forget that you are an actor playing a role. They have to see that you are someone who has transformed, to the point that you are somewhat unrecognizable from your autograph-signing public persona. That for the duration of your performance, you become the character. You are the character! There is a book by Eric Morris (a veteran acting teacher) that is entitled "No Acting Please." The book contains exercises which instruct the actor to systematically eliminate his or her instrumental obstacles: tensions, fears, inhibitions, and explore the "being" state, so that the actor does no more and no less than what he or she feels. The actor simply does "no more" than what is necessary.
The young actors that were cast in Dekada '70 were all guilty of doing too much "acting". I don't think actors should be acting-out, or (in this case) over-acting, unless they were filming a farce, or a comedic parody. Inexcusable mediocre performances plagued every scene. Instead of ensuring the characters were having a real conversation (real interaction), it seemed as though they were merely spitting out lines which they had memorized word-for-word, the delivery, inflections, and pauses unnatural. People don't talk to each other like this in real life now, do they? Of course not. It is sometimes possible for a younger actor to deliver a satisfactory performance though the guiding hand of an experienced veteran. This of course is quite rare, as it calls for a unique, uncalculated, natural chemistry that can never be faked. Award winning greats like Vilma Santos and Christopher De Leon should never be subjected to work with a group of inexperienced pretty faces who are incapable of displaying a sense of depth and sophistication. Proof that casting makes for a vital element that determines the success of a film...
Many us would agree, that it is often this "pwede na yan" ("that's good enough") attitude, that is responsible for the downfall of the present world of Filipino entertainment. I make sure to incldue the word "present", as I do acknowledge the genious of Filipino director legends such as Lino Brocka, and Ishmael Bernal. People today often boast of having access to the latest technology, but what good is this new technology when you don't pay attention to the details? "Pwede na yan!" No one will notice if we did some bad hair and makeup work on the actors. No one will notice the cameraman's refection on Christopher De Leon's eyeglass lenses, the boom mic's silhouette traced. No one will notice bad filming. No one will notice bad editing. There is no excuse for all those embarrassing blunders. There is also that poor excuse that blames film quality to the limitations of what ignorant people call a third world budget. Please! I've seen independent shorts that were produced with less than a third of this film's budget, and those films won awards at Sundance, and honors at various International Film Festivals...It's time we raise our standards not only as film makers, or actors, but to raise our standards in being Filipino. It is only after we eliminate this "pwede na yan" attitude that we will be on our way to capture the full attention of the rest of the world that we so much deserve..." - Edwin Manalo (READ MORE)
Anti-Marcos Perspectives - "...Dekada ’70, released in Philippine theaters in 2002, tells the story of a family not only living during the time of martial law in the Philippines during the 70's, but also finding itself entangled in it. Christopher de Leon, Vilma Santos, Piolo Pascual among others help paint a diverse set of perspectives with their characters. And under the direction of Chito S. Roño, who also directed another movie that I enjoyed, the Filipino musical “Emir“, Dekada ’70 to me has become an illustrative introduction to this seemingly elusive yet highly-relevant decade of martial law in the Philippines. Paano mo palalakihin nag iyong mga anak sa pantheon ng walling katiyakan? Translation: How do you raise your children during a time of uncertainty? On Sept. 21, 1972, 39 years ago this week, then President Ferdinand Marcos appeared on television screens all across the Philippines, informing the Filipino people that he had “signed proclamation number 1081 placing the entire Philippines under martial law.” Martial Law is “the imposition of military rule” removing power from all other branches in government (wiki). Martial law in the Philippines lasted from September 22, 1972 to January 17, 1981 but Marcos remained in power up until February 25, 1986 (wiki).
Many different sources can tell us the story of this decade in the 70's in the form of facts, figures, opinionated articles, dates, and timelines. However under the direction of director Chito S. Roño, the family we follow in this movie would be themselves our sources to martial law. With a talented cast of convincing actors and actresses, their home would become to the viewer a microcosm of the country as a whole. In fact it is in the home of the Bartolome family where most of the movie actually takes place. And it is in this home viewers are taken for a brief ride through this tumultuous time in Philippine history. The characters of brothers Jules (Piolo Pascual) and Eman (Marvin Augustin) share similar anti-Marcos perspectives in the movie. A movie that attempts to add a more familiar and human touch to a real event isn’t without its melodrama. The overt use of music to drive emotion home and unnecessarily lengthy shots distract a bit from what otherwise could have been short and sweet takes of awesome performances. The pace of the film seems to slow down mid-way through the film. Yet these faults are minute enough that they probably didn’t even deserve a mention. This movie makes for a satisfying introduction to this decade in Philippine history. I shouldn’t forget to mention how faithful the movie remains to the styles of dress, the models of cars, and the music of the time to strongly present the age and era the movie takes place. Most importantly Dekada ’70 presents to us the emotional aspect, an aspect you cannot obtain through school textbooks, snapshots, and soundbites of Martial Law under Marcos. This is communicated successfully through its collection of talents seen through the eye of a veteran director. - Pinoy Move Reviews (READ MORE)
Philippine's Entry to the Oscar - "...Santos’ performance is so vivid and insightful that we can see her changing in front of our very eyes...We were enthralled...we were moved. And we valued the film’s important contribution to the very urgent task of reminding everyone of the trauma in our collective lives that was the martial law period of the '70s,” noted Nestor Torre of Inquirer News Service. Chito Rono’s Dekada ‘70 made its world premier at the Asian American International Film Festival in June of 2003. The film has also won numerous domestic awards...Judging by the number of awards, one could easily classify Dekada ‘70 a success, but unfortunately box office figures are considered classified in the Philippines so it impossible to tell exactly how well the movie did domestically. However, Nonoy Lauzon of the University of Philippines Film Institute and president of the Young Critics Circle, which named Dekada ‘70 Best Film of the Year (2002), stated “Sources who request anonymity place the domestic take of Dekada ‘70 at P53, 962,413 (in Philippine peso) or roughly 1.079 million in US dollars. For a Filipino film to be counted as a blockbuster, it must break the P100M mark.” So obviously, this was by no means a mega-hit, yet it was selected to represent the Philippines as the film submitted to the 2004 Oscars for possible nomination. A film is selected to be submitted for an Academy Award nomination by The Film Academy of the Philippines, which creates a committee for this purpose. “The committee reviews and picks the best film from among those shown within the period stipulated by AMPAS rules. A film sent to the Oscars has finished its commercial run in the country such that the distinction could not at all be said to make an impact on the film's profitability,” according to Lauzon. While being submitted for possible nomination is surely gratifying to the makers of the film, only when it is actually nominated will Filipino films and their makers gain more credibility in the U.S. and in their own country, where Hollywood imports drown out the domestic films..." - Sara Stokoe, Additional research by Shirley Hsu, Asia Media UCLA (READ MORE)
Educational Value - "...As expected, the beginning has a brief prologue with the country’s political climate before jetting off to deal with the Seventies in a year-by-year basis, mostly revolving around a rotation of drama between a married couple’s five growing boys, and their growing involvement in the country’s politics. (Down with imperialism, down with feudalism, up with communism, etc.) The momentum moves along smoothly from 1970 ‘til 1975, with the title-marked year at each transition helping to feel a sense of accomplishment in Cliffs Notes-ian breakdown. But, as much of the familial drama heats up (this son joins a militant group, that son writes communist propaganda, another son gets a girl pregnant, et al), circa ‘76-‘79, the pacing is botched and things are slowed down a great deal without a separation of time. During that period, though not to much surprise, the perspective is tendentious to the repressed mother, whom all of her children find to be the voice of reason and understanding, as much as their father tries to play it cool. It remains soap-operatic without any stretch of the imagination (well into the epilogue in 1983), though despite many of its faults, there is a certain educational value consistent throughout and applied systematically via the various functions each of the children entail. Lualhati Bautista adapts her own best-selling novel, and feminist agenda aside, the story and the movie would crack without the mother character, and the solidifying presence of Vilma Santos, whose only unfortunate requirement is to give voice to all of the repressed Filipinas at once. Directed by Chito S. Roño; with Christopher De Leon, Piolo Pascual, Marvin Agustin, Carlos Agassi, Danilo Barrios, and John Wayne Sace..." - Greg Muskewitz, efilmcritic (READ MORE)
Brutal Effects - "...The mother in Dekada '70 is played by the attractive Vilma Santos (Amanda). She ably portrays the loving mother and the trials and tribulations of a woman. Her husband, played by Christopher De Leon, is a very truthful rendition of a middle-class man from an Asian country in the 70s. The sons, two out of five are played by Piolo Pascual and Marvin Agustin, heed different callings. One becomes a radical leftist. Another one joins the U.S. Navy. Yet another becomes a writer. Everything is represented. Obviously the choices are going to lead to conflict and strife. It is how Amanda navigates the life she has chosen and how she deals with the men in her life that gives us a compelling story. There were times when the script didn't feel entirely "tight," but perfection is not what this film is aiming for--it is the message...This was a dark time for the Philippines. The film lets us feel that reality...Dekada '70 was a contribution from the Philippines which realistically portrayed the Marcos dictatorship. What might have been perceived as a "benevolent" authoritarian government by some, was a nightmare to many of its people. Because of the fact that they followed the American line, I think we were led to believe that things were not so bad. In fact, the brutal effects of a government that turned to martial law are clearly shown in this movie--as it affects a family. A family of boys, one would assume that the audience would get a male-dominated version of reality. But, the story really revolves around the mother..." - Mukul Khurana, San Diego Asian Filmfestival.blogspot.ca, September 30, 2005 (READ MORE)
Relevant Films for Millenials - "...For the millennial generation who want to learn more about the relevant films during the martial law period, I would highly recommend the book Re-viewing Filipino Cinema by Bienvenido Lumbera, National Artist for Literature. I have not seen all the films during and about martial law. But, I remember those that I would highly recommend...Dekada 70 was produced in 2002 but is about the story of a Filipino family during martial law. The essential story is about Amanda (Vilma Santos) and Julian (Christopher de Leon) who are raising their five sons during the repressive dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. The parents are apolitical but their sons turn to various forms of activism as a result of life under martial law. Eventually, the family becomes the victim of extremist violence and Amanda soon becomes a dissident. The film director was Chito S. Rono...There is no question that in today’s digital world, people – students, laborers, rich, poor – prefer film to reading books. Film has become the most powerful means of recreation; but, they can also be a means for education. Film may be the best medium to teach millennials and future generations about the true and unrevised version of Philippine history..." - Elfren S. Cruz, The Philippine Star, 24 September 2017 (READ MORE)
