It’s good that the films Martyr or Murderer and Oras de Peligro are slated to be shown starting March 1 alongside each other. Yes, not against each other but side by side.
The two films have opposing political stances, even as MoM director Darryl Yap describes his film as “just a family drama” and not meant to be political.
MoM is unapologetically pro-Marcos family while ODP is against the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr. who ruled the country under Martial Law from 1972 to 1981 — though he retained many of his powers and continued to rule until he and his family were booted out in 1986 by the bloodless EDSA Revolution.
Many may not be aware that Marcos issued Proclamation No. 2045 on 17 January 1981 which formally lifted the proclamation of martial law. The lifting was timed to coincide with Pope John Paul II’s visit to the Philippines and with the inauguration of new US president and Marcos ally Ronald Reagan.
The two films’ simultaneous screenings nationwide demonstrate how alive film democracy is in this movie-loving country. Kudos to the spirit of democracy pervading in the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, which allowed last year the screening of Katips, a movie that remembered the tortures and deaths and mysterious disappearances of people during the Martial Law years.
JEROME Ponce and Isko Moreno in ‘Martyr or Murderer.’
Katips was shown alongside Yap’s Maid in Malacañang, which recalled the last four days of the Marcos family in Malacañang as narrated by their supposed housemaids.
Martyr or Murderer is produced by Viva Films, and Oras de Peligro by newcomer Bagong Siklab Productions.
We are assuming, of course, that ODP will be approved by the MTRCB. At the press conference for the film on 12 February, its producers (lawyer Howard Calleja and actor Alvi Siongco) and director (the profoundly politicized Joel Lamangan) did not air any possibility that their film could be disapproved or approved with cuts. Lamangan is the kind of filmmaker who doesn’t brook any tampering with his artistic output.
Personal taste
Oras de Peligro presents the struggles of a destitute family and other impoverished Filipinos during the Marcos regime. Its core screenplay was written by activist Bonifacio Ilagan, an award-winning multimedia writer in Filipino/Tagalog. Eric Ramos, a scriptwriter known for very sensible films with substantial social awareness, was commissioned by the producers to add scenes to Ilagan’s screenplay.
Martyr or Murderer is assumed to be referring to Ninoy Aquino who, upon his assassination on 21 August 1983 at the tarmac of what was then the Manila International Airport, began to be labelled as a “martyr.” Yap’s film has a Ninoy Aquino character portrayed by ex-Manila mayor Isko Moreno. It also has a Cory Aquino character played by Giselle Sanchez. The younger Ninoy and Cory are portrayed by Jerome Ponce and Sazchna Laparan who are sweethearts in real life.
Oras de Peligro is topbilled by Cherry Pie Picache and Allen Dizon. Ninoy and Cory Aquino and are in the film through footages from documentaries and news reports. The late President Marcos and his surviving wife Imelda Marcos must also be in the film by way of such footages.
We don’t think the two films are competing against each other for viewership and for number of theaters. People watch movies based mainly on their personal taste and personal ideology. They don’t watch a film based on what’s showing alongside that of their idols so they can ensure the box office triumph of their idols’ movie.
The pro-Marcos crowd will surely flock to MoM, while the anti-Marcos side will go for ODP.
DIRECTOR Joel Lamangan.
In terms of starry cast, Yap’s film may be seen as bigger than that of Lamangan’s, since MoM also includes Cesar Montano, Ruffa Gutierrez, Cristine Reyes, Elizabeth Oropesa, Beverly Salviejo, Kyle Belino, and the sexy Viva stars Franki Russell and Rose Van Ginkel.
Aside from Picache and Dizon, ODP’s cast includes Therese Malvar, Elora Espano, Gerald Santos, Nanding Josef, Mae Paner, Nor Domingo, Marcus Madrigal, Dave Bornea, Carlos Dala, Rico Barrera, Jim Pebanco, Apollo Abraham, the film’s producer Alvi Siongco, and Felixia Dizon (the real-life daughter of Allen Dizon).
Most members of the cast are stage actors and indie film stars whom the masa moviegoers are not familiar with, no matter how good these actors are.