Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang: the Movie Essay Example

style="text-align: justify">The father, Cesar Blanco (played by Eddie Garcia), is a politician who engages in multiple romantic relationships and is discovered to be Kuala's lover. His actions caused Kuala to become mentally unstable after he forced her to undergo an abortion. The procedure resulted in complications, causing Kuala to experience bleeding and ultimately lose her sanity. When Kuala is about to deliver her baby, memories of her previous childbirth resurface, reminding her of the pain of her past. She escapes Lola Jacoba's mansion and seeks refuge at Berto's house, where Berto quickly fetches a doctor upon witnessing her condition.

When the doctor refuses to accompany him, he threatens his life and forcefully takes him home. However, the doctor manages to escape before they reach Berto’s house. During the ensuing pursuit, Berto is shot by a police officer. Junior, alarmed by the commotion in their town, swiftly goes to Berto's house and finds him severely wounded. As Junior provides solace to his dying friend, they hear the cries of a newborn baby. For a brief moment, Kuala's mind clears and she recognizes Cesar among the people present. She informs him that their baby is alive. Nevertheless, the memory of her previous abortion comes rushing back and she loses consciousness.

Witnessed by the entire town, Junior emerges from Berto's shack holding the newborn baby and pauses briefly in front of his father, gazing intensely into his father's eyes. (end of the summary) Just like there are various ways to enjoy your ice cream and cookies, there are also multiple approaches to interpreting this film. As a social science and humanities teacher, I will now share

my personal analysis and interpretation of the movie. In this film, Brocka fictionalizes his hometown of San Jose in Nueva Ecija, his maternal province. With his sharp observation of life's absurdities, Brocka portrays the intricacies of small town life in the Philippines.

In this 130 minute movie, Brocka showcases the best and worst of Philippine rural life in the early seventies. The film features a variety of intriguing characters such as the village idiot, the mayor with his concubines, and a leprous man. Interestingly, Brocka himself spent two years in Moluccai, a leper’s colony in Hawaii working as a Mormon missionary. The movie also includes shameless prostitutes, gossipers, self-righteous individuals, and small town scandals.

Brocka's portrayal of the traditional politician who is also a womanizer parallels the life of our former President Joseph Estrada. In addition, the nagging wife figure remains a prominent theme in our local movies and teleseryes. Brocka offers insightful commentary on local culture, particularly our people's fascination with gossip or "chismis," which has now become a national pastime. It is perhaps this obsession with gossip that explains the popularity of entertainment magazines and tabloids nowadays.

The film also touches on religious hypocrisy bordering on fanaticism, exemplified through the obreras cristianas. Brocka skillfully juxtaposes religious images of the sacred heart with scenes depicting evil acts, mischief, or lamentable events to highlight this contrast.

In the first scene, Cesar assists the abortionist while standing opposite the wall where the Sacred Heart is framed, creating a juxtaposition. The movie explores how gender roles are portrayed in the fictional town of Brocka and discusses the concept of patriarchy, showcasing the dominant husband who proudly displays

his masculinity and engages in numerous sexual encounters to highlight the double standard morality prevalent in society.

The movie also showcases the male dominance mentality. However, Evangeline and Milagros defy the traditional feminine behavior expected of them in their culture and time. They assert their own sexuality, which goes against societal norms. Junior's sexual awakening is sparked by his frustrations with Evangeline, leading to his seduction by Milagros.

The protagonist in this movie has been influenced by his father and his interest in pornographic literature, leading to his sexual awakening. The movie also celebrates male bravado, depicting stories of sexual exploits and young men's curiosity with sex as objects of desire. For example, Junior and his friends attempt to enter Lovers’ Paradise for a sexual experience. However, the movie challenges gender stereotypes by effeminizing Berto due to the oppressive structures in his society. Despite being considered an outcast, Berto contrasts the male characters in the story and the town with his nurturing trait and selfless concern for Kuala. His physical sickness parallels the leper in Noli Me Tangere, who is shunned by the people. Throughout the movie, gender roles are socially constructed by society members, specifically dictated by the elders and the town's elect. Despite struggling with his own sexual passion, Junior spends his time befriending and serving people from marginalized communities.

Berto educated him about the significance of pure love, free from materialistic influences. Despite coming from a privileged background, this young man was introduced to the realities of the less fortunate, becoming an exception among his social class. Junior's social standing did not prevent him from forming connections with those

who lacked power in society. While his journey from youth to maturity was marred by immense sorrow due to Berto's untimely demise, he ultimately gained a clear understanding of what truly matters, metaphorically speaking.

The town's lack of concern for marginalized people leads to his revelation. Kuala and Berto serve as metaphors, comparing one thing to another with similar qualities. Brocka, being an artist, carefully chose images and symbols to convey his vision in his films. This vision is symbolically shown through Kuala's life, highlighting society's indifference and lack of empathy.

The text describes the character Kuala in the movie "Kuala" directed by Lino Brocka. Kuala represents the loss of innocence and corruption in man due to the materialistic nature of the neo-capitalist economy under Ferdinand Marcos' New Society. Kuala's disintegration is a result of mankind's disconnection from God and nature, which interferes with the procreative nature of sex and man's ability to perpetuate his own kind. The character Cesar Blanco embodies this greed and assertiveness. Berto's illness is a metaphor for society's selective awareness, as he is shunned for his leprosy and yearns for human care and affection. The loneliness experienced by Berto and other characters stems from their desire to fulfill their physical and psychological emptiness caused by illness and separation from their families.

He searched for Kuala as his desired object and eventually found true love with her. Berto lives on the outskirts of town near the cemetery to distance himself from people who judge others based on appearance. By living close to the dead, he believes that only they can truly understand his struggle without harsh human judgment. This location

also helps him limit his interactions with the living, who have taken away his dignity and honor.

In spite of the town's attempt to erase his identity, Berto takes comfort in his friendship with Junior, a teenager who is also trying to find himself in the midst of the confusion caused by the adults. Berto is made into the town's scapegoat, bearing the sins and punishments of his community. By refusing to acknowledge reality, the town becomes oblivious to its own weaknesses. Berto's death at the end of the story serves to expose the people's hypocrisy and pave the way for a new life to emerge. Though this new consciousness may be painful and long, it will finally become clear to the people.

Furthermore, the movie references a biblical text, specifically from the book of Daniel. In this text, King Belshazzar of Babylon hosts a grand feast for his nobles. While indulging in revelry with his nobles, wives, and concubines, a mysterious hand appears and writes on the wall. The words "mene, mene, tekel, parsin" leave the king and everyone in the palace terrified. Despite the efforts of the king's wise men, no one can decipher the writing. Eventually, the prophet Daniel is called upon to reveal the meaning of the words to the king.

The lines taken from the book of Daniel, "Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Parsin(or Peres): Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians," serve as a dire warning for all of us. They

remind us that God, in his omnipotence, cannot be deceived and that all evil actions will eventually be punished.

Although Cesar, a known womanizer, is not explicitly shown being punished for his sins in the movie, his son's redemptive act serves as a significant rebuke to Cesar's wrongful ways. This revelation occurs in the last scene of the film, causing the town to finally realize the truth about Cesar.

Kuala has publicized his diabolical act of aborting his own baby and his sexual perversion. The baby is seen as a symbol of hope for Junior's mangled world, unmasking the townspeople's hypocrisy. Junior's kind gesture of taking the baby as his own redeems the sins of his father. The movie does not provide a feel-good sentiment, but instead leaves us with many questions to answer. It is important to note that Brocka is not a moralist.

The story of Berto and Kuala is not just a pitiful tale for amusement during the Martial law era, but rather a means for Brocka to further his political commitment and demonstrate his conviction for societal change. Berto and Kuala's story continues to resonate with us today; we simply need to be aware. Therefore, I believe that art not only fulfills its Horatian function of entertaining and educating, but also serves as a conduit for moral and societal transformation. Brocka has accomplished this with his work, inspiring us to do the same.