2006 March - Babae Ka

Babae Ka! Ka! For its monthly film dialogue this Saturday, March 11, 2006, pelikula@titusbrandsma (24 Acacia St. Bgy. Mariana, New Manila, Quezon City) presents films featuring female protagonists, their men, and their world.

Onibaba / Devil Woman, The Demon, The Hole Kaneto Shindo, Japan, 1964. 103 minutes.

Deep within the wind-swept marshes of 16th-century Japan, two women -- a hardened mother and her nubile daughter-in-law -- have turned predator to survive the horrors of war. They murder lost samurai who wander into the sea of pampas grass surrounding their hut, sell the arms and armor for food, dump the corpses down a deep dark hole, and live off of their meager spoils. Lust, jealousy, and rage soon threaten to destroy their tenuous existence when a rakish neighbor enters the scene. But an ominous, ill-gotten demon Noh mask seals their horrifying and brilliantly absurd fate, and shows the true face of a very human evil. Brimming with ambient dread, primal emotions, dark sensuality, and nefarious schemes, this chilling folktale is considered a landmark in fantasy cinema. It masterfully evokes a world of grinding desperation, feral lust, and otherworldly menace. The soundtrack of pounding drums and howling flutes gives the film a queasy intensity, while the stark black-and-white images -- both lyrical and macabre -makes even the waving of the grass look ominous as it all but swallows everyone who enters.

Puwang

Anna Isabelle Matutina, Philippines, 2006. 26 minutes. After a mysterious falling out with his father, Angelo, the favorite son, has not shown his face to the family for five years now. Arlene, being the eldest and the least favorite, took upon herself the demanding task of taking care of their very sick father even while she tends to her own husband and children. Anne, the youngest, is single and pregnant with no one to turn to except her older sister. When the father is finally confined in the hospital for two weeks, his relentless requests to see his long lost son, Angelo’s stubbornness and supposed disregard for their father’s welfare, and Anne’s constant need for attention start to bear down on Arlene, leaving her weak, weary and very much alone.

Alice

Woody Allen, USA, 1990. 106 minutes. This character study takes the title character on a voyage through a Wonderland of her own making. Alice lives a perfectly maintained married life of a sheltered socialite in a perfectly maintained Manhattan apartment. But struck with some nagging backaches and pains, she visits a mysterious oriental herbalist who realizes that her problems are not related to her sacroiliac, but in her mind and heart. Dr. Yang's magical herbs give Alice wondrous powers, allowing her to free herself from her inhibitions and taking

her out of her well-established rut. Plunging into her new fantasy world, Alice fantasizes about a sax player who enflames her passions, triggers off her catholic guilt feelings, and has her frantically trying to find out the meaning of life. Ultimately, she must make a choice between her husband and her lover. Her decision is unexpected. Regarded as one of Woody Allen's more grounded whimsies, Alice is a modern day and more adult version of "Alice In Wonderland." The reality of this intellectual/philosophical, life-affirming comedy, which lies in the complicated adult affairs, including marital infidelity, and the urban scenes of New York City, are contrasted but mingled effectively with the "magic" that is dominant in the film. It features one of Mia Farrow's best performances and an exquisite ensemble cast of more big-name guest stars than usual. It is also noteworthy for its witty script and effective direction, crisp cinematography, odd use of color, and unerringly apt musical choices. And where else are you going to find invisibility in the same story as Mother Theresa?

Since Otar Left... / Depus qu'Otar est parti... Julie Bertucelli, France/Belgium, 2003. 102 minutes.

In Tbilisi, a Georgia city that has been devastated by war, political instability, and a ruined economy, three generations of women -- strong-willed elderly Eka, her longsuffering daughter Marina, and rebellious granddaughter Ada) live together in a tiny apartment, enduring the routine power and water outages plaguing the former Soviet republic. The one joy in their lives comes from the regular letters, money and phone calls from Eka's favored son, Otar, a physician-turned-undocumented-construction-worker in Paris. The complexities of these women's relationships are thrown into relief by the sudden death of Otar, as Marina tries to conceal the truth from her mother. Former assistant director to Tavernier and Kieslowski and with a background in documentaries, Bertucelli deftly spins the delicate threads of familial conflict and maternal love into a bewitching tangle of intergenerational duplicity. This acclaimed first feature is an intelligent and bittersweet tale of deception and affection, demonstrating a rare gift for visual storytelling and sharp writing that allows room for characters to surprise themselves and the audience. This is a powerful story and a moving film that knocks on the doors of hearts without the least hint of being saccharine. There's a dark, dry wit that permeates the movie, as each of the women faces her own struggle with their hard-bitten life, delivered in a detailed and believable performance by each of the three actresses.