Cam Jimenez

132076
Review of Related Literature
In the work Ishmael Bernal and Ricardo Lees Himala as a Postmodern Text written by
Marita Concepcion Castro Guevarra, the author explored the postmodern themes and strategies
embedded in the film Himala. She begins with identifying four main concepts and themes of
postmodernism according to Steven Best and Douglas Kellner, and then uses a definition of
postmodernism given by Norman Denzin as what she considers most applicable to the film. The
author then gives a short summary of the film, and segues into three postmodern themes and strategies
in Himala that she has noted.
First, she talks about the rejection of the grand narratives of scientific progress and religion.
Guevarra noticed the anti-modernist tone of the film, how the media as an aspect of progress and
modernization is cast in a bad light, and the use of religion to have a stultifying influence as
indicators of rejection of the grand narratives of scientific progress and religion. According to the
author, as a postmodern text, Himala does not offer any grand narrative of its own, not even a local
or small one. Instead, it presents a discourse of conflict, crises, and decay.
Second, the renunciation of closed structures and fixed meaning is indicated by the
deliberated ambiguity of the film and the fact that Himala only raises questions, but offers no
answers.
Third, the author presents the binary contrasts of sacred/profane, religious/secular dissolve as
images with contarty meanings are juxtaposed against each other, the scene where Nimia makes fun
of the concept of the Blessed Virgin, and the name (Heaven) of the cabaret as indicators of the use
of juxtapositions as a filmic technique.
In the work Rumor, Craze, Panic, Mob Attack and Messianism: A Sociological Analysis of
Collective Behavior in Himala written by Marita Castro-Guevarra, the author uses sociological
theories and concepts to interpret this film. Specifically, she uses Smelsers value-added theory of
collective behavior as a framework to analyze the collective behavior in Bario Cupang. To begin, the
author defines sociology as the scientific study of society and social relations, then indicates the
areas of sociological concern, names the methods of inquiry, and describes the major theoretical
perspectives. She then continues to explain Smelsers Value-added Theory of Collective behavior that
rests heavily on structural-functionalism and symbolic-interactionism. Further on, Guevarra expounds
that this theory is the most comprehensive theory of collective behavior existing today, and explains
six stages in the theory, including; structural conduciveness, structural strain. The growth and spread
of a generalized belief, precipitation factors, mobilization of participants for action, and the operation
of social control. The author states that, in summary, collective behavior is basically an attempt of
people to deal with a situational strain. She also gives a brief definition of collective behavior and
names different kinds of collective behavior and various examples. Finally, Guevarra applies
Smelsers Value-added theory to understand collective behavior in Himala.
To conclude, the author states that she believes that there is enough basis to say that the
movement will continue because the structural conditions in Bario Cupang are still as difficult as
ever, and there is even more reason for the people to believe and hope for the advent of a messiah a
messiah who could be the Blessed Virgin Mary herself in disguise, or an intermediary between the
Virgin Mary and the community like Elsa who can give their lives more hope with her miracles and
divine messages.
In the work Cult Fiction: Himala and Bakya Temporality written by Bliss Cua Lim, the
author uses cult as a framework to analyze the film Himala. She defines cult as the critical hinge in
the dovetailing of diegetic divinity and extra-diegic fandom in Himala. The author states that there
are three cults in the film, including; the cult of Mary, the cult of Elsa, and the cult fandom of Nora
Aunor. According to Lim, on each of these collocated levels, the cult functions as a fascinating,
disparate, yet discernable through-line. This also raises questions of cultural hierarchy and
temporality in trashy popular taste what has been dubbed the bakya sensibility in Filipino popular

culture. The author states that the movie could be an expose of forged miracles, and then continues
to talk about how the film does not answer the question of whether or not there are really miracles.
After this, Lim then applies the three cults to analyze the film. First, she begins with the cult of Mary,
where she states that Marian apparitions emphasize the problems that Mariology has always
presented for Catholicism, where even in the movie, the parish priest himself finds himself
vindicated. Next, Lim proceeds to expound how Elsa embodies the heretical saint, and how the
film establishes Elsa as some kind of female Christ. The author concludes this section with the
statement that Elsa is the oxymoron that destabilizes the firm delineation between Church and
heresy, rationalism and faith. After this, Lim talks about the third cult, the cult fandom of Nora
Aunor. Here she explains that Aunora was dubbed the Cinderella Superstar in the 70s, and
characterized Nora Aunor fans as lower class, consisting of housemaids, slum dwellers, and
market vendors. This fan base has been read as exemplifying the characteristics of Filipino
masscult. Finally, Lim discusses the Bakya temporality and how Noras following was characterized
as bakya, an appellation for Filipino masscult. Bakya denotes the style of popular culture, the
sensibility of masscult and is characterized by most as cheap, gauche, naive, provincial and terribly
popular. Lim concludes her work, saying that the masses are lacking the financial and educational
resources, meaning they are not yet ready for great movies, and not yet capable of appreciating
the fruits of cultural and political modernity, which shows us a particular form of temporal elitism.