Wayne Michael L.

Novera INTFILM A51

11422548

Tunay na Ina

In this current epoch that is now inopportunely filled with superficial art, we

cannot simply repudiate that sometimes art deteriorates by its own, especially in

the field of film. Ang Tunay na Ina, however, simply ascertained that Philippine

cinemain spite of the fact that it struggled tremendously during the world waris

one of the greatest and highly acclaimed films. Not only I am astounded by the fact

that it was preserved and survived the war, it remarkably delineated an original,

exquisite plotgiven the fact that it was produced during the advent of war.

Philippine Cinema has this outstanding endeavor for films, and it is actually evident

that the commencement of Philippine Cinema is excellent, glorified, and fortunately,

the legacy continued.

As has been noted, Tunay na Ina was produced during the advent of war. To

have such atrocity, it is hard to produce Filipino films; however, the aforementioned

stupendously defied its limitation: it became a pioneer of Filipino films, an uprising

of Philippine Cinema, a challenge to every aspiring filmmakers and writers. Though

the aforementioned film commenced concurrently with the birth of Philippine

Cinema, its technical features were adept and exquisitely exhibited. Incredibly to

discern, the acting was very professional, the cinematography was perfectly

executed as though the perspective of everyone was attained and showcased; also,

their costume, evidently, was filled with effort and it exerted sophistication,

especially the bourgeoisies of the film. On the other hand, the dialogue outstands

other components. Given the epoch of production, the Philippines was colonized by
the Americans, however, the dialogues that were uttered were purely in Tagalog,

and not just in the meekest form of Tagalog, the dialogue possesses highfalutin form

of sentences and no American colloquial words were uttered.

Though the movie commenced in a tedious manner, it excellently managed to

pull the attention of the viewers throughout the film: the longer you watch the film,

the more tension in your sentiments. In addition, it concluded in a very Filipino

manner, but I do remind you that this is not a dreadful thing. The conclusion

delineated the culture of the Filipino people, it concluded with answers for the

problems, and the struggles of the protagonist left us an unforgettable mark.

This film, undeniably, is a classic, old film. However, we can still see the

grandiose of the Philippine Cinema throughout the ages. Filipino films have a

similarity with some Filipino films, for instancea plot where characters are family-

oriented, and the plot usually has a melodramatic twist. Unfortunately, you cannot

deny that some Filipino films are very conventional and superficial as compared to

Tunay na Ina. And I must say, this film is but an exquisite, classic film that the

contemporary filmmakers should look up to.

I may have cited that the commencement of the aforementioned film is quite

tedious, however, the remaining sequels of the scene is a must-see! One of the

important scenes is the scene of the aunt of Magdalena concealing her letter for

Roberto. This depicted the start of the battle between the protagonist versus her

problems that she should overcome; secondly, the scene where Magdalena found

her long lost daughter depicted an uprising for the protagonist and a solution to her

conflicts. However, at first, the film may portrayed that the daughter is the solution,
but unfortunately, her daughter is a way to her demolition. And for me, that is the

pivotal part of the film: when her husband knew that she had a daughter, he did not

hesitate to throw her wife Magdalena outside of the house. This depicted the climax

of Magdalenas journey, however, of course it was resolved in the latter part. But

this made the audience felt pity to Magdalena, and I must say, it is a very effective

climax.

Its central characters, irrefutably, made the film more exquisite than its

present state. On that note, one exceptional central character would be Magdalena;

she has a very dynamic role, to an innocent mother drastically transformed into a

radical one. She may be a hackneyed character, but in this particular context, she

defied and significantly demonstrated her dynamism. In my humble opinion,

Magdalena is an epitome of a woman who is strong-willed despite of her past, she is

a kind of person who would never let conflicts annihilate her sanity. Another

character would be Roberto, the husband of Magdalena; he has the capability to be a

consistent, static character and he delivered his role efficiently in a natural

condition.

Their actions are of significance in the film. It does not only merely portray

what they want to portray, but it is a way to create a momentous meaning and to

create a bridge that will connect to the audience. Their actions are responsible for

making the theme of this classic film; and also, their actions are a combination of

dynamic and static portrayal. They have remarkably delineated the theme of love,

family, and dramawhich is very Filipino.

 Perhaps the greatest conflict a woman would encounter is to be raped and

got pregnant, to have a husband who does not know her unrevealed secrets, and to

have a son, who eventually died because of a serious ill. And this all happened to one

meek woman. The film may present various issues in life, but all I clearly see is

feminism. Not that I am against feminism, to be honest, I am a feminist myself. To

have a pioneering film such as this one clearly constitutes a lesson that we should be

able to scrutinize. Women back then are stereotyped as excessively susceptible and

emotional. However, this delineated a journey of a woman who struggled from

extreme hindrances and yet she still had her successful conclusion. Being a woman

does not limit the capabilities of a person, it just merely a distinction whether you

are male or female. Another, I am amazed how tenacious a person can be, albeit of

extreme hindrances that tremendously affected her life. This just simply shows that

the world may knock you down until to the unfathomable place on earth, but it is

your choice if you will fight your battle or let your battle win against you. It may

sound hackneyed but it is actually true and applicable to life.

Watching a classic Filipino film that delineates such idealism, it is great to

know that our local films can have the same impact with foreign films. True that the

advent of Philippine cinema is but a remarkable beginning in the Philippines.

Tunay na Ina is a blessing and a big contribution in the field of Philippine cinema.