> i must admit i haven't seen a whole lot of filipino> films and I can't name one cuz they're so forgettable.> But i've seen more filipino films than say japanese,> chinese, hong kong, taiwanese, indian, italian,> spanish, mexican, french, german, iranian, cuban films> combined and the little foreign films i've seen are so> superior in terms of dialogue, acting, cinematography,> production design, etc. to those filipino ones, and> yes even the indian films are way better.
Really, it depends, and it helps to have seen these films...and it helps to see more Filipino films. Maybe you can start with my recommendations.
One of the classics of Indian cinema, for example, is Bimal Roy's Bandini,considered his best work. It has terrific cinematography, lovely songs and music, and a great performance from the lead actress whose name escapes me for the moment.But it lacked grit, and a real sense of cruelty, and a more complex depiction of the lead character--elements that, say, Mario O'Hara'sBulaklak sa City Jail provides in greater measure.
Really, the popular notion of cinematography is that if it looks beautiful, it's great cinematography. That's not the only yardstick. One of the most beautifully shot films I've ever seen is Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, and what makes it so memorable, what makes it so great is the way Mike de Leon captures the shine of rain-slicked streets, of esteros clogged with garbage. Conrado Baltazar's work in Insiang, on the other hand, captures the stink and texture of Smoky Mountain.These films deal in truth, and I'd pick them over a lot of French, German,what-have-you films.
And I'm not alone. Taiwanese and French filmmakers and critics have expressed admiration for Brocka's work; Maynila was included in Geoff Andrews' book of 150 great films.And I don't even consider Brocka the best, or Maynila the greatest. There are better, though not many. (con't)
No comments:
Post a Comment