A Movie Review: The Point of Departure

September 29, 2008

“Itim” by Mike de  (1976) has a cliche plot: a ghost with unfinished business comes back to haunt the living for her tragic death which creates complications for the people involved. This particular story arc has appeared in myriad other films and television shows here in the Philippines as well as the rest of the world. There is nothing particularly unique about it, except the context of when it was conceived—”Itim” was released in the 70’s, when stories like it were not popularly explored. In other words, it was original during its prime, plot-wise.

Consequently, the treatment of the plot was particularly sophisticated even if we compare it to the horror films of today. Mike de Leon and of course, the scriptwriter, has a very acute sense of suspense and horror; they both know how to use them harmoniously without going overboard. There is also an extensive use of symbolism in the film, mostly religious. There is that eerie meeting of wooden saints, the Virgin Mary’s decapitated head staring blankly ahead, and the old shriveled man who appears in blahs dream repeatedly are some examples. There is also a copious amount of silence in the movie, which heightens the suspense more than an eerie instrumental would have. All these devices make “Itim” sophisticated way before its time and has spawned the bastards of this genre up to the present.

One such bastard is “Signos” by Aloy Adlawan (2007). Several similarities in the plot as well as the treatment of both films are prevalent. For one, both films feature a successful son from the city who rarely visits his father in the province. There is also the simple but beautiful country lass who becomes the love interest. The setting is in the province, which is depicted as quiet, slow, and backward. Also, both films are successful in using silence and music to create suspense, even when nothing particularly horrifying is happening.

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