Kisapmata (1981)
A retired police sergeant has an unnatural stranglehold over his wife and daughter. His claustrophobically enclosed world is threatened when his daughter Mila finds herself pregnant and was forced to marry Noel. He attempts to extend his influence over his son-in-law, who resists; there is a confrontation.
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Crappy film
I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
More than three decades later, Kisapmata is still a thrill to watch. The story of a patriarch (Vic Silayan) who lords over his family. When her daughter Mila (Charo Santos) got pregnant and marries Noel (Jay Ilagan), he makes sure that he remains in control. Watching this movie, it is difficult to comprehend how we can create a superior movie like this, and also come up with trash like Praybeyt Benjamin. The mood, the music, the script are all superior. Vic Silayan is so scary here; in one scene, Noel was shouting on top of his voice, angry at what is happening to them, but when faced by Vic Silayan, fell silent. Even when the dialogue turns Ilocano, you don't need an interpretation to understand that he is evil personified. Towards the end, Mila seemed to have predicted their fate when Noel is asking to read her diary. When I first saw this, I was surprised at the ending, something not often seen in Philippine cinema. If you haven't seen this, look for this great classic.
Though the plot was based on an actual murder case, the movie is a imagined recreation of what led to the homicidal incident. Vic Silayan, a patriarch who carries more than mere fatherly love to his daughter, is the ultimate personification of evil here. Unable to accept to accept the impending marriage of his daughter (Charo Santos) to beau Jay Ilagan, he makes life miserable for the pair. Ilagan, slowly learns the hideous secret the family carries and despite his plight, is unable to stop it. The imagery and music add to impending tragedy that awaited everyone. Great acting from Silayan, great directorial work from de Leon!