Movie Review of Mandirigma

Starring:

Luis Alandy, Ping Medina, Alwyn Uytingco, Marc Solis, Victor Basa, Carlo Cruz, Jerico Estregan, Ken Anderson, introducing Jeffrey Marquez , and Mon confiado as Hamda Marawan

Produced, Written, and Directed by Arlyn de la Cruz

My review:

Timely! Sobering!

That is how I describe Mandirigma which I saw yesterday at Robinson's Manila.

The movie centers on the the dedication of the marines and the sacrifices they do for the country and for their respective family. It revolves around the ongoing conflict in Sulu, a theme that could have been interestingly developed all throughout the movie but failed to do so.

It was for me an ambitious theme to tackle since it reminds viewers of the controversial Mamasapano incident, albeit not intended by Arlyn. I admire the boldness of the director to choose this theme for her film since it speaks of the horror and the reality of the  disturbing reality faced by our brothers and sisters in some war-infested places in Mindanao. But it is a theme that involves historical facts on the conflict not only from the side of the marines but from the side of the Tausug people as well. The movie gives a hint on the complexity of the root causes of this conflict when the question was raised by the Tausug soldier how this conflict began and what they are actually fighting for, that he himself doesn't know. This question was met with silence by the group, a scene which brilliantly depicts the absurdity of war where victors are themselves victims, and winners could end up losers. It begs the question: In war, who really wins?

Praise to Mon Confiado who convincingly and believably played his role as Hamda Marawan. A great actor enables us to see the character as he really is. And Mon flawlessly delivered it. 

I also admire the way the movie ends, giving a hint that the conflict in the plot is not resolved, a kind of a no-happy-ending, which makes the movie more realistic. I can see the amount of research on the validity of the facts as depicted in the movie. To this, I give credit to Ma'am Arlyn.

There are shortcomings in the film that I had observed which I would like to point out. But I hope this would not deter people from seeing the movie since watching the movie allows one to have a peek into the lives of the marines who fight for our country, their individual struggles, and their desire to have a peaceful and better Philippines.

First, the lack of a main protagonist that would have hinged the various characters and story lines in the movie. Having one in a movie allows the viewers to follow scene after scene the development of the plot with focus. What happens in this film is that there really is no main protagonist. And that is not bad, had the movie been categorized as documentary. A full-length movie requires a main character that serves as a focus, or else, viewers will be just be watching plain narratives that they could see on tv or newspapers. 

I can see  a few characters worthy of becoming the main protagonist. Among them is the Tausug soldier. His character is very fertile for conflicts of the story and a deeper research into the root causes of the fightings in Sulu. It would have been a torment for him to be a soldier and at the same time to fight against his own people. I noticed it particularly in his conversation with the child of Marawan. He is trying to comfort the son of the man his group killed, and him being a Tausug must have lots of questions in his mind on the whys and whats of this war.

Secondly, the disclaimer. Putting it in the end of the movie is for me not helpful to the viewers particularly with sensitive issues like this.  After watching the movie and reading the disclaimer in the end, a conclusion was already made in my mind that the Tausugs are really the enemies. A dangerous conclusion, indeed. Fortunately, as a Mindanaoan, I know that there is more to what I just saw. I prefer to have the disclaimer in the beginning of the film to alert and condition the mind of the viewers that although the incidents are based on true events, the movie is not intended to to mean that the Tausugs are the enemies.

And thirdly, the editing. I was lost for a while trying to connect the dots of who is who. I realized later that the brother of a dead marine has also joined the marines. It is difficult to decipher who am I watching at the moment when the editing is not finely done. And I think it has something to do with having no main protagonist because as the movie progresses it made me curious as to whose life story I am following at the moment. 

As regards giving honor to the marines who at present risk their lives for the love of our country and to the fallen ones in the past, I believe the movie delivers it well. Kodus to Ma'am Arlyn for that. I just hope that next time when sensitive themes like this will be tackled in a movie, that it would not fail to consider the three things I mentioned above which for me can give shape and authenticity to the film as a whole.

I left the theater with questions in my mind and with the observations I have written above. I am just glad that there is a bold woman like Direk Arlyn who cares about sensitive issues like the theme of the movie and dares to make a film about it. I hope many will watch the movie and appreciate the effort the crew put into this film. All the best Direk Arlyn and may you keep on making films.

My rating for this film:             3 out of 5 stars.