De Leon’s film throughout time is beyond inspirational. It is freeing.

By Jian Zharese Joeis Sanz
Bulatlat.com

MANILA—Recently, the Philippine cinema’s lights flickered. 

Film reaches closing credits. Camera stops rolling. Screen goes black.

Mike De Leon, 78, a stalwart of Philippine cinema, passed away on August 28, as confirmed by French distributor Carlotta Films which released a Blu-ray box set of De Leon’s films.

De Leon was revered as an eminent filmmaker of the so-called Second Golden Age of Philippine cinema. His films blend genres like melodrama, crime, supernatural horror, slapstick comedy, and musicals while offering sharp critiques of corruption, cronyism, state-sponsored violence, feudal exploitation, and populist machismo—the same problems worsened by the Duterte and Marcos regimes. 

Upper-class privilege, bias for marginalized

Miguel “Mike” Pamintuan De Leon was born in Manila on March 24, 1947 to an upper-class family. His father was Manuel de Leon, a producer, and his mother was Imelda Pamintuan. De Leon grew up in the so-called studio system of decades past. His grandmother was matriarch Doña Narcisa “Sisang” De Leon who founded and ran LVN Pictures, perfecting the post-war quintessential Filipino movie genre before his father took over. 

Growing up surrounded by film and the studio, his upbringing was an advantage for his future role in Philippine cinema. Yet despite this background, his rise was earned from his hard work and unique, revelatory approach. 

De Leon took his bachelor’s degree at Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU). His interest in film sparked during his master’s studies in art history at the University of Heidelberg in Germany where he frequented a small theater to watch film classics. Before making full-length films, he made two short films: Sa Bisperas (1972) and Monologo (1975). Later on, he established his own film outfit Cinema Artists Philippines in 1975 and produced and cinematographed its initial offering Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag. 

Throughout his career, he immersed himself in the trenches to bring stories to the big screen. During Martial Law, he was placed on a watch list and was briefly detained and interrogated at a military camp. A significant turning point for him occurred with the assassination of Senator Ninoy Aquino in 1983. De Leon filmed the funeral, which was attended by hundreds of thousands of mourners. He directed Signos (1983) featuring prominent national anarchists like his fellow director Lino Brocka during Martial Law. 

De Leon directed only a few projects in the 1990s and beyond. During this time, he focused on restoring and preserving LVN’s surviving films to protect the legacy of Philippine cinema.

Throughout his directing career, he received multiple awards, including the Gawad Urian Award-Best Direction (1977), MMFF Award-Best Director (1981), and FAMAS Award-Best Cinematography (1976). 

Shaking systems

De Leon was behind some of the best Filipino films of all time like Kisapmata (1981), Sister Stella L. (1982), and Batch ‘81 (1984). He worked as cinematographer, editor, and writer. 

These films flourished under the oppressive claws of Marcos’ dictatorship when censorship was common. Despite this, his films exuded the very same oppression, violence, and fear that surrounded the country during the time, waking up Filipinos eerily, little by little. 

The director was described by some as “a master of his craft, perfectionist, an eminent artist.” Other than superb cinematography and storytelling, De Leon aimed to make the setting of his films spotless and lifelike. Moreover, props in the set didn’t just exist for aesthetics. They were utilized, adding a layer of realism to his films. 

Kisapmata, inspired by the crime reportage “The House on Zapote Street” written by Nick Joaquin, is a family thriller that opens the topic of domestic oppression, abuse, and feudalism. Just like Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, the film has a tragic ending not to ruin it, but to portray what is real. 

Throughout the film, an eerie and oppressive atmosphere was felt, specifically during scenes inside the Cabading house. In contrast, every scene outside the oppressive father’s territory brings a temporary relief not just to the abused daughter but also to the viewers.

Props like the gun and door with a defective lock added a layer of thrill to the film. The gun served as a premonition. Numerous times, the father cleaned the gun while talking to his son-in-law. On the other hand, the defective lock symbolizes the daughter’s lack of authority in her own life, stemming from her upbringing. 

The storyline, which relates to the masses and these cinema elements when brought together by De Leon, penetrates the psyche of Filipinos–instilling a lingering question—” Is oppression and abuse a normal part of the household?”

Itim carries the same eerie atmosphere as Kisapmata. The film which critiques religious beliefs and points out injustices in society was shot in his family’s century-old ancestral house in the province. In Benoit Pavan’s 2022 interview with De Leon, the director revealed his experimentation with various photographic techniques, like 100 percent post-flashing and minimal use of lighting. His genius in cinematography resulted in not only literal but atmospheric darkness in the film. 

De Leon also unveiled his intent behind the film. Growing up as a Catholic and under strict Jesuit education since childhood, he developed a fear of religious icons. He then related this fear to the culture of blind worship, left behind by the Spaniards as a means to control Filipinos. “The religious obscurantism of our culture, created by the rule of priests or friars during the entire length of our 300 years of colonization by Spain, is one of the major reasons why we have not achieved total intellectual freedom, why we are still subservient to authority, no matter how perverse it is, perhaps until the present.”

Other than these films, De Leon also directed Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising (Moments in a Stolen Dream, 1977), Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (Will Your Heart Beat Faster? 1980) Hindi Nahahati ang Langit (Heaven Cannot Be Shared, 1985), Aliwan Paradise (Entertainment Paradise, 1992), Bayaning 3rd World (Third World Hero, 1999), and Citizen Jake (2018). 

An inspiration to new wave of film anarchists

In Manila Bulletin’s 2021 interview with Filipino filmmakers, Brillante Mendoza, the first Filipino to receive the Best Director award at Cannes for his film Kinatay in 2009, mentioned that Kisapmata was one of his inspirations. “I like Kisapmata because of its grit and realism. The film made an impact on me because it stayed in my mind long after I saw it. Of course, I didn’t know exactly why I liked it then, but I know it was so unique from the other Filipino films. Then I started following the films of Mike de Leon.”

De Leon’s film throughout time is beyond inspirational. It is freeing. The type of film you rewatch when you once again start to get used to oppression and injustice. The very same film that will make you realize that a household should not control who you are and lock you in, and that we must look at our heroes not as supreme beings but as humans, who possess things that we might as well try to change. 

Closing credits

Though the cinema lights may dim and the theatre may fall silent, the powerful voice of De Leon’s film will resonate for generations to come. De Leon was not just a director. He was a system changer who challenged the usual and paved the way for what’s humane and judicious. 

Though years may pass, his creations will continue to inspire audiences in theaters, ignite discussions in classrooms, and awaken the consciousness of society. His narratives will continue to challenge the perspectives shaped by oppression and corruption, empowering Filipinos to reclaim their stories and liberation. The echoes of his vision will not only linger in our minds but will also continue to spark a movement towards resistance and metamorphose the youth’s minds. (DAA)