Manila in the Claws of Neon

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William L Viewing the narrative from a high-level summary, you might be tempted to shrug and write Manila off as just another portrayal of 'suffering in the city', a story that's been told hundreds of times. But the film really doesn't come across like a cheap knockoff or a color-by-numbers melodrama; the city is alive with a vibrant, twisted energy where each interaction reinforces just how valueless human life is considered. Julio's suffering is allegorical as most of the film is (most of the character names are some form of a play on words) - as the embodiment of the working class, he represents a determined and purehearted individual gradually caught up in the moral degradation of a society attempting to exploit him, by his countrymen from all walks of life as well as by various foreign interests. Julio's story is pretty straightforward, but he's really the vehicle used to represent the city around him. In Brocka's vision, Manila sucks people in with a gravitational pull before sticking to them like tar, a dirty wonderland of vice with little hope for true escape. (4/5) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/19/21 Full Review Audience Member A cinematic masterpiece! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/05/20 Full Review Audience Member 4/14/2019 This masterpiece by acclaimed director Lino Brocka is a microcosm of what it was like trying to make it in the big city almost half a century ago. It encapsulates and condenses the hits and mostly misses of the working class, enumerates the different ways people try to earn a decent and captures the countless misses and tragedies that befalls the brave souls who dare. The final image is haunting as it summarizes everything that our protagonist has gone through in the entire ordeal: utter surrender. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review S R 1001 movies to see before you die. Painful to watch and a little tedious, but it was an important film for the Philippines and a good time capsule. The stark poverty was moving. It was on CRI. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/22/23 Full Review Audience Member 7.8/10, my review: http://wp.me/p1eXom-2V6 Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Tagged by some critics as "possibly the best Filipino movie ever made", Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag creates an atmosphere where viewers are called to look closer to one of the main characters of the movie - the city itself. This call leads to a deeper understanding of the characters and their significance in the story. Moreover, the plot is craftily designed to highlight the idea each character symbolizes. One cannot help but to pity Julio Madiaga (the surname translates to "patience") in his search to be reunited with her love interest Ligaya Paraiso ("happy paradise" in literal English translation) in the bustling city of doom that is slowly setting dawn on them. While the acting and editing may be considered so-so (at least to modern-day standards), the cinematography and music and their effects that each scene leaves to the viewers are nonetheless superb. Truly a classic! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Manila in the Claws of Neon

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