With her world-class talent, Ms. Nora Aunor is not resting on her laurels as "best actress." For her performance in Brillante Mendoza's 'Thy Womb', she made history as the first female performer of any nationality to become the critics' choice for the Bisato d'Oro (Golden Eel) prize at the69th Venice International Film Festival--a feat validated by her victory as the first Filipino actress to win at the 6th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA)in Brisbane, Australia.
That does not mean, however, that Aunor--ranked as the topnotcher of the Best Asian Actresses of the Decade at the 2010 Green Planet Movie Awards in Hollywood--is no longer excited about receiving another trophy in her own country. Recently, she reigned at the 38th Metro Manila Film Festival where she holds the record of being the most-awarded actress with eight wins so far. On a roll for more honors, or so Aunor seems to be as she figures prominently in the Top 5 Movie Performances of 2012. A timeless portrayal, according to the reviewer: "Thirty years after 'Himala,' Nora Aunor gives another
performance for the ages. As Shaleha, a barren Badjao wife who goes on a
mission to find a woman who could and would give her beloved husband a
biological child, Aunor is hypnotically still, bracingly intelligent, and
devastatingly emotional, often all at once and without uttering a single word.
She is, in a word, divine in what is the most hauntingly sublime piece of
acting in all of Philippine cinema not only this year but in the last 30 years." That's hardly suprising for Mendoza, also a history-maker as the first Filipino to win as best director at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2009 as well as at the recent APSA. In the following video, the feisty but gentle filmmaker attests to Aunor's greatness even as he talks about other issues pertinent to his struggle as an independent artist out to push the borders of Philippine cinema.
True to the thumbs-up from film critics who came and were conquered by Brillante Mendoza's 'Thy Womb,' the blogosphere continues to echo the exclamations of awe from a selected group of bloggers who were invited to a private screening. Validating its victory at the 38th Metro Manila Film Festival where 'Thy Womb' won seven major awards, more bloggers continue to add their voices to the chorus of acclaim:
Exploring the interactions of culture and nature:“Set in Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines’
southernmost isles which have become infamous for being torn by warring
government and Muslim secessionist forces, the film valiantly avoids
sensationalizing war and instead delves into the human condition of a people
who have grown accustomed to military presence…indulges in its depiction both
nature and culture. Mendoza does not hide his fascination, relentlessly
breaking his storytelling to make way for gorgeous images of endless seascapes
and colorful tradition. He takes time revelling at whale sharks under the sea,
or turtles’ eggs hidden dearly beneath Tawi-Tawi’s remote beaches. He stages
elaborate Muslim ceremonies and rituals. Surprisingly, the film never feels as
if it is treading too closely to exoticizing its subject locale. The overt
visualization of both nature and culture seems essential to Mendoza’s goals of
exploring the interactions of culture and nature and the people who rely
heavily on them for both sustenance and identity.
Henry Burgos’ screenplay is
admirably spare. It is unafraid of being judged not by the lyricism of the
words spoken by the depicted ordinary folk, but by the measured silence. It
allows the couple’s relationship to simmer, to take root, to emotionally attach
to the peering audience, before exposing the fissures that will unavoidably
grow bigger. It masterfully orchestrates heartbreak, without any hint of
artifice or machination. It gives Mendoza enough breathing room to scrutinize
the world, which he does so without hardly any hesitation.
Aunor, who has been absent from
Philippine cinema for several years despite being renowned as one of its living
acting treasures, is the film’s beating heart. Her dutiful portrayal of Shaleha
is both spontaneous and intelligent. She cleverly interacts with her
surroundings, not as an actress inhabiting a role but as a human being
naturally reacting to very real scenarios. When the film requires silence, she
makes use of her eyes, which seamlessly hypnotize the audience to believe her
character’s plight and sacrifice…” -- Lessons from the School of Inattention (Click the link to read the full article.)
Heartbreaking and haunting:Despite a considerable
career and acclaimed breadth of work, Thy Womb is Mendoza’s first true
masterpiece... a
hauntingly poignant reflection of human devotion, tradition, desire and joyful
exploration of Badjao culture, shot across gorgeous landscapes, with sensitive,
yet high-tech cinematography...the
film creates a world rich with visuals that draws us into the slow-paced world
of barren midwife Shaleha (Nora Aunor) and her fisherman husband, Bangas-An
(Bembol Roco).
Indeed, Mendoza
meticulously creates the world of Tawi-Tawi for his audience... The film continues to
linger at such a sedate pace, that the entrance of Mersila (Lovi Poe),
instigating the brief second and final act of the film arrives with such
abruptness to emotionally dislocate the audience. Mendoza proceeds to rapidly
dismantle and destroy the entire world and the lives of the people he created.
When the extraordinary final scene arrives, you understand why Mendoza’s camera
lingered in the first act, you understand why he took his time building this
rich world and in the process, making the audience invest in his reality, that
when it finally shatters, it is heartbreaking cruel and haunting. You may not
feel it straightaway, but as you leave the cinema, the events of the film
replay in your mind, as if you were in Shaleha and Bangas-An’s marriage, making
the ending that much more potent. Nora Aunor pulls off a
sublime performance of the same calibre and dedication as her previous
internationally awarded roles under Lino Brocka’s directorship. Perhaps,
another performance of a lifetime to add to her belt. She depicts the humble
and sun-worn Shaleha with such authenticity that she completely disappears into
her role. From her knife-work scaling fish to her quiet looks of hopefulness,
then desolation, Nora’s quiet portrayal of Shaleha lingers with you long after
the film..." -- Millie Morales(Click the link to read the full article.)
An array of emotions, a great cultural immersion:“We found ourselves deeply engrossed and taken by
every detail presented in the beautifully photographed film…
Nora Aunor, who set the
acting bar in Philippines cinema, did not fail to impress. Her brilliance is only
heightened by the implicit performance of Bembol Roco…
‘Thy Womb’
isn't all about Nora Aunor however. While the performances were quietly
powerful, the film was a feat itself. It presents a reality so fascinating and
so authentic, you can almost touch it. It depicts a way of life that is as
colorful as it is chaotic, simple and unjust. It feeds you with an array of
emotions and right before it ends, it lets you take it all in and experience an
unbearable pain…
Above the mainstream audience:“Thy Womb is a restrained
quiet film as it lets the visuals do most of the talking. Small moments are
lingered on even if it does not move the story forward. At times it felt like
you are watching a documentary because of the film’s naturalistic vibe…
The film
gives us slices of life from the regular townsfolk exchanging small talks to
the local market activity to the intriguing and lavish marriage proposal
rituals. But what got me the most is the way it captured how life goes on in a
place that is often burdened by violence…
Aunor and
Roco gave restrained but very effective performances. This film has little
dialogue in it but thanks to the strength of the actors they don’t need words
to show their characters’ inner pain and complex feelings. The scene when they
met the future second wife for the first time is the best example how an actor
can do so much without uttering a single line. It’s all in the eyes…
Admittedly,
it’s a tough sell to the mainstream audience due to the way the story is told
but Thy Womb presents a picture of a culture that is fascinating and is
definitely worth watching…”— forg files (Click the link to read the full article.)
Finding what’s lost along the way: “…Through those famed eyes of Nora Aunor and in
those remaining few seconds as the camera pans towards her face, I read at once
exhilaration, pride, love, sadness and complete surrender to the fate that
awaits her. Then the movie ends. I can understand why cineastes in many parts
of the world trooped to see ‘Thy Womb,’ even paying good money to watch it. Or how in
Venice, it received a 5-minute standing ovation… Many Filipinos might even
scoff at the story, perhaps dismissing it as no longer relevant in this day and
age where love, sacrifice and word of honor are nothing but words written on
paper boats bobbing violently on rampaging flood waters. In Tawi-Tawi a
Badjao midwife loves her husband unconditionally and he means the world to her
that she would risk losing everything even him so that he could find
fulfillment and be happy even in the arms of another woman. Too strange for
your taste? In places like Tawi-Tawi where love still runs pure, it isn’t. To
them it’s more personal-- simply put, it’s just their way of life. A long time
ago, it used to be ours too, we just lost it somewhere along the way.”—Film Fanatix(Click the link to read the full article.)
Mendoza’s
best film so far: “Brillante
Mendoza is blessed with performers as seasoned as Nora Aunor and Bembol Roco…
If I liked her performance
in ‘Bona’ because it revealed Nora
Aunor’s feisty side as an obsessed fan, I liked her performance here in ‘Thy Womb’ because as much as there are
painful moments, there are happy moments too—happy to see a whale shark swim
with them and share the happiness with her husband and happy to receive a
surprise gift from her husband, a new scarf to cover her head with for an
upcoming wedding they would both attend later. For a serious topic, there are
light moments where Shaleha was shown happy. And if she’s happy, it’s not
enough that she would expose a hearty smile. The happiness would cross over to
her eyes and they would glow. It is her performance that makes you realize that
award-winning performance doesn’t always have to be based on hysterical / dramatic
moments…
For a movie this good, the chances for it to stay longer
for a commercial run has reached depressing levels that it makes you question
whether it’s still worth it to make movies like these when you have an
unappreciative audience. These films are inspired by actual events that occur
in the Philippines and are obviously intended for the Philippine audience. But
it’s the foreign audience that ends up appreciating this kind of films even
more.
The market itself doesn’t know what does it want. It keeps
demanding for quality films every opportunity it gets but whenever amazing
films like this come along, they prefer flocking to the crappy mainstream
offerings. I hope this bitter reality won’t discourage folks like La Aunor and
Direk Mendoza from making quality films. This is Mendoza’s best film so far and
the least depressing too which kills the notion that art films often talk about
the filth and grime of the poverty-stricken that we live in. Go see it before
your favorite cineplex would make true its threat of pulling out the film to
fade into oblivion. You have no idea what your missing…Just in case you miss
this film and find it hard to come across another quality film again, well, you
had your chance and you screwed it. Walang sisihan.”—Filipinas in Showbiz (Click the link to read the full article.)
True to the full tide of critical acclaim from international and local reviewers for Thy Womb, the social network has been abuzz with awe. From Facebook, for instance, a raft of erudite analysis has been floating around the film's virtue as a work of art. Here are three samples:
Transformative cinema, a gem of a film...
"'Thy Womb' could've been more fortunately titled, and the pacing could've been fine-tuned here and there, but it's doubtless a great film, soaked in the inks, forms and movements of our southern islands' natural splendor on one hand, and entirely committed to the task of a closely observed life on the other, braiding both rhythms into each other, as is the way of the people whose little-known story it attempts, in its own careful and admittedly limited way, to tell. Moreover, what seemingly impedes it--the narrative oscillation, the doubleness of its vision as documentary and as drama--is revealed, in the end, to be part and parcel of its insight, as embodied in the placid greatness and numinous depth of Nora's exceptional performance: the heroism of the devoted and barren wife, her largeness of heart and self-abnegating love for her husband, is indissociable from her world, which permeates her very being, entwined as her spirit and character must be in the weft and woof her culture's ever-imperilled and resolutely enduring life. Cherished, in their innermost faith, by their gracious and compassionate God, the people of Tawi-Tawi dance in the midst of gunfire and depredation, hunger and drought, and it is very same ethos that animates the barren woman's actions, for as her own people remind her, life must be lived for others, and with hope, no matter how difficult and tight-fisted it often is. Once more, nora sears into our memory the persona she enacts into powerful art, and we cannot help but recognize, in the luminous alchemy of a face that's been softened by the rheum and chastised by the exertions of eventful age, the sadness and pain (as well as horror) of the knowledge of our own forfeited happiness, as well as the glimmerings of a stubborn joy that our own abiding faiths must urge upon us...Transformative cinema, a gem of a film. Go watch. It's not perfect, this
film. But the flaws are forgivable. And they are even possibly necessary, to
confound its own claims to authenticity. What Mendoza succeeded in doing, by
threading Shaleha's life so unobtrusively into the fabric of this world--the oscillation I was referring to, between the dramatic and the ethnographic--is to render
inevitable her decision to be selfless: it is notable, but also entirely
possible, in this kind of life. The dignity of our people, caught between
inexorable forces (national and global), dancing through the minefield of
abject precarity, yearning towards the consolations of tradition, seeking again
and again the truth of the spirit: a story Nora tells so eloquently, using
little else than the quiet scripture of her face."-- J. Neil Garcia, U.P. professor and prize-winning author
Performing the aesthetics of patience...
"I don't really care about what people say
or think about Brillante Mendoza. I admit that I haven't seen his earlier
works, and after hearing the stories, I personally don't think I can muster the
courage to ever watch them at all. Besides, I am never a fan of blatant,
sensationalized violence.
But can I just say that 'Thy Womb' is such an
impressively subtle and beautiful film? That these days, it is just very rare
to encounter a sensitive, honest and delicate storytelling such as this one?
That Nora Aunor becomes, not simply as a mere character, but as a complete
human being before our eyes? That it is a magnificent exercise on dramaturgy
and anthropological truth, making it not only as a narrative, but also as a
well-researched documentary? That it contained such clever signs and
foreshadowings, thus proving that a story does not only run on the course of
dialogues, but continues on with the silences, the gazes, the positioning of
characters, the gestures, the rituals of the hands, the reserved expressions of
love, the meeting of the eyes.
And of course there are flaws. Art is done by
humans after all, and not by gods. And the sooner that people will finally get
this fact into their skulls, the sooner that our criticisms will become more
constructive and less nit-picky. With that said, the local audience members are
always disappointing for me. I dare say: it does not matter if you come from
the upper or middle or lower social class. If you lack an education that
emphasizes on literary inquisition, then you are left with nothing but the
sparseness and mediocracy of a literal intellect. Truly, it is quite exhausting
to cater to audiences who would rather settle for less.
But 'Thy Womb' refuses to bend. Because perhaps,
more than pleasing the shallow pleasures of our so-called civilized audience
members, it chooses to be an honest representative of the Tawi-Tawi community
instead. That it chooses a subtle and reserved filmmaking approach because
there is simply no other way--it is in parallel with the peaceful and modest
culture of our Muslim brothers and sisters.
Oh, but if only the Filipino audience member can
finally understand that patience is an aesthetic performed by no one else but
s/he. If only s/he uses this facility when encountering a film, play, prose or
poetry, then works such as Thy Womb can finally achieve its significance in
full circle.
'Thy Womb' requires one to exercise and thus, eventually, labor
one's way to beauty. Watch it when you are fully rested, and that all of your
six senses are sharp and activated. If you are willing to participate in the
task of patience, then perhaps you will experience what I had experienced: I
was hypnotized, melded, and purged with the film's details."
-- Jenny Logico-Cruz, cinephile
Elevating acting to its purest and powerful form...
"The massive weight of 'Thy Womb' has been
placed on Nora Aunor's shoulders--a tall and daunting order for any actress.
Yet she breezed through her role with aplomb and quiet dignity--making the
audience believe that she is indeed that barren midwife toiling in some faraway
island in the hope of giving joy to her husband. Nora Aunor shines because she
stayed in character throughout what must have been a grueling shooting process,
never faltering in her role as Shaleha. In the end, she gave the audience
another gift: a glimpse of her unparalleled talent as an actor. Here, Nora
elevates acting into its purest form: to not call attention to oneself, or
latch on to a "big" moment and display a fireworks of emotions. What
she did here was to get lost in the many nuances of her character and be the
flesh and blood of her director's vision. What a brave actress she is for
allowing all her faculties to be used and to inject her own passion into a most
challenging role. Not a movie for all, definitely. But a movie for those who find
magic in the seemingly mundane.
Nora Aunor's performance in 'Thy Womb' brings to mind the quiet
but powerful acting of German actor Brigitte Mira in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's
'Fear Eats The Soul.' It is about a 60-year-old cleaning lady who falls in love
with a much younger man and a black at that. Mira gave a totally absorbing
performance as she essayed the pain of discrimination in many forms. Nora's
portrayal also has the same unobtrusive beauty as Fernanda Montenegro's beautiful
acting in the Brazilian film 'Central Station' which gave her an Oscar Best
Actress nomination... She was so totally
unselfconscious, so natural and effortless in ‘Thy Womb,’ making her the frontrunner in all awards ceremonies
this year. Mahirap pantayan ang ginawa
n'ya sa ‘Thy Womb’--to convey the complexity of a woman's emotions with a
minimum of dialogue. And when she does speak, her lines are so ordinary, so
matter-of-factly that you will believe that she is, indeed, the suffering
Shaleha. The lovemaking between Shaleha and Bangas-An has got to be the most
emotionally painful cinematic coupling in the history of Philippine cinema.
Bravo La Aunor!" --Vic Sevilla, magazine editor
Thirty years after ‘Himala’, Nora Aunor gives another
miracle of a performance—at once hypnotically still, bracingly intelligent and
devastatingly emotional—that’s one for the ages.
The same can be said for
the film, ‘Thy Womb’, which
chronicles an aging married couple’s search for a woman who can bear for the
husband a child that the infertile wife cannot produce.
No, it’s not any kind of
marital melodrama that’s been put on film before. (At least not in Philippine
cinema.)
It’s a singular piece of
work from Cannes-winning director Brillante Mendoza, who veers away from the
extreme violence that usually marks his films and explores a place of
gentleness, poetry, and loving kindness in this odyssey into a woman’s selfless
love.
That woman is Shaleha, a
Badjao midwife in Tawi-tawi who goes from one water-logged settlement on stilts
to another to help other women give birth.
Ironically, she is not
capable of conceiving a child that she and her husband Bangas-an (a robust
Bembol Roco) could call their own, which he so desires. So she decides to do the
next best thing that’s in her power to do — take it upon herself and make it
her mission to find another woman for Bangas-an to sire his own child with. And
not just a babymaker. Being Muslims, they would have to take her in as another
wife.
It’s a very specific
character that Aunor, Mendoza and writer Henry Burgos are, quite craftily, able
to make universal. By highlighting Shaleha’s proactive selflessness more than
the reasons and motivations for her actions, the trio makes her an everyday
Filipina who could very well be an Ifugao woman, a Manilena, or a Waray making
a supreme personal sacrifice for the happiness of a dearly beloved.
The beauty in their work
is how, by film’s end, Shaleha, finally, emerges as both tragic and victorious.
And the genius is how this manages to be heartbreaking, hauntingly so, with
nary a tear shed or a word spoken.
Yes, ‘Thy Womb’ is the kind of movie that doesn’t explain everything and
doesn’t spoon-feed anything. Rather than verbalize, it visualizes. Not with a
heavy hand, as in many of Mendoza’s previous films, but with a subtlety,
sophistication and confidence that respects the viewer and treats him as a
keen, intelligent, involved observer.
The movie presents a
tapestry of images—raw, earth-bound, poetic, sublime— that paint a lovely and
loving portrait of Badjao life, of a couple on a mission, and of a woman on a
journey to fulfillment.
There’s a lot to take in,
from the pageantry of the rituals and costumes to the stunning vistas of the
sea-based communities, from the big and little ironies in the narrative to the
ambiguities in the script.
Most and best of all,
there’s Nora. She is simply astonishing with what is practically a wordless
performance, her face alone registering a tidal wave of emotions—sadness and
joy, resentment and resignation, pain and ecstacy, defeat and triumph, often
all at once. She is, in a word, divine. (ERIC T. CABAHUG, InterAksyon)
There is no Art vs. Commerce. Commerce won years ago.
‘Thy Womb’ (Sa ‘Yong
Sinapupunan) comes to us already festooned with laurels from the international film
festival circuit. It is exactly the type of movie that appeals to foreign film
festival programmers: a portrait of marginalized folk in an exotic setting,
full of the rituals and traditions of a community little seen in popular
culture (Although Lamberto Avellana made a film called ‘Badjao’ in 1957). The question is: Will local audiences go for it?
The old fiction was that filmmakers do not care about the box-office
prospects of their movies. This fiction has been erased by the Metro Manila
Film Festival, which has made commercial appeal the primary standard for
selection. The awards are just another marketing hook: stars pitted against
each other for fake prestige. How can we take seriously an awards show that
hands out trophies not just for acting, directing and writing, but for best
float and best sex appeal? If the MMFF were honest, the box-office results
would be the awards.
It’s worth noting that the MMFF selection committee declined ‘Thy Womb’ initially, even if it stars
the great Nora Aunor and is directed by Brillante Ma Mendoza, who won the Best
Director prize at Cannes a few years ago (before he affixed the ‘Ma’). Its
inclusion in the filmfest slate is not due to the awards it has reaped in
Italy, Australia and elsewhere, but to the non-completion of the eighth entry.
Thirty years ago the mere mention of Nora Aunor would’ve made it an MMFF
shoo-in, even if commercial potential had been the sole criterion. But Nora
Aunor’s star has passed into legend, her fans are older, and today’s audience
is different. As for Brillante Ma Mendoza, his career highlights the fact that
there are two movie industries in the Philippines: the mainstream, which makes
movies for the local audience, and the indies, who make movies for the foreign
festival audiences.
Which is not to imply that in previous decades audiences flocked to
“critically-acclaimed” films. Many of the Brocka and Bernal movies that are now
considered classics were financial flops. However, directors had more freedom
in the 70s and 80s—ironic when you consider that it was the martial law era.
They were allowed to alternate commercial movies with personal projects: for
every ‘Pasan Ko Ang Daigdig’, Brocka
could do an ‘Insiang’; for each ‘Galawgaw’, Bernal could do a ‘Manila By Night’. The exception is Mike
De Leon, who can do whatever he wants, which, based on his recent output, is
nothing. At the present time the one-for-you, one-for-me system does not exist:
you make Cinema, or you make money.
No one expects ‘Thy Womb’ to
be one of the filmfest top-grossers. It may be hot stuff in foreign festivals,
but in the MMFF it is the freak.
A woman’s worth
In ‘Thy Womb’, Nora Aunor and
Bembol Roco play Shaleha and Bangas-an, a Badjao couple in late middle age.
They are small fisherfolk in Tawi-Tawi, they make colorful reed mats, and she
is also a midwife. A barren midwife—we’ll ignore the obviousness (and the fact
that the characters speak Tagalog while everyone else speaks Tausug with
English subtitles) since the rest of the movie is subtle and so restrained, I
thought I was watching a documentary. Their desire for a child is such that
Shaleha urges Bangas-an to take a second wife who can bear him one. Muslim law
allows it. (The plot recalls the Old Testament story of Sarah and Abraham: the
childless Sarah gives Abraham her maid Hagar, who bears him a son, Ishmael.
When Sarah herself has a child, she sends Hagar and Ishmael away. According to
tradition, Ishmael is the ancestor of Muhammad.) The couple is short on funds
for the bride’s dowry, but the money is raised. Shaleha does not seem at all
troubled by the idea of sharing her husband.
So for the first 90 minutes, we’re wondering what the conflict is. We
see the couple going about their daily routines and making inquiries as to
potential wives. The war in Mindanao encroaches on their lives, but it is no
more than a casual, almost comical inconvenience. There is an incident that
reminds them of mortality and strengthens Shaleha’s resolve to give Bangas-an a
child, even if it’s another woman’s. The situation rife with melodramatic
possibilities—in the typical Tagalog other-woman scenario, the shrieking and
slapping would’ve begun in five minutes. But ‘Thy Womb’ has other plans. It asks us to contemplate a culture in
which a woman’s worth is measured by her ability to bear children (and
expressed in pesos). Shaleha is loving, devoted and hardworking, but all that
matters is Bangas-an’s need to be a father. That’s just the way it is, and
Mendoza does not pass judgment. ‘Thy Womb’
is respectful of Islamic and Badjao traditions even as it gently raises
questions about the rights of women.
Basically we’re watching two of the finest actors in Philippine cinema
not acting, but being ordinary people, indistinguishable from the population.
Everyone onscreen is so natural, the camera may well be invisible. The music,
though, is generic ethnic; it sounds like the muzak played at the CCP to signal
the audience to take their seats. Odyssey Flores’s cinematography is indistinguishable
from a travelogue: picturesque, but indifferent to the proceedings. We learn
the entire procedure for getting married among the Badjao, but the characters
themselves are cyphers, details in a landscape.
‘Thy Womb’ is part of what I call
the Armando Lao School of Social Realism (after the screenwriter and writing
mentor who authored ‘Serbis’ and ‘Kinatay’): less drama than ethnography,
truth unvarnished and presented in all its banal detail. I go to the movies for
something larger than life, I get something as small as life. This is a cinema
that is not interested in helping me escape my boring existence, but in showing
me other lives as real as mine. It does not hold my hand and tell me how to
think of what I’m watching: it makes me work. I will only get as much as I’m
willing to give the experience, but the reward, if it comes, is an insight that
lasts longer than a quick entertainment fix.
It’s just not a barrel of fun.
And then, in the last half-hour, comes the whammy. Shaleha finds someone
willing to marry Bangas-an. There’s a humorous moment when a woman is
introduced to the couple, but she turns out to be the mother of the bride. Lovi
Poe may be too beautiful to play Mersila the second wife—one wonders why she
agrees to the union when she could do so much better—but her desirability makes
her words even more wrenching. The look that passes between Bangas-an and
Shaleha sums up an entire history that is somehow less weighty than the
biological imperative.
Shaleha’s decision—quiet, noble, dignified—is the final twist of the
knife. She says everything that needs to be said without uttering a word. Her
silence hits the ground like thuds. This is Nora Aunor. Words would only
cheapen the moment. (JESSICA ZAFRA, InterAksyon.com)
‘Thy Womb’
is ostensibly made for the art house circuit and for filmfests abroad. More
than a vehicle for Nora Aunor, it’s an eye-opening glimpse into the life of
poor seafaring people in Tawi-Tawi whose shanties are built on stilts. It shows
the Muslim culture and traditions of the Badjao, complete with an elaborate
wedding ceremony and rituals that will appeal more to foreign audiences who’ll
no doubt find it all exotic. But local viewers used to superficial
entertainment at Christmastime will surely shun it. They just want to be
entertained, not to watch the impoverished lives of marginalized ethnic people.
Take note that when it was
first entered in the filmfest, 'Thy Womb' was rejected by the screening committee
even if it’s the comeback film of the legendary superstar Nora Aunor and
directed by the only Filipino to have won best director at the Cannes Filmfest, Dante Mendoza, who made a name for himself as indie filmmaker and has yet to
experience a box office hit. ‘Thy Womb’
has a very thin story line. Nora is Shaleha, a “hilot” (midwife) and the film
starts and ends with a childbirth scene. She’s married to Bembol Roco as
Bangas-an. They earn a living by fishing and weaving mats. Nora wants to give
Bembol a child but she’s infertile so she scouts around for a new wife for
Bembol. After several tries, she finally finds one in Fatima (Lovi Poe, in a
short guest role), who requires that Nora leaves Bembol the moment she begets a
child. It’s Nora herself who helps her deliver the baby. The end.
More than dwelling on the
story of Shaleha, the film is more interested in showing the lives of the
people in Tawi-Tawi, full of local color, with the war intruding every now and
then with gunshots heard elsewhere.
Technically, the movie is
quite superior, particularly the lyrical cinematography by Odyssey Flores
that’s full of awesome nature shots like a cluster of huts in the sea while
it’s raining or some butanding whales swimming beside the boat of Nora and Bembol.
The muted, abbreviated
style of ‘Thy Womb’ is more akin to
that of ‘Lola’ than Mendoza’s more
violent works like ‘Kinatay,’‘Tirador’ and ‘Captive.’ Viewers who prefer fast paced, event-oriented films will
find it tedious viewing, including the abrupt “bitin” ending when things are just starting to get more
interesting.
The characters are also so
underwritten in Henry Burgos script you have to make up your own interpretation
when it comes to their motivations. Why is Nora so obsessed in finding a new
wife for Bembol and is not even jealous at all? Why did Lovi who’s young and
beautiful easily agree to marry a man old enough to be her father?
In foreign films, it’s
usually indicated that “no animal is hurt in the making of this movie.” But
here, we saw a cow helplessly falling into the sea and then being ruthlessly
decapitated on cam. We closed our eyes and couldn’t bear to watch that scene.
As for the acting, we have
to salute Ate Guy for accepting this role where she is totally deglamorized. She
really looks like a sunburnt Badjao woman who’s past middle age. Her face is
puffy, wrinkled, has definitely seen better days. She has no explosive acting
highlights, no volatile confrontation scenes here. Everything is placid,
controlled but poignant. But as always, her eyes say a lot, easily depicting
the pain she’s going through while finding a new wife for her husband. She
doesn’t display her usual kind of intense acting here that her fans often
imitate, including her trademark delivery of her lines. She just becomes her
role here, totally. She’s not Nora, she’s Shaleha, a Badjao native. And for
that, she absolutely deserves the filmfest best actress award. (MARIO BAUTISTA, Peoples’Journal)
A classmate of mine once
joined a beauty pageant back in high school, and she was handed this question:
"What is the essence of being a woman?"
The question was the
mother of all cliches, but I remembered the essence of her answer by heart. She
said, "the essence of being a woman is being able to give birth to a
child, hold that child in your arms, and raise him." She won that
pageant.
Brillante Mendoza's latest
cinematic offering revolves around that same idea. The title itself, THY WOMB
clearly and categorically pinpoints motherhood, or rather the capability of a
female human being to conceive and give birth to another human being. Along the
journey, Mendoza also deconstructs the role of a woman, a mother, a wife, and a
member of a particular community, where tradition is of utmost importance. In the
lead role, superstar Nora Aunor is gripping as Shaleha, a Muslim woman living
in Tawi Tawi with her husband, Bangas-An (Bembol Roco). What seems like a quiet
and idyllic marital union is actually underlined by the fact that Shaleha seems
incapable of conceiving a child, and Bangas-An wants so much to have one.
Such genius tandem works
well, for both Aunor and Roco elicit their characters' desires through their
eyes; through La Aunor, we see how much Shaleha is dedicated to make her
husband happy, and via Roco, we learn of how much Bangas-An really wants that
child. Both actors are perfect casting choices for filmmaker Mendoza's placid
tone and pacing. Much is said during scenes of no dialogue.
And the film is even a
fresh and invigorating experience, not only for its boldness to explore the
hidden beauty of Mindanao's geography and culture, but also because of a wife
going to extreme lengths to find her husband a second wife, one who is fertile
to conceive their long-anticipated child. This is an image we don't see in
Filipino movies, because in mainstream exploration of extramarital affairs and
love triangles characters talk and talk about nonsense, reducing women as
objects and elevating men as some sort of sex god. THY WOMB reverses all of
that, and by way of highlighting the importance of culture and tradition in
reference to gender, the conflict is made much more difficult. Remember that
THY WOMB takes place in a Muslim community, and with Mendoza you notice every
bit of respect for the Muslim culture was exercised. Even the Muslim-Christian
strife lingered only in a passing image.
Mendoza and screenwriter
Henry Burgos makes a powerful stand on the Muslim-Christian conflict, even only
as a backgrounder. Nora Aunor's Shaleha tumbles down twice during the movie,
once at sea where rebel bandits causes their boat to capsize, and Bangas-An is
even shot in the process. The other is in the market, where Shaleha loses grip
on her sweet potatoes because of soldiers storming out of nowhere. During the
wedding scene where Mercedes Cabral does the ceremonial dance with her husband
in front of all the guests, gunfire ensues. But the show must go on. Life goes
on. This war is a huge farce staring us right in the face.
Nora Aunor shines in her
minimalist portrayal of the subservient wife Shaleha. Aunor indeed is such a
master of minimalist acting, and yet the emotional effect on the audience is
tremendous. Her eyes really do talk, and they talk endless paragraphs of
emotions. Towards the end, Mendoza breaks the image of the subservient wife,
reminding us Shaleha is still a woman and a human being capable of getting
hurt.
The arrival of Lovi Poe as
Mersila, the woman who will be wed to Bangas-An and who will supposedly give
Shaleha and Bangas-An their much-awaited child comes in brief, but strong. She
says only a few lines, but one particular line hit like an arrow in the heart,
and that plot twist made all the difference.
But in summation, is
giving birth to a child really the only essence of being a woman? Is a woman
less woman if she is barren? Yes she may be of less worth in reference to other
women who can produce offspring but is she of less worth in reference to
herself? Is she not a woman then? THY WOMB asks some difficult probing
questions without providing easy answers. The ending in particular is raved by
critics, because of the powerful image it evokes-- which is one of uncertainty
over seemingly calm waters. (MACKY MACARAYAN)
Thy Womb tells a
very slight story about a woman’s devotion to her husband, the movie ending
just as it sits on the brink of getting really interesting. The drama never
quite rises to the heights one would expect from such an emotionally loaded
premise. But its slightness doesn’t detract too much from the overall quality
of the picture. Graceful filmmaking combines with a terrific performance from
the much-missed Nora Aunor to produce something quietly moving.
Shaleha and Bangas-An (Nora Aunor and Bembol Roco) are a
married Badjao couple living in Tawi-Tawi. Shaleha is also a midwife, but is
unable to bear children herself. Wanting to have a child around the house, she
consents to Bangas-An taking a second wife. The movie follows Shaleha as she
seeks out potential wives for her husband, setting up meetings and negotiating
dowries with all the families around town with available daughters.
There’s little urgency in the plot. The film is happy to
linger in the details of the couple’s life, and build up the world around them.
When Shaleha isn’t looking for a bride for her husband, she is weaving a mat,
or catching fish, or hanging them up to dry. They attend a wedding, and watch
the happy young couple dance. Occasionally, a burst of gunfire serves as a
reminder of the violence that persists in the region. But it’s hardly ever more
than a reminder. Their life continues. The movie doesn’t chase down the
violence, and simply accepts it as a part of life in this setting.
The film finds its core in its graceful depiction of
ritual. It presents people entangled in a system of rituals suffused with the
tension that exists in the intersection of faith and personal need. The movie,
in its own, quiet way, asks what it means to love in a society where marriage
is a negotiation. The answer it provides is surprisingly nuanced. The film
makes no judgments, and instead portrays an idea of love that is colorful and
complex. The film only falters near the end, as the story cuts out before the
dramatic meat of the story can come to fruition.
But the movie has other strong points. Strong lensing from
Odyssey Flores makes great use of Tawi-Tawi’s unique backgrounds. Performances
are excellent. There is probably no doubt in any Filipino’s mind that Nora
Aunor is one the finest actresses to ever appear on our screens. But should
there be a trace of it, her performance here should wipe that all out. Aunor
remains radiant on screen, playing her character with heartbreaking grace. At
her side, Bembol Roco plays his character just as smartly, the unspoken gratitude always on his face, the growing conflict
just creeping in from the corners of his mouth.
Thy Womb
might leave people wanting more, the film ending on too ambiguous a note.
Ambiguity can be a very good in cinema, but in this case, it feels as if the
movie didn’t really know where to go. There’s plenty of drama left over to
explore, and it’s a bit of a cheat to not to go there. Having said all that,
the film is still quite worthy of an audience’s attention. It is well crafted
and beautifully acted, and even in its slightness, it possesses a sense of
grace absent from so many of our films.(PHILBERT ORTIZ DY, ClicktheCity.com)
