Kisapmata

Kisapmata
Directed by Mike De Leon
Produced by Ronaldo S. Atienza
Written by Mike de Leon
Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr.
Raquel Villavicencio
Based on "The House on Zapote Street" by Nick Joaquin
Starring Vic Silayan
Charo Santos
Jay Ilagan
Charito Solis
Music by Lorrie Ilustre
Cinematography Rody Lacap
Edited by Jess Navarro
Distributed by Bancom
Release date
 1981
Running time
 98 minutes
Country Philippines
Language Filipino

Kisapmata (lit. In the Wink of an Eye) is a 1981 psychological horror film directed by Mike De Leon, written for the screen by De Leon, Clodualdo del Mundo Jr., and Raquel Villavicencio. The plot was inspired by Nick Joaquin's 1961 article "The House on Zapote Street," which was later republished in Joaquin's non-fiction anthology, Reportage on Crime (1968). It starred Vic Silayan, Charo Santos, Jay Ilagan, and Charito Solis.

Released during the 7th Metro Manila Film Festival, the film barely broke even at the box office. However, it received unanimous critical acclaim, establishing De Leon as one of the great directors of the new generation. It eventually won the festival's most coveted title of "Best Film," garnered ten major awards in FAMAS, was presented in Cannes in the Director's Fortnight, and was adjudged by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino as one of the Ten Best Films of the 1980s.

It was the first major treatment of incest in Philippine cinema, which was considered daring for its time. Other strong subject matters covered were murder, suicide and parricide.

Plot

Dadong Carandang (Silayan), a retired police officer, is the domineering father of Mila (Santos), and he is extremely jealous of the latter's suitors, never allowing them into his house. One day, Mila falls in love with Noel Manalansan (Ilagan) and they decide to seek Dadong's permission to get married. Mila finds out she is pregnant. Dadong agrees on the condition that Noel pay a ridiculously costly dowry as well as shoulder a luxurious wedding. Noel agrees and works hard to meet Dadong's demands.

After the wedding, Dadong insists that the couple stay in his house. Despite protestations by the couple, they acquiesce. The couple is not allowed to sleep together for various reasons, i.e., that Mila's mother Dely (Solis) is sick and Mila needs to comfort her through the night.

After several months of living in this misery, the couple decide to escape. They were hunted by Dadong, to no avail. One day Dadong changes his tactic and makes some compromises to bring them back. Eventually, the couple decides to go back to Dadong's house, but only to gather their belongings. Dadong pleads with Mila not to leave as it is revealed that he has been carrying out an incestuous relationship with his daughter all along, and the baby is his. When Mila and Noel stand firm on leaving, Dadong is driven to desperation and brings out his gun, shooting Dely, Noel, and then finally, Mila. Seeing to no longer consume himself in such obsession, he shoots himself.

Cast

  • Vic Silayan as Dadong Carandang
  • Charo Santos as Mila Carandang
  • Jay Ilagan as Noel Manalansan
  • Charito Solis as Dely Carandang
  • Ruben Rustia as Peping Manalasan
  • Karl Robert Angeles as KRA
  • Carlito Gonzaga as Bonoy Carandang
  • Aida Carmona as Onyang
  • Juan Rodrigo as Ernie
  • Cora Alforja as Cynthia
  • Dindo Angeles as Mario
  • Ray Villania as Eddie
  • Edwin O'Hara as Pulis 1
  • Mandy Bustamante as Pulis 2
  • Crisanta Cruz as Pinty Manalansan
  • Mely Mallari as Diomy
  • Monette Alfon as Landlady
  • Teresita R. Sanchez as Dra. Trinidad
  • Larry Bugarin as Ayie

Production

Kisapmata was inspired by an incident which occurred on the afternoon of January 17, 1961, when forensics detective Pablo Cabading of the Manila Police Department murdered both his daughter and son-in-law at his residence in 1074 Zapote Street, Makati. The screenplay was written by Mike De Leon, Clodualdo del Mundo Jr., and Raquel Villavicencio; the same team who previously collaborated Kakabakaba Ka Ba (1980) and would later work on Batch '81 (1982). Del Mundo wrote dialogue for the male characters, while Villavicencio wrote for the female characters; with De Leon unifying the script through his concept. Filming was completed in one year, a rarity at a time when Tagalog films were typically finished in two months.[1]

Reception

Box office

At the start of the Metro Manila Film Festival in 1981, Kisapmata was 10th of 10 films at the box office. After it swept the awards at the festival, it climbed into the top three at the box office.[2]

Critical response

Mel Tobias wrote of Kisapmata, "this complex and remarkably modulated film may be De Leon’s finest work."[1]

The movie is "de Leon’s masterpiece," wrote Oggs Cruz. "It is clear that the characters in De Leon's film are real human beings—they work, they interact with other people, they have needs and ambitions. It is that factor that turns this nightmare even far more chilling than Hitchcock's [Psycho]."[3]

"Even after all this time, the film continues to unsettle, not only because De Leon gives us a very real monster that anticipates many of the paternalistic ogres that continue to dominate our lives—in one form or the other—today, but rather because it shows us a world where he can exist: our own," wrote Erwin Romulo.[4] Romulo says of Silayan’s character, "the way he’s portrayed by Vic Silayan makes him also very human, all too unmistakably so, and perhaps all the more terrifying because we realize how familiar we already are with his features."[4]

Accolades

It won a total of eight Gawan Urian Awards and received one FAMAS award nomination.

Year Group Category Name Result
1981 Metro Manila Film Festival [5] Best Film Kisapmata Won
Best Director Mike De Leon Won
Best Actor Vic Silayan Won
Best Supporting Actor Jay Ilagan Won
Best Supporting Actress Charito Solis Won
Best Screenplay Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., Raquel Villavicencio, and Mike De Leon Won
Best Story Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr., Raquel Villavicencio, and Mike De Leon Won
Best Editing Jess Navarro and Ben Pelayo Won
Art Production - Won


References

  1. 1 2 Tobias, Mel (1998). One Hundred Acclaimed Tagalog Movies: Sineng Mundo, Best of Philippine Cinema. Vancouver: Peanut Butter Pub. ISBN 0897168100. OCLC 38949816.
  2. ↑ Cruz, Bayani San Diego Jr., Marinel R. (December 15, 2017). "Inquirer's Guyito a symbol of hope in filmmaker's fight for free cinema". Inquirer. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  3. ↑ Cruz, Oggs (2006-10-27). "Kisapmata (1982)". Lessons From the School of Inattention. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  4. 1 2 "Remembering the Second Golden Age of Philippine cinema". CNN. September 23, 2016. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  5. ↑ "Metro Manila Film Festival:1981". IMDB. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
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