Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Vilma Santos: From Trudis Liit to Aida Macaraeg

From Trudis Liit to Aida Macaraeg spans 21 long years and that covers the film career of top actress Vilma Santos until now. Trudis Liit has already become synonymous with the famous actress' name in the same manner that Darna (which she starred with Rosa del Rosario, Liza Moreno, Evan Montes, Gina PareƱo, Lorna Tolentino -on TV- Rio Locsin, and would you believe, even Dolphy in Darna Kuno?), Dyesebel (which she aldo shared with Edna Luna, Eva Montes - did she or didn't she - and Alma Moreno), Wonder Vi, Maria Sinderela, (in Ang Mahiwagang Daigdig ni Maria Sinderela), Susan Kelly (in Susan Kelly, Edad 20), Rubia Servios and Miss X have been identified with her. And now Aida Macaraeg. Aida Macaraeg: Adultery Case No. 3690 is the new and hopefully the final title of Vilma's latest Regal film which is directed by Lino Brocka. Ilang beses ding nagpalit-palit ng titulo ang pelikulang ito ni Vilma starting out with Obsession as its working title, then it was changed to Separasyon Legal, and still to Paano Kita Mamahalin? before finally setting for Aida Macaraeg: Adultery Case No. 3690. Maganda na sana ang unang titulo nito, ang Obsession. Bagay na bagay ito sa tema ng kuwento about an obsessed lover kaya lang medyo apprehensive ang pamunuan ng Regal na baka hindi ito bumenta sa mga probinsiya dahil masyadong high sounding ang tilulong Obsession at hindi ito maintindihan. The most likely thing to happen ay maipagkakamali itong isang foreign film with the same title shown several years ago. That film was directed by Brian de Palma and it starred Genevieve Bujold.

The change from Obsession to Separasyon Legal did not satisfy the Regal boss, Lily Monteverde, because the new title sounded like a take-off from two of Vilma's most successful films, Relasyon and Broken Marriage. So they thought of another title and conisdered Paano Kita Mamahalin. Pero and Paano Kita Mamahalin? ay parang kapareho ng titulo ng pinakamalaking hit na pelikula ng Viva Films na major competitor ng Regal. Ito iyong Paano Ba Ang Mangarap? na pinangunahan din ni Vilma Santos. Matagal nang tapos ang pelikula at umalis at dumating na mula sa abroad ang direktor nitong si Lino Brocka ay hindi pa mapagpasiyahan ang talagang ipapamagat dito. So, nag-meeting uli ang mga taga-Regal and after a thorough brainstorming session may nag-suggest ng pangalang Aida Macaraeg (according to reports ay si Ronald Carballo raw ang nagbigay ng pangalang iyon) at dinagdagan na lang iyon ng Adultery Case No. 3690 dahil nga tungkol sa isang true-to-life adultery case ang pelikula na hango sa files ng manunulat na si Aida Sevilla-Mendoza. Finally, napagkasunduan na rin ang huling titulo at ito'y iri-release na tentatively in January 1984. The new title reminds one of the film Rubia Servios which was also a true-to-life account of a celebrated case (this time rape) and featured the successful triumvirate fo Vilma Santos, Philip Salvador and Lino Brocka. Maalala na sa pelikulang Rubia Servios nakaranas at natamo ng aktres ang pinaka-heartbreaking na kabiguan sa kanyang entire career during the 1978 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Sa nasabing festival, matunog na matunog ang pangalan ni Vilma - with the moviegoing audience, the film enthusiasts and the film critics - at hinulaan pa ngang siya ang mananalo pero nang dumating ang awards night ay si Nora Aunor ang nagwagi para sa pelikulang Atsay. Sabi pa nga noon ni Vilma: "Talagang doon ako sa pelikulang iyon umasa nang malaki at nabigo. Pagkatapos noon, parang nagkaroon na ako ng phobia na magdadalo sa mga awards night at lalong hindi na ako umaasa nang ganoong katindi. Kaya laking gulat ko nang mapanaluhan ko ang lahat ng mga Best Actress awards sa taong ito dahil ayoko na talagnag umasa." Ang naging malaking konsolasyon lang ni Vilma sa Rubia Servios ay ang tinamong tagumpay nito sa takilya na kahit tapos na ang festival ay patuloy pa ring ipinapalabas sa mga sinehan at humakot ng marami pang manonood long afer it's rival films were already withdrawn from exhibition. After Rubia and after a peropd of five years ngayon lang muling nagkasama sa pelikula sina Vilma Santos at Lino Brocka. Although there was a time before that the director wanted the actress for one of his films (Kontrobersiyal), hindi nagkaroon ng katuparan iyon dahil sa very hectic na schedule ni Vilma nuon at hindi na nakapaghintay si Lino. The role eventually went to Gina Alajar and the film became one of Lino's most underrated movies. Sa Aida Macaraeg, muli na namang tatalakayin ang tungkol sa infidelities ng marriage na naging tatak na ng mga pelikula ni Vilma.

Sa pagkakataong ito, hindi na siya ang "Kabit" kundi siya na ang magkakaroon ng extra-marital relations o sa madaling sabi, siya na ang magkakaroon ng "kabit." Nangyari na rin tio sa ilang pelikula ni Vilma kung saan ginampanan niya ang papel ng isang babaing my asawa at nagkaroon siya ng loverl tulad sa Hiwalay, Karma, at Minsan Pa Nating Hagkan Ang Nakaraan. Pero kakaiba ang mangyayari sa kanya sa Aida Macaraeg dahil dito ay madedemanda siya. How the actress will handle the role which in real life is the exact opposite of herself is something too watch especially now that husband Edu Manzano is back after almost a year of estrangement. For a superstar and a highly successful actress who tries so hard to hold on to her married life like their is no other, playing an adulterous wife is almost a life-like departure for her. As she has always said time and again: "I'm trying my best to make my marriage work. Kahit ano pa mang pambabatikos ang gawin nila hindi ko hahayaang masira ang aking married life nang ganoon na lang. Ang pinakamahalaga sa aking ngayon ay ang aking asawa't anak. Sila ang dahilan kung bakit kinakaya ko ang lahat. Sabi nila, hindi raw puwedeng pagsabayin ang movie career at marriage. But I will try my best that what happened to most of my colleagues will not happen to me. I am willing to compromise fo the sake of my marriage. I have always belived in my husband at kung kinakailangang isakripisyo ko ang aking movie career ay gagawin ko huwag lang masira ang aming magandang pagsasama. Hindi ko basta-basta isusuko na alng ang lahat. Mahal na mahal ko sial." With that kind of belief and devotion, siguro wala nang makakapigil pa sa aktres na itaguyod ang kanyang sariling pamilya. Wala na. Not even her movie career. What a woman! This Trudis Liit now transformed into the "biggest" women in local film history namely Aida Macaraeg, Sister Stella L and Baby Tsina. With that kind of revoluntionary women's role in recent history, who needs a husband? Only Vilma Santos! - Julio Cinko N., Movie Flash, 05 January 1984, Posted at Facebook

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