Scanning television programming last Holy Week lead me to watch Lino Brocka’s “Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa” (1974). In the second and third episode, I was struck by the acting styles of three of Philippine cinema’s most competent actresses: Anita Linda and Hilda Koronel in “Hello Soldier” and Lolita Rodriguez in “Bukas, Madilim, Bukas.” Watching them act brings to mind my fascination with schools of acting in Philippine cinema. For a while it is fruitless to talk about who the best actress is among the lot, it is quite interesting to map the traditions of acting which our better actresses descend. Since much of the acting of our actresses is intuitive and is not schooled in, let us say the realist Stanislavski tradition and its expression in the Method, or the Brechtian philosophy of social gesture, the best category of analysis to probe is not style, but the body and how it articulates emotion. Here lie particular problems and possibilities. Inasmuch as it is the body that coordinates performance, the expression is derived from a certain authenticity of emotion which is either of the moment or processed in the history of feeling the actress as social person has gone through. But because, by the same token, it is the body that is the main instrument of acting, the quality of the body and susceptibility to stereotyping limit the range of portrayals. There are also, of course, other factors to consider like the irresistible habits of Spanish and American colonial theater, the market demands of Hollywood, and the imperatives imposed by other mass media forms like radio and television. Still, the body and the process of embodiment of emotion are key to the appreciation of certain tendencies in acting. We now list random schools of thought in Philippine acting, with body parts as locus of action and source of idiosyncratic flair.
The “gigil” school which demands high energy, intensity and stamina in gesticulation as gleaned in the heavygoing styles of Vilma Santos, Charito Solis, Coney Reyes, and Maricel Soriano.
The “dibdib” school which plumbs the depths of repression to flesh out violation of the darkest kind as exemplified by Nora Aunor, Gina Alajar, and Nida Blanca.
The “sumamo” school which forces the actress to almost grovel in supplication as if on the verge of breakdown as rendered with subtle nuances and gross oversimplifications by Dawn Zulueta, Aiko Melendez, Julie Vega, and Judy Ann Santos.
The “bukas palad-tahip” school which allows the actress to compensate lack of facial acting with the repetitive up-and-down movement of arms as if in winnowing motion as best typified by Dina Bonnevie, Gretchen Barretto, and Sharon Cuneta.
The “dilat-litid” school which is the stark opposite of the previous in that it rarely uses body parts other than the eyes, which glower, and the mouth, which exerts the most dramatic vocal pressure, as executed with grace and precision (but sometimes with paranoia) by Lolita Rodriguez, Hilda Koronel, Vivian Foz, and Snooky Serna.
The “ngilid-ismid” school which contrues dramatic acting in terms of the ability of the performer to stifle sobs, make the eyes appear teary, and arrest the fall of tears (which are only made to well around the lids); the actress finishes of the act with a signature sarcastic grin as if to feign control over obviously collapsing faculties. Exemplars include Lorna Tolentino and Alice Dixson.
The “taas-noo-taas-kilay” school which exudes an air of sophistication marked by a mannered delivery of English one-liners and catty retort, complete with rolling r’s, as honed to perfection and cult status Rita Gomez, Celia Rodriguez, and Pilar Pilapil.
The “tulala-titig” school which shows the actress, seized in catatonia and resignation, staring out into a clearing as practiced with varying success by Rosa Rosal, Susan Roces, Helen Gamboa, and Charo Santos-Concio.
The “tiklop-bisig-sabay-irap” school which stresses a point by asking the actress to fold her arms and place them close to the chest as she holds her head high and lets out a sneer, with pout and high-pitched admonition attending, as perfected by the likes of Gloria Diaz and Raquel Villavicencio.
The “nguya-halakhak” school which is actually the bold-star type of depicting street-smartness on the outside and profound anguish within as embodied by Jaclyn Jose, Sarsi Emmanuel, and Rosanna Roces, who chew gum as astutely as they chew on their troubles.
The “buntong-hininga” school which manifests exasperation and impatience by making the actress take a deep breath and then expel air in the most hyperbolic fashion, as noticed in the petulant but sometimes poignant temper of Sheryl Cruz, Janice de Belen, and Liza Lorena.
The “tirik-pungay” school which tries to simulate dementia by urging the actress to roll her eyes in almost pathological manner and engage in imbecilic talk as represented by Anita Linda and Armida Siguion-Reyna.
The “kagat-labi, kagat-daliri” school which essays the confused and panic-stricken look by asking the performer to bite her lips and, if all else fails, one of her fingers as manifested in the body of work of Barbara Perez, Delia Razon, and Leni Santos.
The “tikom-bibig” school which rules against the actress opening her mouth, the better for her to mumble like mantra a litany of “sama ng loob” against the world as ably demonstrated by Amy Austria and Gina Pareño.
The “nginig-baba” school which puts premium on the quiver around the mouth to denote tension, as lovingly cultivated into an art form by Zsa Zsa Padilla, Kris Aquino, and Vivian Foz.
The “lisik” school which is the standard “kontrabida” demeanor as codified in iconography of Carol Varga, Bella Flores, Zeny Zabala, Princess Punzalan, and Gladys Reyes.
These schools of thought in Philippine acting inevitably degenerate into mannerisms, convenient stylizations and affectations, and finally self-parody. In the absence of a serious consideration of acting as an art and profession, our actress simply resort to what they know best, what their hearts tell them, what their bodies are bent to express. Sometimes, they are betrayed by their knowledge, their emotion, and their own flesh and blood. But with a little education and distance from an almost natural reflex, our actresses can heighten their sensibilities and become one of the best in the world. It is not seldom we hear of international film festival directors remarking that Philippine actresses are able to save the films they are in by virtue of their heartfelt performances. Surely, as the Filipino word for performance (“pagganap”) indicates, acting is an enabling means of making and doing; it signifies the process of working toward a certain fullness or “kaganapan,” a labor and conception, the fulfillment of role. And if one is a good actress of the Philippine cinema, one must be true to the doubt that something is wrong with the world to which one is born and is committed to do something about it. We await the day when our actresses are finally able to do something about the art that expresses both their suspicion and struggle, a tradition of both acting out social condition and acting agent of its possible transformation. - Patrick Flores, Hot Seat Manila Standard, 2001 (
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When it Rains, It Pours - "...Ate Vi to fans and friends, the enduring actress was born in 1953. She turns 64 on her birthday counting more years of contribution to society both as a public servant and as movie queen...Incidentally, Caveat was one of the few friends from the press made to sit with the audience during the taping, giving ample time to exchange pleasantries with the actress while she was in the holding area. The conversation meandered to her recent tour de force performance in “Everything About Her” which earned her Best Actress Award from the 1st Eddys Award given to her by the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors or SPEED. This was followed by another Best Actress Award for the same film bestowed on her by the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Movies...It is also worth mentioning that the Star for All Seasons was also bestowed Best Actress Award for the same film by Tony Awards Philippines from its founder and fearless film critic Tony Aguilar. The critic, who also comes out annually in his entertainment column with a list of worst films and worst performers, even thinks “Everything About Her” would have stood a bigger chance at the Oscars than the “Birdshot” of Mikhael Red. Other Best Actress Awards that Vilma Santos earned for “Everything About Her” included the 1st Guild of Educators & Mentors (GEM) Awards, Gawad Tanglaw, Pasado Award, and Philippine Entertainment Portal ( PEP’s) List of Awardees. Indeed, in a manner of speaking, when it rains awards it pours as well..." - George Vail Kabristante, Manila Times, 27 October 2017 (READ MORE)
Gigi - "...The role of Gigi was meant to conunterpoint the labor problem. Other scenes could have been included which would highlight that Vilma had some success with her counselling job." May mga puna sa pelikula, tulad ng mga may pagka-talky raw ito? "Yeah, napansin din ng iba ito. I was worried that the film was becoming more talky as we went on, pero sabi ni Mike, talk is as important as the visuals." May pagka-claustrophobic daw ang effect ng pelikula? "I think it was deliberate. I can remember Mike telling our production designer, Cesar Hernando, to give a claustrophobic effect to the sets, particularly the interiors. With regard to the criticism na ang mga workers ay malilinis, ang masasabi ko, ang mga trabahador sa isang factory ng cooking oil ay malilinis naman." Pagkapanood mo ng pelikla, anong bahagi ang nais mo pang baguhin? "Maaari kong dagdagan ang mga eksena sa Caritas na ipinapakita ang ibang alaga roon, at gusto ko ring ipakita ang relasyon ni Vilma sa kanyang pamilya. Kung tatanungin ako, na kung dapat inabuso pa si Vilma sa kamay ng mga goons, hindi yon totoo, wala pa naman akong nalalaman na ginagawa yon sa mga madre, sa aking pagkakaalam." Anong mga reaksiyon ng mga nanood na sa pelikula? "Generally positive. That is as far as the selected audiences where the pricture was shown. Generally, sabi nila, masakit daw, nakakakonsyensiya daw, nakakagalit. May kanyang pala-palagay sa mga detalye." Personally, what is the merit of the film? "I hope it can change the perceptions of people with regard to certain realities, open their eyes probably. Well, the censors felt it was not subversive, not anti-government. Sana hindi mangyari sa pelikula ang ginawa nila sa pelikulang Sakada..." - Mike Feria, Jingle Extra Hot Magazine, 06 July 1984, Posted by James DR, 21 July 2016 (READ MORE)
Vilma's "Katuparan" on GMA-7 Tonight - Vilma Santos'second venture into television production, the tele-movie "Katuparan" is scheduled for telecast tonight on Channel 7, 8 to 10. "Katuparan" teams up Vilma for the first time with action star Ronnie Ricketts (with Vilma above). Together, they pit acting talents with veteran actor Dante Rivero. Ronnie plays Vilma's ex-boyfriend and Dante plays Ronnie's older brother who married Vilma. Adapted from the foreign telemovie "The Fulfillment of Mary Gray," "Katuparan" is directed by Marilou Diaz Abaya and written by Raquel Villavicencio. - Mike Herrera, from Facebook.
Superb Child Star - " Vilma Santos started her movie career in 1963 at a young age of 9 in a movie, "Trudis Liit," which she topbilled along with veteran stars Lolita Rodriguez and Luis Gonzales. She won the FAMAS Best Child Actress for her superb performance in that movie...At the age of 9, Vilma was tapped to star opposite Gloria Romero; Rita Gomez in the movie “Anak, ang Iyong Ina.” She was discovered by her uncle Mr. Amaury Agra, who was a cameraman at the Sampaguita Studios. When she, together with her mother went to the Sampaguita compound to report, an audition was going on. Seeing the more than a hundred kids auditioning, Vi went and watched. Dr. Jose Perez, producer of Sampaguita, saw the little Vi and asked her to join the audition. Vi was hesitant because she know that she’s there for a different movie, but she was prodded to join. When her turn came, she acted with veteran Bella Flores. All the people were impressed, much more Dr. Perez! Vilma got the title role for the movie “Trudis Liit.” So, that at age 9, she was making two movies at the same time! She continued doing movies as daughter of big stars Gloria Romero, Lolita Rodriguez, Rita Gomez, Marlene Dauden, Eddie Rodriguez and a lot more. In 1968, at the age of 15, she got the Best Supporting Actress award from the San Beda College awards for the movie “Kasalanan Kaya?” She was also nominated for a FAMAS award..." - Eric Nadurata, Reposted by Simon Santos, Video48, 04 November 2007 (READ MORE)
Guaranteed Immortality - "The year was 1982, exactly two decades ago, and we well remember being enthralled by the sheer force of its powerful images and quietly devastating performances. We are one of the blessed few who own a video tape copy of the film that has remained, through the years, Nora Aunor's signature film. The pint-sized superstar delivered a miracle of a performance as Elsa, the false visionary. Perhaps, the finest performance by a Filipino actor ever recorded on celluloid. If the diminutive multimedia luminary ever decides to leave the movies for good, Himala is enough reason to guarantee her of immortality...we believe that Nora Aunor should have swept all the best actress awards for that particular year. She was pitted against Vilma Santos' heartfelt portrayal of the mistress in Relasyon and the latter scored a grandslam. This is not to belittle Santos' portrayal but if one were to be objective, it would be easy to see that Aunor had the more complex role and only an actress of her caliber can pull off the part with much persuasion. It calls for a restrained, self-effacing acting style. And Aunor, the consummate actress that she was (take note that we used the past tense because the more recent film outings of the actress are far from her best. She has become very florid, like a bad version of a hysterical Charito Solis), strikes not a false note in her performance. It is, in one word, mesmerizing. And Himala is without a scintilla of a doubt the pinnacle of her cinematic achievements..." - Arnel Resma Ramos, reposted by Simon Santos, Video48, 29 December 2007 (READ MORE)
Fernado Poe Jr. and Vilma Santos: 1974 Box Office King and Queen - "Action King Fernando Poe, Jr. and Vilma Santos were awarded the Box-Office King and Queen in 1974. That year, both stars starred and appeared in the movie, "Batya't Palu-Palo," a sensational hit." - Simon Santos, FPJ-daking, 26 March 2009, Photo credit: Eric Nadurata (READ MORE)
For Miss X: Off to Amsterdam With Vilma Santos and Party - "Miss Vilma Santos and her entourage which includes her mommy and daddy flew off to Amsterdam one Sunday afternoon para sa pelikulang Miss X ng Sining Silangan which will be shot ther in entirety. The group who saw them off at the airport was headed by Jesse Ejercito and some Sining Silangan bigwigs, fans of Vilma at ilang close friends from the press. Nauna rito ay nagkaroon ng ilang tenaw moments ang mga tao sa likod ng proyektong ito nang kung ilang ulit na mabalam ang pagalis ni Vi. We understand from some sources that the company was about to make a sudden change of decision kaugnay ng roles ni Vi nang biglang makahulagpos ang superstar sa kanyang mga commitments dito at ipasiyang lumipad na nga patungong Amsterdam. Ayon sa aming balita, matapos ang shooting doon ay tutuloy sa Los Angeles si Vi together with her parents upang duon idaos ang kanyang birthday, Nov. 3. This decision of hers of course saddened many of fans here pero parang higit diumano ang axiety ngayon ng Bancom, Regal at Lea dahil umano'y slated si Vi na gumawa ng pelikula sa kanila. Bancom for one is pinning their hopes on the early return of Vi dahil ang pelikulang ito si Charito Solis at siyang isasagupa sa tambalang Nora-Lolita Rodriguez naman ng para rin sa festival." - Jingle Extra Hot Magazine, October 29, 1979, Posted by James DR, 28 October 2017 (READ MORE)
