GABUN And Life's Many Complexities

Posted by Jojo Devera , Labels: , , , , ,

Gabun
Maryo J. de los Reyes' second feature Gabun (Agrix Films Production, Inc.) invites memories of the triangular romances that flourished in the 60's, those Lolita Rodriguez-Marlene Dauden-Eddie Rodriguez starrers. Rodriguez, is cast fittingly  enough as Gabun's central character, a prosperous entrepreneur named Jaime Solis. For almost two decades, he has successfully maintained a pair of contented families. Chedeng (Liza Lorena), his spouse on the other side has willingly shared his secret throughout but his rightful wife Mameng (Charito Solis), their son Jun (Lloyd Samartino) and his son by Chedeng, Adrian (Michael Sandico) have been kept in the dark all this time. Jun and Adrian, both on the brink of manhood are brought together by their common interests, sports, discos and girls despite belonging to two different  income brackets and social circles. In the course of their conversation, Adrian discovers his parents clandestine arrangement and is temporarily disillusioned. Almost concurrently, Mameng catches up on her husband's misdeeds and together with her son, reacts unforgivingly to the trauma by banishing the offender from their abode. With the roof caving in on his life, including a business gone bankrupt, Jaime deteriorates into a desperate alcoholic. The devotion shown Jaime by his second family fails to dissuade him from his self-inflicted penance. The ordeal ends for him when, having wrongly assumed a murder by his own hands, he comes to realize the totality of his downfall and ends his life. At his funeral, the widows and their sons literally join hands in a mournful reconciliation.

Religiously adapted from the one-act stage play by Tony Perez, Tom Adrales' insufficiently premeditated scenario unwittingly draws questions concerning the plausibility of its dramatic circumstances. Didn't Adrian ever wonder why his father barely spent nights with them? If he did, what reason could his mother have possibly held up to him for so long? Could it have really taken Mameng almost two decades to finally chance upon her husband's infidelity? De los Reyes' treatment of Adrales' shortsighted screenplay likewise presents an indiscriminate transposition of stage and screen techniques. The recurring appearance of the mysterious lady in black with a dead white pigeon hanging from her waistband, presumably intended as an ominous symbol is laughable in its theatricality. De los Reyes obviously wills rather than wields Gabun's mistakenly intrinsic gravity as a tragedy. The performances, particularly those of Rodriguez and Sandico are overly deliberate and purposeful even during easy or intimate moments, in this, they are abetted by Adrales' cumbersome dialogue. The film's sense of self-importance is such that its two normal teenagers are incapable of sporting casual nicknames, but must instead repeatedly address each other with undue formality. De los Reyes is sensitive not to the inherent possibility of his widely diverse material but rather to the stereotypes which reflects influence of the prevailing narrow-minded outlook towards a medium which more than any other, may take on the complexities of life itself.

Directed By: Maryo J. de los Reyes
Based On The One-Act Play By: Tony Perez
Screenplay By: Tom Adrales
Director Of Photography: Joe Batac, Jr.
Musical Director: Idan Cortez
Film Editor: Edgardo "Boy" Vinarao
Production Design: Fiel Zabat
Produced By: Agrix Films Production, Inc.
Release Date: September 7, 1979

18 Response to "GABUN And Life's Many Complexities"

  1. ronald says:
    11:33 AM

    Hi Jojo,

    An excellent review. I think I have this on VCD, but after reading your review, I'm not in a hurry to watch it.

    Regards,
    RSE

  2. Jojo Devera says:
    11:40 AM

    Thanks so much Ron! I think now would be the perfect time to watch Gabun... I would love to know what you think of the movie.

  3. Dennis says:
    11:13 PM

    Hi Jojo!

    I could very well relate to your review since I saw this on VCD. I remember when Ch.5 used to air this movie almost every week(!) during lunch time. I've grown weary of Gabun that time. Years after, I bought a vcd copy and watch it again. I like it better than those times it was aired on 5. Maybe because it was shown at lunch time.

    The scene I like the most was the ending/funeral scene which was included in your screencap! Lloyd Samartino cries his heart out while Michael Sandico sort of consoles him.

    Again, nice screencaps!

  4. Jojo Devera says:
    6:59 AM

    Really? They showed the movie every week and during lunch time?

    I feel the same way about Gabun, Dennis... I thought the film ended abruptly at the funeral scene where they all reconciled. It may not be as brilliant as High School Circa '65 but Gabun with it's many shortcomings is an otherwise engaging family drama.

  5. ronald says:
    11:14 AM

    Hi Jojo,

    OK will try to watch it before the end of the week. Will post my thoughts after. :-)

    Regards,
    RSE

  6. Jojo Devera says:
    6:22 AM

    Please do... I'm dying to read your thoughts about the movie, Ron.

  7. Dennis says:
    11:04 AM

    I thought I sent my second comment also here, sorry Jojo.

    Anyway, during that time the 'sponsor' was Pidro Worm Killer with a guy who pretends to be an animal specialist who endorses. Along with the airing of Gabun was High School Circa '65 too!

    Gabun was a watchable family drama for me considering this as one of Maryo J's earliest films despite a bit abrupt and too easily solved dilemma.

  8. Jojo Devera says:
    2:38 PM

    So they showed mostly Agrix produced films before, Dennis? I wonder where the broadcast copies are. They should've used them for the VCD release instead.

    I share your sentiments with Gabun... The conflict was resolved effortlessly. I was hoping for a dramatic confrontation between the two women, instead they just had that one scene in Baguio...

  9. Dennis says:
    11:16 AM

    You know Jojo I think so. I also remember Kampus? being shown too during those times though not as often as Gabun and High School Circa '65. Unfortunately, only High School Circa '65 wasn't released in vcd. Gabun and Kampus are.

    May be there was a different or alternate ending hehe...

  10. Jojo Devera says:
    1:16 PM

    Hopefully, High School Circa will be released commercially very soon...

    I doubt if they shot an alternate ending to Gabun. It ended the same way as the one-act play.

  11. ronald says:
    1:02 PM

    We saw it tonight. They should call the movie, “The Long and Winding Road”, I really struggled to finish it. Amy Austria’s character is just plain annoying and since her story wasn’t fully explored they could have easily removed it without affecting the main story arc. The half brother’s girlfriend is such a bore to watch and her character doesn’t really add anything. She even has a lengthy breakdown scene that came out of nowhere. Lisa Lorena and Charito Solis are good as usual though. Eddie Rodriguez’ monotonous delivery of his lines almost put me to sleep. Like you said, the symbolisms are too theatrical and obvious. The confrontation scene in the church of the two half brothers also went on and on and on like the Energizer Bunny . BTW do you know what Gabun means?

  12. Jojo Devera says:
    2:41 PM

    Some scenes in the movie went on and on and you're right, some of the characters such as Amy Austria and Winnie Santos, yes she's Vilma's younger sister didn't help move the story forward. The source material was a one-act play so the writer had to make it long enough as a feature film. Both Charito and Liza were competent. I guess Eddie Rodriguez has played the role so many times, he just seemed too bored to me...

    Gabun means Ama Mo, Ama Ko...

  13. Dennis says:
    12:55 AM

    Perhaps one of the bane in translating a one-act play into celluloid. Thanks for the insights Jojo!

  14. Jojo Devera says:
    1:53 AM

    There are a lot of one-act plays that were well-translated into the big screen. I guess in Gabun's case, it has a lot to do with the material...

  15. Dennis says:
    1:08 PM

    Oo nga.

  16. Jojo Devera says:
    1:57 PM

    I wonder why Tony Perez didn't write the screenplay himself...

  17. Dennis says:
    11:03 AM

    I had a different impression naman on Tony Perez which I think he became famous for kaya nagugulat ako about his other works na mga drama.

  18. Jojo Devera says:
    11:58 AM

    He wrote quite a number of scripts in the 70's & 80's such as Brocka's Gumising Ka, Maruja and Init, Maryo J.'s Disco Madhouse and Gil Portes' Mga Pusong Uhaw...

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Karapatang Magpalathala 2006-2013. SARI-SARING SINENG PINOY Lahat Ng Karapatan Ay Nakalaan. Disenyo Jojo Devera