Love's Irony In KASALANAN BA?

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

Kasalanan Ba?
The usual Tagalog film is born of a wedding of illiteracies, the illiteracy of the audience, of the producer and of the director. Of the three, the audience has been the most abused, as though the failure of a creative work were the fault of its audience. To be sure, the intelligence of the audience may set the standard  for an art-work, however, it is the technical and esthetic equipment of the creator that determines its validity as art. The director, in so far as we can pick out an individual as creator in the cinematic art, is the artist of the film. His raw materials are the talents of his screenwriter, actors and technicians. The economics of movie making may subject him to a producer, but it is upon him that the artistry of the film ultimately depends. When a director blames the inanities of his work either on the producer or the audience, he simply demonstrates his failure to take on the responsibility of every artist to solve during the process of creation the problems presented by his medium. This responsibility entails an understanding of the logic of irony without which the creative work loses integrity. By irony, I mean that double awareness which detaches the creator from his material and allows him to discover a pattern in the incongruities of experience. Its logic therefore, would be inimical to the naive, the romantic and the sentimental qualities that indicate the creator's inability to comprehend in its totality the experience he aims to translate into art. The frequent breakdown of the logic of irony in our directors, accounts for the clichés, the anachronisms, the lapses of taste, the pointlessness and the complacency in many Filipino films.

Such is the case with Emmanuel Borlaza in the film Kasalanan Ba? (Regal Films, Inc.). A Borlaza film made before that sentimental fiasco gives fairer evidence of this director's use of irony. Kasalanan Ba? takes the modern Filipina for its theme and with painful honesty analyzes the various faces of love. The ironic temper of Kasalanan Ba? refuses to prettify the social conflict at the center of the plot. It also refrains from simplifying the consequences of Elvie's (Rio Locsin) indiscretions. At the conclusion, the human complications raised by her affair with Benjie (Alfie Anido) are not tidied up by her reconciliation with Anthony (Mark Gil). The final scene is in fact but an insight, bitter and anguished into the frailty of the flesh that breaks up people's lives. No other Filipino director delivers a cumulative impact than Borlaza at his best. While he may lack Brocka's lyricism and Bernal's narrative facility, Borlaza comprehends a wide range of contemporary Filipino experience which he interprets with a vision that can equal the other two directors in intensity. Borlaza never allows the improbabilities of his script to overwhelm his sense of irony. In Kasalanan Ba?, he steers the plot in such a way that coincidences in the encounters of the principal characters falls into a pattern that comments in the intertwining tragedies of people trapped in a society corroded by lust and money. Characterization is logical and so skillfully turned that the principal figures come off as rounded characters without necessarily complicating the plot. What makes Kasalanan Ba? auspicious, is the assurance that its director, who has frittered his talent away on one mundane melodrama after another, is capable of better work than he has hitherto demonstrated.

An Emmanuel H. Borlaza Film
Screenplay: Toto Belano
Cinematography: Eduardo Jacinto
Music: Tito Sotto
Film Editor: Rogelio Salvador
Produced By: Regal Films, Inc.
Release Date: October 23, 1980
Kasalanan Ba? theme song performed by Eva Eugenio

12 Response to "Love's Irony In KASALANAN BA?"

  1. Ronald Selorio says:
    9:57 AM

    Thanks Jojo for another great review and a nod to a good work of the easily dismissed filmmaker, Emmanuel Borlaza. I haven't seen it yet but based on your review, it seems to be a good movie.

  2. Dennis says:
    12:48 PM

    Hi Jojo!

    Another interesting piece of review. I like the film for the main reason- that of Rio's fresh face along with the then young Mark Gil and the late Alfie Anido. All great looking actors in one film.

    I noticed that in the first half of the film has shades of The Promise with Rio's as Kathleen Quinlan. But then it eventually segues with the obligatory sexy scenes that are still palatable to the viewers.

    The scene with Rene Salud while preparing rio to be a model had me in fits hehe..

    Borlaza is definitely no Brocka and Bernal but he delivers and pinoy melodrama I believed is his strength. I remember watching his films with Viva and enjoyed it.

    I never knew that it was Eva Eugenio who sang the theme. And gladly heard it during one of the film's montage.

  3. nanank says:
    1:28 PM

    hi...i stumbled to this blog after searching pinoy movie, especially penekula movie...which is very2 rare

    where can i download movie like this ?? is there any link to download this hot movie ???

    Thx

  4. Jojo Devera says:
    4:47 PM

    Thanks so much Ron...

    That's the problem with most film critics. They are quick to dismiss a director's work without watching his entire oeuvre. Maning Borlaza had his share of unforgettable films but he also managed to direct a handful of notable ones as well.

    Kasalanan Ba? is a very good movie with good intentions. When you find the time, give the film a chance. It may not be perfect but it's a movie that warrants your time and attention.

  5. Jojo Devera says:
    5:03 PM

    Hello Dennis!

    Kasalanan Ba? was a vehicle meant for Rio Locsin and I must say that her performance carried the film to absolute heights with help from Maning Borlaza's guiding hands.

    Most of his films tend to be overbearing at times but as I said, there are notable ones such as this film, Eva Fonda 16, Darna And The Giants, Stolen Moments and the second and third episodes of Rosa Mistika, to name a few.

    And to Borlaza's credit, many of the movies he directed were certified box office hits. He was responsible for making a Megastar out of Sharon Cuneta with Bukas Luluhod Ang Mga Tala and showed the movie industry that Snooky can be a bankable star with the success of Blusang Itim...

  6. Jojo Devera says:
    5:05 PM

    Sorry, there's no available link to download the movies...

  7. Dennis says:
    11:25 AM

    Nice, I thought it was meant for other young actress that time. Rio played her role well here.

    I'm surpised by some of Borlaza's films you mentioned that are notable like Darna and the Giants and an episode of Rosa Mistika! I though you would chose his more common melodrama blockbusters.

    Yes, Blusang Itim was definitely a megahit that time. My family saw it on theaters. Snooky carried her role very well in that movie.

  8. Jojo Devera says:
    4:37 PM

    Kasalanan Ba? was tailor made for Rio alone and you're right, she played her role in the film convincingly.

    Why were you surprised by Borlaza's notable films? Darna And The Giants may not be as great as Lipad, Darna, Lipad! but the movie had its moments, the others that followed were not as good. The last two episodes in Rosa Mistika were quite exceptional. The second was horror and the third was comic-fantasy.

    I was never a fan of Borlaza's melodramas, most especially the ones he did for Viva and Seiko. There's also an excellent drama that he did in the early 90's entitled Tayo Na Sa Dilim which starred Janice de Belen and Princess Punzalan.

  9. Dennis says:
    7:48 AM

    Grabe, kakaiba talaga ang mga aktres dati. Lumilitaw ng walang kaeffort-effort ang ganda. Alma, Cherie Gil and Rio to name a few.

    Nakatatak na rin sa isipan ng mga manonood ang Darna And The Giants. Nakatulong din ang walang katapusang pag-mentioned ni Hilda Koronel sa Crying Ladies haha kahit pa hindi naman talaga kasama ang character niya sa actual na movie. Nagkaroon ngayon ng curiosity ang mga kabataan ngayon sa Darna'ng 'yon.

    Thanks that you mentioned Tayo Na Sa Dilim! I did saw that on theaters although I totally forgot most of the scenes. What I remember was the female leads were all prostitutes if I wasn't mistaken. I did remember also in one scene, Janice De Belen shot somebody when she enter the door(?). Yes, there was even a theme song using the title itself in the lyrics, "Tayo Na Sa Dilim..." I just don't recall who sang it. Hopefully, I would see that again. I don't think C1 has that movie.

  10. Jojo Devera says:
    6:39 PM

    Unfortunately, they don't have actresses like the ones you mentioned anymore. Nakalimutan mo yatang isama si Lorna sa listahan mo. Proof of their versatility ay ang patuloy na paglabas nila sa mga teleserye.

    I liked that Hilda's character in Crying Ladies kept on mentioning na umekstra siya sa Darna And The Giants which is in fact the most watched Darna movie dahil nga walang available copy ng Lipad, Darna, Lipad!

    I saw Tayo Na Sa Dilim on Cinema One once and yes, parehong prostitutes sina Janice at Princess Punzalan sa pelikula.

  11. Dennis says:
    2:15 AM

    Hindi naman, si Lorna ang isa sa ating ageless actress. Hindi man ganu'n ka-active sa movies ngayon, sa tv series naman sila namamayagpag.

    Hopefully, C1 here will air Tayo Na Sa Dilim. Thanks Jojo!

  12. Jojo Devera says:
    5:00 AM

    I'm hoping that you'll get to watch Tayo Na Sa Dilim... It's definitely one of Borlaza's better films.

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