Captivating while remaining unvarying in tone and pace, acted with seamless naturalism and attention to detail, elegantly photographed (by Felizardo Bailen), edited (by George Jarlego) and costume design (by Christian Espiritu who enhanced the movie's subtle characterization through costume), Danny L. Zialcita's Nagalit ang Buwan sa Haba ng Gabi (Essex Films, 1983) seems flawless. Which isn’t to say that it doesn’t take risks even within its own set of conventions. Dindo Fernando and Laurice Guillen are superb as Miguel and Delza Almeda, the compromised couple who agree to an arrangement that’s certain to dissatisfy them both, but beats any foreseeable alternative. It is with these characters that we get to the core of the movie. In a world where everyone loses eventually, they are still survivors. They survive by accommodating themselves to life as it must be lived. Nagalit ang Buwan sa Haba ng Gabi is not about the loss of love, but about its absence.
While a valuable addition to the high def library of any Zialcita fan, Nagalit ang Buwan sa Haba ng Gabi suffers from many of the same problems that plagued last year's blu-ray release of Lino Brocka's Insiang, namely, a full-frame transfer. The 1.33:1 aspect ratio does not accurately render the film in its original theatrical release, although since the 1.85 ratio in theaters was matted, this is not a pan-and-scan transfer. Black levels fluctuate, ranging from wonderfully deep and dark to sometimes washed-out which flattens the image considerably. Colors are intense, often blurring out and suffering from excessive noise, it only looks marginally better than standard-def. Detail can still be exceptional, especially in close-ups, where faces are briskly clear and well defined, but the overall look too often disintegrates into a sort of mushy blandness, with washed out fuzziness. Likewise, there's very little source material to support the 2-channel mix. This is one of the most resolutely non-immersive tracks in recent memory. Even the opening party scene is weirdly anchored in the front channels. All of that said, dialogue is clear and directional and the score is consistent and well mixed into the proceedings. Fidelity is excellent, with good dynamic range. What resonates in Nagalit ang Buwan sa Haba ng Gabi are the scenes where Zialcita simply focuses on the indignities of the heart, those forces that lead otherwise sane people to veer off into emotional dead ends.
Screenplay: Danny L. Zialcita
Sound Supervision: Rudy Baldovino
Cinematography: Felizardo Bailen, FSC
Music By: Phillip Monserrat
Film Editor: George Jarlego
Directed By : Danny L. Zialcita
