Insiang

Forget the rest! Hilda Koronel's magnificent performance as the title character is enough to recommend this tale of rape and revenge, seduction and squalor, power and poverty. Hilda lives in a slum in Manila, maltreated by her domineering mother (Mona Lisa). Her mother has a lover (Ruel Vernal) old enough to be her son. Vernal, doing the lover bit because Lisa holds the household money, has his eyes set on Insiang. He rapes her but Insiang turns things around, getting Vernal to be her parasitic paramour. Great film noir, great performances.

(1976) Insiang (In Filipino with English subtitles) DRAMA/ SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Hilda Koronel plays the title character Insiang as we see how she is being exploited while living in the impoverished part of the Philippines. Who lives with her self-centered single mother, Tonya who slaves after her without giving her a proper paycheck. The mom, Tonya (Mona Lisa) then kicks her father's side of the family so that she can allow her lover, Dado (Ruel Vernal) closer to her (who is young enough to be her son). Except that Dado obviously has ulterior motives which is to make out with her daughter Insiang. And besides that, her love life is kind of complicated in which she hopes her current boyfriend, Bebot (Rez Cortez) cares enough to want to elope with her, but as it turns out the only thing he wanted to do was to get into her pants.

I kind of liked it more after my second viewing, as I tried to look for a plot, except that living in the slums itself is also part of the plot. I did not care for how Insiang forgave her mother after not believing her when she told her about Dado's advances. I don't quite understand how a mother who does not believe her own child that she forgave her for not believing her.

A young girl named Insiang lives in the Philippines in dire poverty with her mother who treats her like dirt. Then her mother invites her lover Dado to live with them...but Dado only has eyes for Insiang.

Interesting and well-acted but VERY depressing. With the sole exception of the title character there's not one likable character in the entire film and the conditions that the characters live in is shocking. It is historically important as the first Filipino film to play at the Cannes Film Festival back in 1978 but it's so bleak.

Positives:

• Good picture of reality: The best asset of the film for me is its accurate painting of reality, specifically, the life from the slums. They shot it in a literal slum area so it convincingly conveys the vibe and atmosphere of these marginalized places. From the people's clothing, housing, way of life and attitude; they are captured by the film perfectly. Even the minor details shown in the film can accentuate the situation in the slum life such as when Insiang's mother urinates in front of her without any privacy.

• Perfect characterization: The characters from the film are fundamentally sound. They all have unique traits that depict their individuality and complexity, not just a typical character that can be sacrificed in the name of the plot. Every character, including the supporting casts, also has concrete motives that dictates their individual actions, allowing them to enrich the storyline.

• Simple but succinct storyline: The plot is simple, whereas every viewer can relate to it. But its simplicity is not a negative because of its compactness as it was told in a concise and inventive manner. For example, I like that the story starts in the thick of things, during the time where Toyang is about to shoo her relatives from her home. Most average writers will just start the story when Dado is already living in Toyang's home, just using petty flashbacks to paint the background of the characters. Not Mario O'Hara though. He is a magnificent writer.

• Good acting of Mona Lisa: Among all the artists, Mona Lisa is the one for me who got a timeless performance. Her acting during this film can still be considered very realistic even in today's standards.

Negatives:

• Insiang losing her character: I think the film did Insiang dirty. She suddenly lost her values during the last parts of the film, resulting in her character's inconsistency. How can a lass who refused to be touched by Bebot in the theatre suddenly allowed Dado to abuse her sexuality in the name of revenge? There is no turning point in the film that could be used as justification where Insiang decided that "enough is enough," going the dirty way to avenge herself. The motel scene is the closest justification but for me, the motel scene alone is not convincing enough.

• Rushed pacing during Dado and Insiang's affair: Another dud, albeit minor, is the rushed pacing of the film during Dado and Insiang's affair. It only consumes approximately 15 minutes of runtime. Viewers are only given a small window to heat up and realize that Dado has an ulterior motive of mingling with Insiang instead of Toyang. In my opinion, the climax could become even more satisfying if the film further extends the cut, capitalizing in the slow but emotionally powerful idea of Toyang losing her grip to Dado while the latter is pursuing Insiang.

To sum up:

Just like Dado, the film hits two stones in one bird. It perfectly depicts the slum situation during that time while telling an excellent realistic revenge story that leaves the viewers satisfied. Insiang (1976) really shines in its relatable story and good characterization, successfully imbuing the protagonist's hardships in the hearts of the viewers. Yet, the film could still soar onto higher echelons if only the creators decided to polish minor inconsistencies as well as some unrealized storyline potential.

Insiang is a must watch for any movie enthusiast. Hilda Koronel plays a young lass in the slums of Metro Manila and when her mother decided to live with Dado, she was devastated.

What follows is masterful movie making, revenge at its finest. Go watch this !