Manila in the Claws of Light (1975)

Júlio Madiaga, a 'provinciano', arrives in Manila to search for Ligaya, his loved one.

Director:

Lino Brocka

Writers:

Edgardo Reyes (novel), Clodualdo Del Mundo Jr. (screenplay)

Stars:

Hilda Koronel, Bembol Roco, Lou Salvador Jr.

8 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hilda Koronel	...	Ligaya Paraiso
Bembol Roco	...	Julio Madiaga (as Rafael Roco Jr.)
Lou Salvador Jr.	...	Atong
Joonee Gamboa	...	Omeng
Pio De Castro III	...	Imo
Danilo Posadas	...	Benny
Joe Jardi	...	Frank (as Joseph Jardinazo)
Spanky Manikan	...	Gido
Edipolo Erosido	...	Eddie
Pancho Pelagio	...	Mr. Balajadia
Purita Yap	...	Nanay
Josephine Gutierrez	...	Kapatid ni Ligaya
Gina Zegui	...	Kapatid ni Ligaya
Ronnie Magalong	...	Kapatid ni Ligaya
Anna Marie Nicolas	...	Batang Ligaya

Storyline

Julio Madiaga, a simple fisherman from the province, travels to Manila to find Ligaya, the woman he loves, after she went away with a mysterious woman promising a better future in the City. When he arrives, he becomes immersed in the city lifestyle and gets involved with its inhabitants experiencing extreme poverty, hard luck, and the overbearing need to grind for daily sustention. While Julio relentlessly searches for Ligaya, the city changes him little by little, becoming like an animal doomed to live only for survival in a wild jungle with no way out.

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Plot Keywords:

homosexuality | city | manila | vengeance | demonstration | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Philippines

Language:

Filipino Tagalog English

Release Date:

16 July 1975 (Philippines)

Also Known As:

The Nail of Brightness

Filming Locations:

Binondo, Manila, Philippines

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only Filipino film included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider.

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Quotes

Pol: A girl who's used to dried fish will be thrilled with smoked fish. But give a girl smoked fish when she's used to ham and it's all-out war. Poor girls are easy to please.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits are shown in black text over plain white background.

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Connections

Referenced in Manila in the Fangs of Darkness (2008)

User Reviews

heart-breaking, thought-provoking, beautiful

In all the long, hit-and-miss years of Philippine cinema, no other movie made an impact as much as "Maynila". This movie is proof that low-budgeted movies can truly be maximized by a beautiful, thought-provoking story. `Maynila' is the tragic story of Julio (Bembol Roco), a small-town fisherman who went to the big city to search for Ligaya, his sweetheart (Hilda Koronel), losing his innocence and humanity in the process.

The acting was not superb, but the plot and storyline carried the cast all the way, making each character as memorable as the next. Julio's journey through the streets of Manila is real. The direction was extraordinary. The climax and ending of the story is as surprising as 'Fight Club' and 'Seven', but will leave you thinking and utterly breathless, applause in seat. Never has a tragedy been as beautiful as this.

Also, never will the Philippines experience a movie as beautiful as this. Never again.