Early films dug into traditional Philippine theater forms
for character types , twists and turns in the plot, familiar themes and
conventions in acting at Philippine news and entertainment cinema. This set the trend of
Filipino films based entirely on immensely popular dramas. Besides providing ready
tools, this device of using theater pieces ensured an already existing
market. From the comedy of the popular drama, the typical Filipino action movie
was to develop. The line dividing the good and the bad in the comedy was
religion with the Christians being the good and the Moors representing the
bad. In present films, the line that divides the two is now law or class
division. The the passion play was the root of the conventional
Filipino melo-drama. The Virgin Mary became the all-suffering, all-forgiving
Filipino Mother and Jesus was the savior of societies under threat and the
redeemer of all those who have gone wrong . Another source of Filipino movie themes
was Philippine literature. Francisco Baltazar and Jose Rizal, through the
classics for which they were famous, have given the Philippine news and
entertainment cinema industry situations and
character types that continue to this day to give meat to movies both great
and mediocre.
Finally, by the 1930s, a few movie artists and producers dared to stray from
the guidelines and commented on sociopolitical issues, using contemporary or
historical matter. Filipino director, actor, writer and producer
film was almost suppressed because of its
anti-Spanish sentiments. This earned Filipino artist honor of being dubbed the
Father of the Nationalistic Film .
Its own share of movie audience and acclaim for Filipino movie stars were signs
that the Philippine movie industry from 1919 to the 1930s had succeeded. Despite the
competition coming from international industry, the film industry thrived
and flourished. When the 1930s came to a close, it was clear that Philippine
news and entertainment cinema going had
established itself in the Filipino. See
history of philippine cinema on this link. |
