The cruelty and kindness of time in ‘Sonata’ (2013)
The cruelty and kindness of time in ‘Sonata’ (2013)
Cherie Gil and Chino Jalandoni in Sonata (2013)
“Listen to me, Don Giovani, when you lose, play again.”
Life doesn't stop when you lose something precious and delicate to you. Time is a concept of man that we cannot manipulate. It doesn't give a damn if you stagnate. It never ticks for you and certainly will not stop for you either. Rather, it will keep on moving forward, with or without you. Sometimes, time is your enemy. It carries so many memories dear to you, spurring out emotions inside you. When the good times are way over, all you can do is to relive them and hope you can recreate those moments, even if it's too late.
In the 2013 film Sonata, Regina Caderna (Cherie Gil), a famed opera actress, experienced a major setback in her career after her sudden nervous breakdown on stage. A couple of years have passed, and ever since then, she has been drowning herself in bitterness and sorrow with liquor and smoking her life away with a daily pack of cigarettes. The world has changed. However, grief stopped her from moving forward. There's really nothing wrong with experiencing grief. We are allowed to feel our own sorrows. Regina lost something that brought down her success and glamour in an instant, with numerous people who once adored her watched in horror. The aftermath was deadly, for her self-destructive attitude hindered and locked her from the rest of the world, slowly wilting away without ever finding the courage to grow again.
Time is also your friend. The experiences you gained throughout the years can be helpful for your cause. They can mature you and nurture your whole being. You meet new people in the same journey as you: getting by. The only difference is you've seen too much, and probably those you've met along the way have not. You can learn so much from their naive, innocent eyes. In return, your maturity can offer insight into this harsh, unkind world, and arm others to protect themselves.
As fate would have it, she met Jonjon (Chino Jalandoni), a boy from Manila who moved to her province to start anew. At first, Regina was reluctant to befriend this precocious child. Soon, her treatment of him slowly softened as he was determined to keep on doing nice things to her, such as bringing her flowers every morning and designing a frame with her picture in it, in an effort to bring back the glee she once had.
As their camaraderie deepened, they learned a lot from each other. Regina, once again, is rejuvenated, seeing the world not as a decaying place but a place filled with flowers and sunshines. She participates in the community she long abandoned. She tells tales of her life and career to Jonjon and rediscovers her love for theatre through it. At one point in the film, she finally found the strength and sang for him. Everyone living in her hacienda watched in awe as her voice soared and serenaded the stars and the moon up above. Only one thing mattered for Regina that night though, and that was the amusement of Jonjon. As expected, he was starstruck by her luminous performance.
In turn, as Jonjon was adjusting in his new home in the province after living in Manila, he gained plenty of lessons from Regina's stories, applying them in his life. He became more comfortable and slowly embraced provincial life, and even hung out with the local kids.
You carry that special friendship because of how impactful it was, despite how short your time was with them. You wish you'd met them sooner. Your memories with them would be more plentiful. You probably could've been healed from the ache you suffered a lot sooner. The same case applies with Regina and Jonjon's friendship. Had time allowed their paths to cross earlier, would their fates be different? Probably.
"Sa kamatayan lang natin matututunang mahalin ang buhay." [It is only through that you learn to cherish life.]
Here comes time being Regina's enemy once again as the film brings the untimely death of Jonjon during its third act. It was devastating for everyone, especially for Regina, who took it really hard. Grief washes over her like the tidal wave that killed him, as if she'd known him for so long. It was not fair, she thought, for this kid had not seen enough of the world yet. He didn’t have the chance to fall in love and succeed in his own right. Death is unkind and takes away the most precious things on this Earth. It has come again in her life. Much like her voice, death unexpectedly visited Jonjon and took him away from this world. The person who believed in her in spite of her being in such a bad place is now gone forever.
But this time, she didn't let her tears bring her to a downward spiral like before. After meeting Giovanni, the special nickname she gave to Jonjon after an opera character, her perspective on life has changed. One thing her time with Jonjon taught her is to never let any experience go to waste. Jonjon has given her so much and helped her realize that there's more to life than wallowing in misery. So she let herself grieve and offered one last song dedicated to him, but no longer will she hide from the shadows of life. Instead, she chose to cherish life for its beauty, all for her sake and in the memory of Jonjon and their brief encounter.
And that's the lesson Sonata brings to its audience. Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes' film balances its lightheartedness and heaviness by the way it is never afraid to shed some light on the harsh realities of life. At the same time, it shows you how kindness is still wrapped around in its wretchedness. Wanggo Gallaga's script teaches us that in order to survive and keep on moving forward, we humans must allow kindness to exist in our lives. Allowing it is also the first step of recovering from the pain of your past. May everyone meet someone like Jonjon whenever they go through something similar to Regina's experience. They may come once in a lifetime or in various forms and in different eras of your life, but you carry the memories you have from every version of that special kind of friend, until death finally comes knocking at your door. Someone who'll help you see the light again, after hiding in the dark for so long.
WRITER'S NOTE: I saw this film for the first time last year with the intention of writing something about it. Unfortunately, I haven't found the right way to finish my review, until now.
I dedicate this one to the late Cherie Gil. Her time here with us has been so memorable. Her performance in this film proves how versatile she was as an actress. Her role, Regina Caderna, is just one of the several iconic roles she played flawlessly. Philippine Cinema (heck, this country's entertainment industry) wouldn't be as bright and legendary without her. So much gratitude should be given to her for lending her enormous talent not only on film but as well as on stage and television. She may have already left us but her legacy will continue to live on. May she rest in peace.
