‘Brocka X Bernal’ REVIEW: A Love Letter to Two Legends of Philippine Cinema
‘Brocka X Bernal’ REVIEW: A Love Letter to Two Legends of Philippine Cinema
Brocka x Bernal’s Official Poster (Center for Campus Art).
In conversations surrounding Philippine cinema, the names Brocka and Bernal usually pop up and stand out above the rest: Lino Brocka, the director known for films such as Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Insiang, Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim; and Ishmael Bernal, director of Manila by Night, Himala, and Nunal sa Tubig.
Both auteurs have led prestigious careers, garnering recognition from the likes of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards (FAMAS), Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), Gawad Urian, Ramon Magsaysay Award, Cannes Film Festival, and posthumously, the National Artist of the Philippines for Film.
Both are also considered enigmas by many, with their vast accolades and strong public personalities towering over the complicated lives they lived in between.
Brocka X Bernal, a documentary directed by acclaimed screenwriter Clodualdo “Doy” Del Mundo Jr. (Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Kisapmata, Batch ‘81) and former Benilde faculty Ida del Mundo (K’na, The Dreamweaver), aims to explore the iconic lives of filmmakers Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, beyond the big screen. Produced by De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Center for Campus Art, the film is a collage of tributes for the two directors, through their contemporaries and archival footage.
Featured Guests in Brocka x Bernal, Part 1 (Center for Campus Art).
Shot in 2018, the documentary features interviews with stars such as Cherie Gil, Gina Alajar and Bembol Roco. It also includes conversations with veteran directors Jose Javier “Joey” Reyes, Peque Gallaga, and Mel Chionglo. As of this review’s writing; Gil, Gallaga, and Chionglo have sadly passed away, leaving what may be considered to be their last set of interviews, preserved in this film.
The documentary compares and contrasts Brocka and Bernal, as they were contemporaries. This is achieved through action-packed visual montages of Brocka and Bernal’s films, played side-by-side and neatly edited juxtapositions of their stories’ similar themes.
Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag and Manila By Night, side-by-side.
One good example is the comparison between Brocka’s Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag and Bernal’s Manila by Night, showing the two sides of the coin that is the busy city of Metro Manila. While Brocka opts to focus on Manila’s working class’ struggle for survival during the day time, Bernal dives deep into the city after dark, with all its pleasures and pains. This narrative concept showed great potential, displaying the almost-mythical status of Brocka and Bernal, although some of its ideas may feel scattered.
It highlights how both directors were progressive and outspoken; using filmmaking as a platform for amplifying the Filipino people’s advocacies and exposing societal issues. Astonishingly, they were also consistently critically acclaimed and immensely popular among audiences; a rare feat of winning the best of both worlds in cinema, locally and internationally. Both were also thorns in a dictatorial government’s side, masterfully going around imposed censorship and production constraints, set by the Marcos administration in the 60s to 80s. In a nutshell, the film tells us how they were legends who were larger than life as they lived.
Featured Guests in Brocka x Bernal, Part 2 (Center for Campus Art).
The film’s approach to tell Brocka and Bernal’s lives through a trip down memory lane with their contemporaries is a welcoming one. Seeing stars such as Cherie Gil reminisce about her time as a young, rising actress under Bernal’s guidance, not only adds to the late director’s influential status, but adds interesting layers and heartwarming bits to our iconic subjects.
This documentary not only tells us about Brocka and Bernal themselves but also the featured actors (Cherie Gil, Gina Alajar and Bembol Roco) and directors (Jose Javier “Joey” Reyes, Peque Gallaga, and Mel Chionglo)’s lives, whose careers were elevated under the two icons and lives changed forever after their untimely passing in the 1990s. And after all the discussions, whether you’re a star, a visionary, or a fan — we all surely miss Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal.
As a love letter to directors Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, the documentary is a simple tribute for the two legends. However, from the perspectives of a long time admirer of the two filmmakers, eager newbie cinephiles, or the general audience – it could’ve used more Brocka and Bernal in it.
Lino Brocka (L) and Ishmael Bernal (R).
Brocka and Bernal’s lives are way too big for the 40 minutes the film allots itself to.
Not much is told about the two directors’ backstories before they entered filmmaking, which was a lost opportunity to humanize and balance their legendary status. Discussions of the directors’ landmark films did not match the prestige and influence they actually had, as they were rushed through like bullet points in a list. Personal achievements and battles are mentioned in passing but never really explored thoroughly. The discussion of their deaths were stitched in at an odd minute in the film, as if it was just another moment.
The six interviews with Brocka and Bernal’s colleagues served their purpose well enough but were also indicative of the film’s limited perspective of a grand topic. A complementary set of interviews with the fans of the two legends and ordinary Filipinos, both new and old, could have been added, to further highlight Brocka and Bernal’s legendary impact.
While I do understand that the film is made from the perspectives of the ones who already knew them before, its potentially groundbreaking purpose of reintroducing Brocka and Bernal to the new generation is almost lost in translation. Had this documentary been more intentional and focused, with an extensive two hour runtime, then we would have really known more about the true Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal. Despite all its shortcomings, this documentary is still a decent work and a viewing essential for anybody interested about the two directors.
For diehard fans of Philippine cinema and the two legends, Brocka X Bernal might just be your new comfort film. The documentary is a reminder that there may never be another Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, but that somehow, their lives might inspire filmmakers to create legendary stories of their own. And that it is up to us to preserve their memories. Whether it be through watching their classic films or by simply sharing how, once upon a time, two legends coexisted and made great art for the Filipino people they greatly loved.
Brocka X Bernal premiered in Cinemalaya XX last August 8, 2024 in Ayala Malls Manila Bay. It will be shown again at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Design and Arts Campus on September 12, 2024, 6:00 p.m.
