Weighed But Found Wanting
| Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (Weighed But Found Wanting) | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Lino Brocka |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Mario O'Hara |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jose Batac |
| Edited by | Augusto Salvador |
| Music by |
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Production company | CineManila Corporation |
Release date |
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Running time | 128 minutes |
| Country | Philippines |
| Languages | |
Weighed But Found Wanting (Filipino: Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang; also known as Human Imperfections [1]) is a 1974 Filipino drama film directed by Lino Brocka. The films stars Christopher De Leon (in his debut role),[2] Hilda Koronel, Lolita Rodriguez and Eddie Garcia. Considered one of Brocka's most important films,[3][4] it won six awards (including Best Picture) at the 23rd FAMAS Awards in 1975.
Plot
[edit]The story opens with a vivid flashback revealing the troubled past of a woman named Kuala (Lolita Rodríguez). She undergoes an abortion performed by an *herbolario* (traditional folk medicine practitioner) while César (Eddie García) observes. The procedure is successful, but upon seeing the aborted fetus, Kuala is deeply disturbed. In a subsequent scene, she wanders through a scorching grassy plain, her mental state deteriorating as the heat intensifies, leading her to madness.
In the present day, Kuala, now branded the village idiot, roams her *Nueva Ecija* town in tattered clothes and unkempt hair. The locals mock and ridicule her, culminating in a cruel act where she is shoved into a watering hole, narrowly escaping drowning.
Bertong Ketong (Mario O'Hara), a leper longing for companionship, entices Kuala with a rattle and brings her to his ramshackle home in the cemetery. Junior (Christopher de León) befriends them, defying his father César Blanco, a lawyer and unsuccessful politician.
Junior seeks Berto's counsel about his challenges with his eccentric teacher, Mr. Del Mundo (Orlando Nadres), who harbors a crush on him, and with his girlfriend, Evangeline (Hilda Koronel), who flirted with another during the recent Santacruzan. Consumed by jealousy, Junior leaves the procession and turns to Milagros (Laurice Guillen), who seduces him.
The local Asociación de las Damas Cristianas is scandalized to learn that Kuala is pregnant. She is forced into the custody of the devout Lola Jacoba (Rosa Aguirre). During a secret visit, Kuala confides in Berto about her unhappiness. Berto shares this with Junior, who vows to help Kuala escape from Lola Jacoba's house and return her to Berto's shack. Realizing the dangers, Berto reluctantly returns her to Lola Jacoba, promising to rescue her after she gives birth.
A few nights later, Kuala goes into labor and makes her way to Berto’s shack. Berto rushes to find a doctor, but when the doctor refuses assistance, Berto takes him hostage, insisting he will not kill him. As they flee, the doctor’s wife screams for help, alerting the townspeople, who pursue them. Before reaching the shack, the doctor manages to escape, prompting a frantic chase. Policemen come to the doctor’s aid and shoot Berto. Junior witnesses this horrific act, collapsing in grief as he holds Berto's lifeless body amid the gathering crowd.
Junior then enters the shack where Kuala has just given birth to a son, although she is weakened by the ordeal. Gaining lucidity, she recognizes Junior and realizes Berto has died. Spotting César in the crowd, she accuses him of killing their child, unveiling his sinister secret. With her final strength, Kuala hands her baby boy to Junior before succumbing.
As Junior leaves the shack, he casts a piercing look at the townspeople, including his parents, Evangeline, and those who have treated him and Berto poorly. He pauses near Berto's corpse, and the onlookers fall into a somber silence. Ultimately, Junior departs the cemetery, carrying Berto and Kuala’s son, determined to forge a new path amidst the shadows of loss and betrayal.
Cast
[edit]- Christopher de Leon as "Junior" Blanco
- Mario O'Hara as Bertong Ketong
- Lolita Rodriguez as Kuala
- Eddie Garcia as Cesar Blanco
- Lilia Dizon as Carolina Blanco
- Hilda Koronel as Evangeline Ortega
- Laurice Guillen as Milagros
- Orlando Nadres as Mr. Del Mundo
- Leah Sulongsawa as Lucy
Production
[edit]Villa Epifania
[edit]The movie was partly filmed in "The Grand Old House of Sta. Rita"[1] (also the film site of Tanging Yaman and many other films).[2]
-
Façade of Villa Epifania -
Villa Epifania: The Grand Old House of Sta. Rita -
The ancestral lot was owned by the Guanzon patriarch Don Agapito Guanzon (Captain Pitong) the then Captain Municipal (equivalent to today’s municipal mayor) of Sta. Rita.
Background
[edit]Tinimbang, considered by Lino Brocka as his "first novel" and his first production for his own film outfit, is the story of a young boy growing up in a small town and the unusual friendship he develops with a leper and the village idiot. Their stories draw forth the true nature of hypocrisy in the small town and the boy bears witness and participates in the various emotions that throb under the seemingly quiet village life - prejudice, cruelty, forgiveness, and even love. In Tinimbang, Brocka clearly shows man's limitations as a mortal being, but sends a message of hope for the movie, and in the end, speaks ultimately of rebirth and maturity.
Release
[edit]Box office
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Critical reception
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Accolades
[edit]The film won six FAMAS Awards out of eight nominations:
- Best Picture
- Best Actor (Christopher de Leon)
- Best Actress (Lolita Rodriguez)
- Best Director (Lino Brocka)
- Best Musical Score (Lutgardo Labad)
- Best Theme Song (Emmanuel Lacaba for Awit ni Kuala)
It was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Mario O'Hara) and Best Supporting Actress (Laurice Guillen).[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Cindy Hing-Yuk Wong, Film Festivals: Culture, People, and Power on the Global Screen (Rutgers University Press, 2011), ISBN 978-0813551104, p.204. Excerpts available at Google Books.
- ^ Ricky Calderon, "Christopher de Leon to receive Gawad Lino Brocka Lifetime Achievement Award at 5th Golden Screen Awards", June 20, 2008.
- ^ Vladmir Bunoan, "Essential O'Hara: 10 films you should watch", ABS-CBN, June 26, 2012.
- ^ Noel Vera, "Lino Brocka: The Heart of Philippine Cinema", Center for Asian American Media, March 7, 2010.
- ^ "Tinimbang ka kahit kulang (1974) - Awards". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 3 November 2009.