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real-jaune-isms · 3 years

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RWBY Volume 8 Chapter 6 Review/Remix

The day finally came, and for some it was far far too late coming. Personally, I think this was a damn good time to get the story we got, but to each their own. It’s time to weave a wicked fairy tale, a twisted Cinderella Story without a happily ever after. Join me, won’t you?~

We open on a sight not terribly unfamiliar this Volume, young Cinder washing and scrubbing a wooden floor in raggedy clothing. A single tear seems to fall among the water, but she continues on. For a split second, we see a woman’s lower half as she walks through this barn setting before getting an exterior shot that yes this is a barn on what looks to be a very sparse farm. We get several quick cuts like this, and from what we see in them it becomes quite clear what sort of life Cinder is living. An orphan ostracized and bullied by other kids, already with a violent streak as she’s shown tackling one of her aggressors rather than passively taking the pain. She’s still fairly weak and starved compared to the others, since she gets pulled off her victim and tossed aside easily, and a closeup of her face shows some gaunt features. All that misery seems like it might turn around when the mystery woman we saw briefly decides she’ll take Cinder. Next thing she or the audience know, Cinder is in Atlas, standing outside a big fancy hotel and staring at the opulence with no small amount of wonder. Immediately, my thoughts shift from Cinderella to little orphan Annie and I gain some small measure of hope. But it cannot last, and the Madame (as she is solely credited despite clearly being our Lady Tremaine in this story) sternly ushers her inside the Glass Unicorn (I’d like to thank the person who helped me read that cursive golden light lettering). Once inside, Cinder is rather awestruck at the lavish lobby and all the happy people she sees within. (Meanwhile I took notice of the sign on the front desk openly declaring that they do not serve Faunus. Hooray for blatant systemic racism...) But she doesn’t have much time to look around, because she’s again brought deeper inside to the kitchen where we meet her new stepsisters. And what a pair, green eyes and light brown hair just like their mother, with devilish smirks of condescension. All Cinder can think about as she’s given her list of grueling chores is the platter of bread and cheese behind the twin devils. Priorities in a palace of plenty like this. You might think to yourself, well now that’s a little harsh for a couple of girls we’re literally just meeting. But don’t worry, they immediately prove how spiteful and cruel they are by laughing at Cinder for asking for food, and laughing even harder when the Madame throws a bread roll for her on the floor she just said was filthy. Great first impressions indeed, and I don’t think there’ll be a direct to DVD sequel to redeem either of them through time travel shenanigans... god I’m old.

We get a montage of Cinder in her new working uniform doing various jobs around the hotel for very little reward or praise. The guests don’t care, her stepsibs give her a slap on the wrist for trying to snack on one of the strawberries she was decorating a cake with... only to turn around and have one of them eat that same strawberry herself right in front of her, and any painful accidents she suffers in the line of duty are met with only disapproval and mocking laughter. She eats guests leftovers, and it seems like she’s the only employee here besides her new family, not that they’re doing much of the work. What really ties this sad montage together is an as of yet unnamed song to that has been serving as Cinder’s leitmotif for years but now has lyrics. Those lyrics, as poor luck would have it, are insults and orders that Cinder must have heard everyday in this life of slavery and misery. “Do your chores, rub my feet, no one said that you could think, no one’s ever loved you, etc.” There’s obviously more of an order and rhyme to them, but I wanted to lay out some of the harshest kickers. We see a particular instance of suffering where she’s cleaning the carpets on the second floor and her sisters start stomping mud right in front of her just to mock her with “You missed a spot~” and give her more work to do. Cinder has taken just about enough now, and her Semblance kicks in for what might be the first time as she starts heating up the wet brush in her hand. She throws it at them in anger and it creates a cloud of steam and possibly smoke depending on how much of that wooden brush she burned. This gets the attention of her stepmother of course, but also that of a mysterious huntsman who had been showing off a new sword in the lobby much to Cinder’s earlier distant amazement. The Madame is none too happy with the scene Cinder has just caused or the fact that she lashed out against her actual daughters. So she gives the poor girl a necklace... with a stone of electric Dust in it. It’s a shock collar, and every time Cinder acts out from this point on, or just doesn’t do well enough for her stepmother’s standards, she will be painfully shocked and forced to apologize with a mantra we’re now all too familiar with. “Without you, I am nothing...”

Next thing we see, Cinder is crawling through a vent into a secret room in the back of the hotel. Based on the tons of furniture covered in sheets back here and the mattress with a couple pillows, I’d say this is what passes as her bedroom with how little fucks her adopted family gives. The Huntsman from earlier is heard being rather pissed that one of his swords is missing, and I get a small amount of sick satisfaction hearing one of the stepsisters panic in the face of his complaints and deliver a trademarked customer service line, “I apologize for the inconvenience”. I hear that every damn day in my day job, and I know how it feels to be where she is. After tormenting Cinder, they deserve to squirm. Naturally, Cinder was the one who took it, but is caught admiring it in her little hideaway by the Huntsman it belongs to himself. In the credits and subtitles his name is revealed to be Rhodes, and the public opinion on him becomes... mixed at best as time goes by. At the very least, here he confronts her without fighting her and disarms her with reassuring words. He knows she’s getting an awful deal here, but hurting these people and running away will solve nothing. She’ll be running for the rest of her life if she did that, never having a place to safely call home. He offers her an alternative, one she seems to pick up on quickly. Becoming a Huntress and gaining her freedom through that official title. But here we get a real sudden kick in the teeth. At this point, Cinder is only 10 years old. No 10 year old should be suffering the way she is, and if I were Rhodes I would try and have the Madame exposed and arrested for her abusive crimes. But we unfortunately don’t know if any child protective services exist that he could go to about this problem, and instead he tries a different approach. He’s not going to be staying here forever, but he’ll be back and forth over the next 7 years, and during that time he’ll train her to be ready for the Huntsman exams. This sounds like a good plan on paper, but then you realize what it means for her. Enduring 7 years of this abuse and pain, on the dangling carrot promise that she can leave one day and finally have some chance at decency. It’s the bare minimum effort on his part, and it makes him feel like a hero without having to actually inconvenience himself and fight for her freedom. She deserves better, but she’s sadly not getting it. Still, she does get training.

We see time pass, he comes and goes, she keeps getting shocked and her resentment keeps growing. She gets older, her uneven pigtails become a short ponytail, and one day he gifts her the sword she had once stolen. She’s earned it, and in a couple more years she’ll be free to use it for her dream job. Too bad this was entirely the wrong move on his part. Cinder has something nice, and the stepsisters won’t stand for that, especially since it’s a dangerous weapon. They tattle to the Madame, and Cinder’s punishment is soon to come worse than ever before. Or so they would like to think. They go into the back to confront her at 11:40, and Rhodes walks in the front door at 11:56. There’s no one to greet him, not a sound to be heard until he gets to the front desk and picks up a distant crash. He gets to Cinder’s room, all too late. The stepsisters lie dead on the floor while Cinder is choking her stepmother to death with her bare hand. She tries in vain to subdue her with the remote for her shock collar, but the pain is just a stinging motivator she’s grown to tolerate. She may have been made to feel like she is nothing without the opportunities given to her by this woman, but now she is EVERYTHING because of what hell she has been through. Cinder snaps her neck and tosses her aside to be faced with her mortified mentor. The clock is striking midnight, and Cinderella did not use her gifts wisely at the ball. But it’s okay, right? Now her tormentors are gone and she won’t have to run anymore, right? Right, Rhodes??? No. Now he’s decided she’s too far gone and he has to fight her, to arrest her for the triple homicide that was most assuredly a mixture of self defense and cathartic revenge. Cinder realizes that even this man she trusted is her enemy, and with the last chime of the clock the spell of her temporary happiness is broken. The two fight, and seem evenly matched for a time, Cinder countering his Semblance of turning his skin to metal by using her own to heat the metal and still hurt him. I should like to point out that this power of his makes for a great layered pun, as it is similar to the mutant power of the X-Men character Colossus, and there is a famous Greek statue of the sun god Helios known as the Colossus of Rhodes. Back to the fight, Cinder temporarily blinds him by throwing a sandbag that he slices into, and in that confusion swipes his second sword so they can both dual wield since he primarily uses a set of maces. She gets a few clean slices in and takes out his Aura, but he bashes her away to hit a chest and there goes her Aura in return. He assumes the fight is over and goes to collect her unconscious body, but she was playing possum and stabs him in the gut with both swords. In his final moments, he lays a hand on her head as if saying he’s proud of her for growing so much. You may have had good intentions, Rhodes, but you were not a very good person and didn’t do enough to call yourself a Huntsman. I can’t imagine what kind of hell a Chaotic Good huntsman like Qrow would have done if he had been the one to find Cinder, but it probably would have been better than the surface level hero work this guy did. As things stand, we know Cinder is heading down the bad path and takes one last sad moment to finally tear her necklace off and cry a single tear up at the moon.

We cut back to present as she wakes up in what I assume is her room aboard Monstra. Emerald is happy to see her awake, but Cinder chastises her for bringing them back to Salem emptyhanded. Em tries to assert that she put her concern for her mentor above the mission and its the sole reason they’re free and alive at all, but Mercury comes in to remind her that a repeat failure like Cinder doesn’t deserve that help. Em tries to stand up for her boss, to say that she was right to go attack Amity because the goodie goodies were up to something and they did a lot to stop it, but Mercury lays the heavy truth bomb on her again. Don’t defend Cinder, you’re not gonna win her love and support because she doesn’t give a shit about you. Cinder shuts them both up and dismisses them until she has need of them, much like the dismissive way Salem treated her a few episodes back. But Mercury got promoted, Cinder’s not his supervisor anymore and he doesn’t have to listen to her. Hearing that takes some wind out of Cinder’s sails, and she’s left alone to stew about this turn of events as Merc tells her everyone is needed on the bridge cuz something big is gonna happen.

Shifting to another room, Oscar is lying on the floor with a black eye and some blood on his lip, and probably a bunch of broken bones and internal bleeding. This poor poor kid... He and Oz are having a discussion about who should be the one in the driver’s seat for these beatings. Oscar sure as hell doesn’t deserve it, but since he’s not the one Hazel is mad at he’s not getting roughed up quite as much as if Oz was present. Oz wants to take over, to try and get them a way out of here, but Oscar thinks they have a golden opportunity if they stay. Oz is initially unsure what that means, but Oscar has some solid reasoning. Salem doesn’t do the fighting herself, she turns people to her side and has them fight her battles. Her spies sow seeds of chaos and discourse among her enemies, and now Oscar can do the same. They can try and talk some sense into Hazel or the kids and turn them against Salem. She won’t be beaten, surely, but she’ll be crippled without her eyes ears and devious hands. No time like the present, as Hazel comes back in for round... idk, maybe 10? Oscar gives Oz control again and Hazel is immediately pissed to recognize that tone of voice again. He assumes Oz had been hiding inside Oscar and forcing the kid to endure the pain instead of him, not realizing it was the reverse and Oscar was being selfless. But rather than argue that, Ozcar tries to get Hazel to see the cruel reality of it all. He won’t deny he has done wrong by this man, but how is Salem somehow the better choice? He should be fighting to stop her and her evils. Hazel stops for a moment, reveals his feelings on the matter. She can’t be stopped, he’s seen that himself. She’s an unstoppable force, and Oz is the worse of the two for knowing this and still sending people to try and stop her. Oz argues that someone has to at least try, that yes she actually can be fought and slowed and steered astray. But if she gets what she wants and gathers the relics... well, he doesn’t get a chance to reveal that much because Salem herself enters the room and welcomes her old love back to the grace of her company. It’s time to bring him to his front row seat for the impending show.

It begins with a show of force and loyalty, all her underlings bowing before her on her throne. Em and Neo are off to the side and Hazel is forcing Oscar to bow too, but Mercury Cinder and Tyrian have all taken a knee right in front of their queen. Good news everyone, Watts presumably got Ironwood’s Scroll working and reported his successful takeover of Penny back to Tyrian and thus to Salem. Both men have proven their value, while Cinder’s rogue stunt has put her worth to the cause in serious question. Just like so many years ago, Cinder starts writhing in agonizing pain, this time inflicted by her own Grimm arm. Good to know Salem’s gift of a new limb was also a way to enforce punishment... But unlike the Madame, Salem claims to blame herself for Cinder’s disobedience. She’s been stifling Cinder’s drive for power and freedom, it’s no wonder she did what she did. She should be giving her chances to grow and rise, and so now she is. Cinder’s new mission is to go free Watts from jail and with his help murder Penny for the Winter Maiden powers. But it will be a challenge to prove herself, because Salem is also sending the Hound for the very same job. Both outcomes will result in Cinder getting the powers and Salem getting the Staff from the Vault, but only one will truly be an earned victory for Cinder and she damn well knows it. Ozcar tries to object, to say getting the Relics will doom them all, but hush now little fool~ You’re too late.

Cutting immediately away from that frightening situation, we get Winter and the Ace Ops flying out over the tundra in search of Penny. Elm is complaining about having to retrieve “broken junk” and how they shouldn’t trust Watts or his technology. Good point about trusting Watts, but we’re well past that problem now. Winter barks at Elm to stop whining and act professional. They pick up a comm signal, and it turns out to be from Jaune warning anyone who can hear it about the Grimm river. They head for the source of the signal, and the two groups cross paths under the most tense of tenses. Jaune gets to business and tries to get these professional huntsmen, public servants of their kingdom, to come deal with this unprecedented threat. But Harriet just wants to know where Penny is and refuses to acknowledge any problem except the one she was sent to deal with, so she blames these three kids who haven’t seen Penny in like 12 hours for whatever danger there is. Thankfully, she shuts up when a tremor rocks all of Mantle. The tremors keep building, even the Grimm take some amount of notice. Then it stops again. Then the biggest one yet hits, and suddenly the riverbed is empty. A geyser of primal Grimm goo blasts up into the side of Atlas, and it’s persistent enough that a big splash of it gets through the Hard Light shields. Out of the goo comes a swarm of centinels, who crawl up to the towers projecting the shield over the Kingdom itself and burrow into the ground around one of these towers. An airship blasts a laser down, but it can only get one target at a time and the rest burrow in. Down plummets one tower, and with it goes the entire shield. It’s like a string of Christmas lights with a single bad bulb, and that’s not a design flaw you want in the first line of defense around a major metropolitan area. As people across the Kingdom, including the team hiding out in Schnee Manor and a for once knocked off kilter General Ironwood, watch on in horror, Salem makes her move. Monstra swoops in and crests beautifully over the edge of Atlas, and then comes crashing down in the midst of the farmlands on the edge of the city with a bellyflop. The colossal aquatic mammal of the air opens its dark maw, and out floods a wave of more grimm sludge. From that primordial ooze arises just about every variety of Grimm we have ever seen with the exception of Kevin, Jim&Randall, Levi, and the Hound. The battle for Atlas has begun, and there are a wardrobe’s worth of white Atlesian military pants to be darkened. And this isn’t even the mid-season finale! So there’s even worse things sure to come! Can’t wait~

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zen3to5 · 4 years

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J/H 7-25: That ‘70s Finale

FF.Net AO3

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SHOW TITLE TITLE CARD CARD 1: Eric Forman’s house CARD 2: December 31, 1979 CARD 3: 8:45 p.m. INT. FORMAN KITCHEN - NIGHT It’s New Year’s Eve - the end of the ‘70s. The Forman kitchen isn’t decorated, but it is filled with trays of crackers, cheese, carrots, celery sticks, peanut butter, raisins – any number of snacks and party foods. RED and KITTY, dressed in warm but semi-formal clothes, are in the kitchen. Kitty works on the icing of a chocolate cake at the stovetop, while Red stands next to her, eyeing one of the snack trays. He reaches for a miniature sausage, but Kitty, without looking up, smacks his hand away. RED: Kitty, for God’s sake, this food’s been sitting here for almost an hour. Do you want me to just go hungry until 1980 gets here? KITTY: No, just until our guests come. She finishes icing the cake, sets down the knife, and clasps her hands together. KITTY (cont’d): Oh, I’m so excited! Everyone, together again! You know, we haven’t seen any of the kids since Eric went off to college. Donna’s with him, Steven and Jackie are so busy in Chicago, and Michael and Fez stopped coming by after you caught them trying Michael’s skeleton key on the basement door. Red nods with pride. KITTY (cont’d): And, with the snowstorm, the only one who made it home for Christmas was Laurie, who stuck around just long enough to get her cash present before running on back to - RED: College. KITTY: Red, that girl is living with a French-Canadian - RED: College. He refuses to meet Kitty’s frown; he has his story, and he’s sticking to it. Kitty shrugs it off, picks up a tray of snacks, and exits into... INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT Kitty, with Red right behind her, sets the tray down on the coffee table. KITTY: Admit, Red Forman. You’re excited to see the kids again too. RED: I was excited when they left. Their visits, I tolerate. Before Kitty can reply to that, the doorbell rings. She and Red both hurry to the door. KITTY: Oh, that must be them. She throws the door open and finds KELSO and FEZ, bundled up for the December chill. Kelso throws his arms wide while Fez readies a noisemaker. KELSO: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Fez gives the noisemaker a toot. He and Kelso grin broadly while Red rolls his eyes and Kitty manages a smile.

MAIN CREDITS BUMPER INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT The initial disappointment that they aren’t Eric having passed, Kitty warmly beckons Kelso and Fez into her home, giving each boy a hug in turn. KITTY: Oh, boys! It is so nice to see you again! KELSO: It’s great to see you, Mrs. Forman. We’ve missed you. FEZ: Yes. I am around a lot of old ladies at the salon, but none with your kindness, your way with bridge, or your foxy good looks. He gives Kitty a would-be seductive glance. She smiles uncomfortably; Red scowls. RED: And I’ll be none of them have a foot ready to go up your ass. KELSO: Ah, there’s our Red! C’mere, you! He and Fez open their arms and advance, as if to hug Red. RED: Don’t touch me. The boys back off. Instead, they shed their coats and stroll into the living room and sit down on the couch, helping themselves to the snack tray. KELSO: All right, New Year’s 1980! That’s, like, a new century! Are we the first ones here? I figured Donna at least would’ve shown up by now. KITTY: You mean Eric and Donna. FEZ: Oh, I’m not sure about that. The last time we called them, Donna answered, and when we asked to talk to Eric, she said that Eric was in his new apartment. Red and Kitty’s jaws drop; they haven’t heard a thing about this. KELSO: Then she said, “oops,” and we asked, “what’s up with you two,” and she said “nothing,” but it was the kind of “nothing” we always used to say when we broke something around here and you caught us but we tried to cover it up. FEZ: Then we offered to drive to Madison to console her – sexually. That’s when she hung up. They turn back to the snack tray as Red and Kitty share stunned looks. KITTY: Eric’s in a new apartment? RED: Don’t tell me that dumbass screwed things up with Donna again! He’s had half the damn decade to get it right! KITTY: (to Kelso, Fez) Are they broken up? Are they moving? FEZ: We don’t know. We haven’t talked to them in a while. KELSO: We’ve been pretty busy. KITTY: Oh – yes. I’m sorry, boys. Michael, is watching your daughter on weekends working out? And how are things with you boys, sharing an apartment? KELSO/FEZ: Awesome./It’s magical. They both look up with matching dopey grins. Track in on their faces, and we begin: MONTAGE. Set to “It’s a Sunshine Day” by the Brady Bunch. A) Kelso and Fez, looking straight into the camera and walking in exaggerated jaunts in time to the music in front of an obvious green screen of a town street on a bright sunny day. B) CONVIENIENCE STORE, run down and poorly stocked. A MASKED ROBBER is holding up the CLERK with a knife. Two cops burst through the door, one of them Kelso. The robber keeps his knife pointed at the clerk as he backs up. The cops draw their mace. Kelso is holding his backwards – something he only realizes when he shoots. He hurls back, his can of mace flying. Kelso crashes into the outside shelf and sets off the dominos, knocking every shelf in the building down even as he rolls over them, kicking in pain and grasping at his eyes. C) SALON. On a busy day where every stylist is taken, a long line still forms for Fez. We track along the line until we reach Fez, hard at work on an ATTRACTIVE GINGER WOMAN. Fez is on the final stage – drying and styling. He sits the woman all the way up, revealing soft waves. The ginger pats her hair in stunned ecstasy. Fez holds up a mirror so she can have a better look. The ginger stands and offers him her hand. He goes in for a kiss instead. She slaps him, sending his face crashing into the still-full sink. D) KELSO AND FEZ’S APARTMENT. It is late at night, and the place appears empty. The door swings open and Kelso enters, wrapped around a BUXOM BLONDE. The two of them make out furiously all the way to the bedroom door, which Kelso manages to open without disentangling himself. They start to make their way into the room, but what’s inside causes the blonde to shriek. Kelso, when he gets a look, averts his eyes. The blonde flees from the apartment. Kelso tries to beckon her back, but fails. He turns the lights on and charges into the bedroom. Fez emerges, his fly and his belt open, and he runs around the apartment, chased by Kelso. E) KELSO AND FEZ’S APARTMENT. The boys on the couch, a trashed apartment all around them. They each have a keg of beer and a tap. They link arms and spray into their mouths. F) KELSO AND FEZ’S APARTMENT. MUSIC CHANGE: a music box rendition of “Hush, Little Baby.” The weekend is here, and the apartment is immaculately clean. BROOKE is in the doorway with BETSY. She hands Betsy off to Kelso, and her baby carrier to Fez, then exits. Kelso rocks Betsy gently in his arms as he and Fez both lean in to make goo-goo faces at her. G) KELSO AND FEZ’S APARTMENT. Kelso, on the couch, feeds Betsy her bottle as Fez watches from behind. H) KELSO AND FEZ’S APARTMENT. Kitchen area. Fez burps Betsy while Kelso plays with a teddy bear. I) KELSO AND FEZ’S APARTMENT. Bedroom. A baby crib is set up, with Betsy inside. Kelso and Fez look in on the crib. Kelso strums a guitar as he and Fez sing Betsy a lullaby. J) KELSO AND FEZ’S APARTMENT. The weekend is over. Brooke is back in the doorway. She collects Betsy from Kelso’s arms. With a smile, she exits, and Kelso and Fez smile and wave her goodbye. Once she’s gone, and the door is shut, there is a MUSIC CHANGE back to “It’s a Sunshine Day,” and Kelso and Fez both pull out beer cans. They shake them up, crack them open, and spray the foam at each other. CUT TO: INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT Back to the present. Kelso and Fez both nod contentedly at the picture of their life. Red and Kitty seem much less pleased. RED: You two aren’t getting back in here once we’re in the ‘80s. BUMPER MUSIC NOTE: “Last Dance” by Donna Summer. INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT A short time later. The music continues, as a song over the radio. The party is properly underway, and it’s a bigger crowd than just the kids. W.B. and ANGIE stand on the stairs, chatting with Brooke. LEO sifts through a bowl of mixed nuts on the bar with his fingers while Kitty stands behind the bar, making herself a drink. CASEY KELSO walks the floor while nursing a rum and coke, and MR. AND MRS. KELSO, along with several burly boys who can only be KELSO’S OTHER BROTHERS, mingle with FEZ’S OLD HOST PARENTS and PASTOR DAVE. Red and BOB stand off by the kitchen door, drinking beer. Kelso and Fez, standing by couch, happily take in the scene. KELSO: This is so great. It’s just like old times. We’ve got Leo, we’ve got Bob, we’ve got Mrs. Forman getting drunk and flirting with my brother. Sure enough, Casey has made it to the bar, and is chatting up Kitty while she mixes her drink. CASEY: So I says to the guy, “for that kind of money, what the hell?” And now I’m dancing at the club. Kitty, breathless, leans on the bar and gazes up at Casey’s face. KITTY: (swooning) Oh, yes. Over by the kitchen door, Bob smiles as he looks over the party. Red scowls, but an unusually peaceful scowl. RED: Look at all these freeloaders. Just when I was getting used to having my house back, too. BOB: You seem pretty relaxed about it, Red. Usually by now, you’re threatening to call the cops on your own party and tell ‘em the guests are trespassing. RED: (shrugs) Yeah, well... we’re closing out a decade, after all, and it makes Kitty happy, seeing everybody again. He nods his wife’s way; Kitty and Leo are happily chatting. RED (cont’d): And I’ll admit – it’s not so bad, having a little break from all the peace and quiet. But I tell ya, Bob – having the kids out of the house is everything I dreamed it would be. He gives a small smile, sighs, and looks up. Slow zoom in on his face as we cut to: MONTAGE. Set to an orchestral arrangement of “Anchors Aweigh.” A) FORMAN LIVING ROOM. The middle of the day. A clearly unhappy Red is slumped in his chair, clicker in hand. He mindlessly clicks his way through the TV channels, while occasionally looking around the room with a deep frown. B) FORMAN AND SON. A dead day for business. Red stands at the counter, leaning on the countertop with his head in his hands; he’s bored out of his skull. He looks around his empty shop before fiddling with a wrench on the countertop. C) FORMAN BASEMENT. Some work has been done to redecorate the basement into a gentleman’s retreat, as Red once envisioned, but that work is limited and halfhearted; a few hunting trophies and Packers merchandise left scattered around the room. Red sits on the couch, punching one hand into a catcher’s mitt, as he looks around the basement. D) FORMAN KITCHEN. Red, dressed for work, reads the newspaper at the kitchen table while Kitty cleans the stovetop. An empty water glass is by Red’s elbow. As he turns the page, he knocks the glass to the floor, where it shatters. Red immediately jumps to his feet and flies into an exaggerated fit of yelling, shaking his fists, and glaring up at the ceiling. Kitty nonchalantly collects the glass pieces as Red keeps going. E) FORMAN LIVING ROOM. Red is in his chair again, this time with a bottle of beer. SCHATZI sleeps at his feet. Red takes a covert glance, makes sure Schatzi is sleeping. He tips his beer so that a small amount splashes onto the carpet by Schatzi’s rear. As soon as a spot is visible, Red jumps up, shakes his fist at a still-sleeping Schatzi, and scolds him as if he had an accident. F) FORMAN MASTER BEDROOM. Red paces back and forth, ranting at raving and shaking his finger directly into the camera. A reverse shot reveals his real target - a PHOTO OF ERIC. CUT TO: INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT Back to the present, and back to the party. Red shakes off his mental recap of the last few months and turns back to Bob. RED: You know, Bob, we haven’t seen you over here much lately. How about we keep it that way? BOB: (chuckles) Hey, I’ve got no wife, no daughter – I’m free to do whatever I want. It’s a busy time for Bob. CUT TO: INT. PINCIOTTI LIVING ROOM – DAY A day in the life of “busy time” Bob. He sits in front of the TV with a tray of lasagna. THE LOVE BOAT is on the tube. Bob shovels what’s left of the lasagna into his face with a fork and sets the tray down. He belches and opens his belt. Patting his stomach, he lets out a long sigh. A flicker of discomfort crosses his face; matters are afoot down below. Bob stands and crosses to the bathroom, disappearing inside. CUT TO: INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT Back to the present. BOB: (to Red) So, when are the kids getting here? RED: Ya got me. Say – you haven’t heard from Donna lately, have you? Because Kelso said something about Eric moving into a new apartment. BOB: New apartment? What’s going on? Kitty, walking the floor, overhears and rushes to join in on the conversation. KITTY: (to Bob) You didn’t know either? BOB: It’s the first I’m hearing about it. Did your bastard run off on my little girl again? KITTY: Well, how do you know your harlot didn’t dump my baby boy again? BOB: Don’t you call my Donna a harlot, Kitty! KITTY: Don’t you call my Eric a bastard! Bob looks ready to retort, but Red steps between them. RED: All right, let’s not spoil the new year. Let’s just agree that they’re both morons and give ‘em hell when they show up. The doorbell rings and the door opens, but it isn’t Eric or Donna. It’s JACKIE and HYDE, both snazzily dressed for the party and for the winter weather. Jackie has an enormous bag slung over her arm. JACKIE: Happy New Year! Kitty hurries over to them, Red right behind her. She immediately snatches Hyde up into a crushing hug. Jackie does the same with Red. KITTY/JACKIE: Steven! My second son! Oh, I’ve missed you./Mr. Forman! Oh! HYDE: (cringing in her hug) No, that’s all right, Mrs. Forman... no, you don’t have to... ugh, okay, I missed you too! He gives her a light hug back, which is enough to get her to release him. Red, meanwhile, cringes in Jackie’s hug. RED: (to Jackie) You couldn’t have outgrown this in Chicago? She lets him go, just in time for Kelso and Fez to come running up. She meets them in a big group hug. JACKIE: Michael! Fezzie! KELSO/FEZ: Jackie!/We missed you! JACKIE: Oh, I missed you too – (stern) Get your hands off of there. They let go, but don’t get back in time to avoid Hyde slugging them both in the arm. KELSO: (to Hyde) And we missed that too. C’mere, Hyde! The boys have a quick group hug of their own. Kelso and Fez give Hyde a once-over, Kelso fiddling with Hyde’s jacket. KELSO (cont’d): Man, look at you – new jacket, new shirt, new watch, new boots... the only thing old about you is your face. HYDE: Well, man, somethin’ told me that ringing in a new decade was a time to break out the nice duds. And that something kept telling me, hour after hour after hour, ‘til I finally said, “would you shut up, Jackie? I’ll do it already.” JACKIE: (teasing) Well, what’s the point of buying my man nice outfits if I don’t get to show ‘em off once in a while? She plays with Hyde’s collar. FEZ: Jackie, you paid for Hyde’s fancy threads? JACKIE: Fez, do you know how much money I make, working on TV? I pay for everything. I said a lot of things about those feminists growing up, and they’re still totally wrong about hair and lipstick and how men are supposed to carry you over puddles and everything – but making the most money kind of kicks ass. HYDE: Works out for me, too. She always leaves her purse lying around. I’ve never had an easier time picking someone’s pocket. He and Jackie smile at each other, she “awws.” She leans against his chest as he puts his arm around her shoulders. JACKIE: Oh! I almost forgot – She stands up straight, reaches into her bag, and pulls out a brandy bottle. JACKIE (cont’d): Mrs. Forman, we got you something for Christmas. My mom took off for Tijuana, and she left the cabinet where she keeps her good brandy unlocked. She presents Kitty with the bottle. KITTY: Ooh, honey, let’s you and me mosey on over to the bottle opener. Laughing, she leads Jackie to the bar. Hyde pulls a small envelope from his jacket, hands it to Red. HYDE: Here you go, Red. A little late Christmas present. Red takes the envelope, opens it up. He nearly drops the contents as his eyes bug out. RED: (breathless) Season Packers tickets. (looks up at Hyde) You know I don’t usually do this. He throws himself at Hyde in a tight hug. Hyde smirks, pats Red on the back, and gently eases him back. HYDE: Yeah, they’re from me and Forman. He knew he was gonna be late, so he asked me to bring ‘em. RED: (pockets tickets) Say, when was the last time you spoke to Eric? What’s going on with this new apartment he’s got? Jackie looks over from the bar as Kitty pours two glasses of brandy. JACKIE: You don’t know? We were gonna ask you. KITTY: (to Jackie) No, we don’t know anything. Have you heard from Donna at all? JACKIE: Well, we were over at their apartment for Thanksgiving, and everything seemed fine. Then, a few weeks ago, they said they were going to be gone for the weekend and asked us to housesit, and that’s when we noticed all of Eric’s stuff was gone. But when we asked them about it, all they said was, “we’re moving.” Red, Hyde, Kelso, and Fez step down to the bar, and Bob crosses the room to join them. BOB: “We?” As in both of ‘em? KITTY: But only Eric’s things were gone? JACKIE: (nods) And then, when Eric and Steven went to get the Packers tickets, Donna asked me to help her with her hair. She was taking forever to dry it out, so I started going through her mail, and it turns out she has a passport. BOB: A passport? KITTY: Oh, my God. RED: What the hell is going on with those two? Everyone shifts on their feet as worry crosses their faces. HYDE: This is an unsettling and awkward situation. It calls for beer. He crosses the room and disappears into the kitchen. The tension broken, Kelso, Fez, and Bob disperse into the party while Jackie goes behind the bar to sip her brandy. Kitty takes hers in hand, moves to Red’s side. KITTY: (pained) Oh, Red. RED: (embraces her) Look, Kitty, I know this all sounds bad. But Steven said Eric’s on his way, and I’m sure he’ll explain everything. And, if he doesn’t, I’ll make him. He knows I still can. Kitty leans into his hug, wraps her arms around his waist. Her eyes flicker over to the coffee table, where the tray of snacks is now empty. KITTY: (softly) Do you think you could get the other tray from the kitchen? RED: Sure. He kisses her forehead, lets her go. He crosses into... INT. FORMAN KITCHEN – NIGHT ... And is greeted by the sight of Hyde standing at the open fridge, SCHATZI in his arms. Hyde is feeding Schatzi an uncooked hot dog when he looks up, sees Red. HYDE: (beat) Schatzi’s upset about Forman and Donna too. Red frowns, crosses his arms. FADE TO BLACK COMMERCIAL BUMPER MUSIC NOTE: “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by The 5th Dimension. INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT The party goes on. Hyde, having shed his jacket, is now talking with W.B., Angie, and Leo on the stairs while petting Schatzi. Fez, his host parents, and Brooke chat by the organ. Red and Pastor Dave stand together near the kitchen door. Bob and most of the Kelso clan have the bar. Kitty sits in Red’s chair, with Jackie (also sans jacket) and Kelso on the couch. They all have glasses of brandy, but Kitty is the farthest along on hers. KITTY: Why? Why would my son do this? Why is he keeping so many secrets? Is he worried what we’ll think of him? Because mothers don’t judge – they love. And sometimes get very, very disappointed. JACKIE: Okay, Mrs. Forman, I know all this stuff with Eric and Donna has upset you. But, on the bright side – Steven and I set a date for our wedding! She produces invitations from her bag – large scrolls with sealed ribbons. She gives one each to Kitty and Kelso, who wastes no time opening his up. KELSO: (reading) “Steven and Jaqueline Burkhart-Hyde cordially request the honor of your presence at the celebration of their union – March 21, 1980, St. James Cathedral, Chicago.” (to Jackie) Isn’t that, like, one of the biggest churches in the city? JACKIE: Yep. That was the deal we made – a big, fancy wedding for me, a “special” honeymoon in Amsterdam for Steven. KITTY: Well, honey, all honeymoons are special. She doesn’t get it, and Jackie and Kelso don’t enlighten her. KITTY (cont’d): Oh, this does sound lovely, Jackie. And of course, we’ll be there. And maybe, while we’re in Chicago, we’ll even get a chance to see you on TV again. We don’t get your show here in Wisconsin. KELSO: Yeah, how’s that going, being entertainment anchor? JACKIE: Michael, it’s me. I’m fabulous. She looks up, a proud glint in her eye. Slow zoom in as we begin: MONTAGE. Set to “Witchy Woman” by the Eagles. A) ANCHOR DESK. The entertainment desk for Chicago’s WSNS station, with all the lights down except for a background light creating a silhouette of the anchor. As the lights rise and the camera tracks in, we see Jackie, with perfect hair and stylish suit. She is just a little too aware of the camera as she delivers her segment. JACKIE: Good evening, Chicago. I’m Jackie Burkhart, and this is Jackie’s Corner. B) ANCHOR DESK. Another day, another outfit. We join Jackie in the middle of a film review. JACKIE (cont’d): Okay, so – my fiancé loves Monty Python, and their first movie is funny and all, but I have a question: what was with the coconuts? Could they not afford a horse? Newsflash, England – ladies want to see men on horseback. Even if they’re doughy, bad-teeth Englishmen. C) ANCHOR DESK. Another day, another story, another outfit. Jackie’s still playing to the camera. Michael Jackson’s album OFF THE WALL is in her hands. JACKIE (cont’d): Off the Wall: it’s hip, it’s hot, it’s flying off the shelves – but who thought a bow tie this big was a good idea? She points at the tie of Jackson’s tuxedo on the album and shakes her head. D) ANCHOR DESK. Another day, another story, another outfit. Jackie’s hair is a preview of the coming decade: the Whale Spout hairstyle, with some crimps for good measure. Jackie’s eyes roll up, as if she could see her hair that way. JACKIE (cont’d): (scoffs) Like this will ever catch on. E) ANCHOR DESK. Another day, another story, another outfit. JACKIE (cont’d): So Star Trek gets a movie but Charlie’s Angels have to stay on the small screen? She holds up two photos – an unflattering one of William Shatner, and a glam shot of Jaclyn Smith. JACKIE (cont’d): Look at these pictures and tell me who’s going to move the most tickets. F) ANCHOR DESK. Jackie is sitting on her desk this time, spread out across it. She is modelling the quintessential 1980s look – big hair, big shoulders, neon colors, and leg warmers. She looks down at those leg warmers, gives her right leg a shake, and looks into the camera. JACKIE (cont’d): Call me crazy, but I think leg warmers might be here to stay. CUT TO: INT. FORMAN LIVING ROOM – NIGHT Back to the present, as Jackie gives a contended sigh and leans back into the couch. A clearly unhappy Brooke and an apologetic Fez march to the couch and stand over Kelso. BROOKE: Michael, Fez just let it slip that you two have been having crazy beer parties when you aren’t watching Betsy. KELSO: Uh? Oh, no. Fez is just confused, since he’s foreign. See, in his language, “beer” means... No lie comes to mind. Instead, Kelso slaps Fez hard in the hand. Fez slaps his face back. Kelso stands, and the two of them get into a rapid-fire slap fight. Over by the kitchen door, Bob joins Red and Pastor Dave as Red pulls out his gift from Hyde and Eric. BOB: (whistles) Season tickets? That’s nice. Pastor Dave, trembling, lets out a high, girlish squeal of delight, one that cuts off as soon as he sees the way Red and Bob are looking at him. RED: You know I can’t take you to a game if you do that, Dave. Dave, contrite, nods and looks down at his feet. On the stairs, Hyde shifts Schatzi under one arm so he can put the other around Leo. HYDE: Leo, man, how’s Grooves? LEO: Great, man. The Wall? Pink Floyd? It sounded awesome, man. HYDE: No, Leo, I meant Grooves, the record store. (beat) That we hired you to run when I moved to Chicago. LEO: I run a record store? Wow, I’m really moving up in the world. ANGIE: (laughing) He’s actually been doing an okay job. We’ve only had one complaint about a hippy orgy. HYDE: (nods) W.B., how’re things in Milwaukee, man? W.B.: Are you kidding? It’s great! Having Angie there in the corporate office is the best decision I ever made. (Angie beams) See, right before I gave her that promotion, I got into this snooty country club. They didn’t think I’d be there much. But now that I’ve got Angie running things, I’m there all day, every day – with friends. And there’s nothing those brothers love more than making white people uncomfortable. HYDE: Nice. W.B.: And what about you, Steven? How’s business in Chicago? HYDE: Flying. He flashes a cheeky grin. Slow zoom in as we cut to: MONTAGE. Set to the instrumental track of “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” covered by Led Zeppelin. A) GROOVES, CHICAGO. THE CIRCLE. Hyde sits behind the counter, a diffuse cloud of smoke all around him. He coughs, waves some of the smoke away, and flashes a grin at the camera. HYDE: Welcome to Grooves. B) GROOVES, CHICAGO. Another day, another Circle. An unseen customer hands Hyde his choice of record from off-camera – SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN by the Bee Gees. Hyde looks up with utter contempt. HYDE (cont’d): The Bee Gees? You know there’s a 20% tax on crap in this store, right? C) GROOVES, CHICAGO. Another day, another Circle. An unseen customer hands Hyde his choice of record from off-camera – BACKLESS by Eric Clapton. Hye looks up and nods approvingly. HYDE (cont’d): Nice. And you know there’s a 20% discount on rock n’ roll in this store, right? D) GROOVES, CHICAGO. Another day, another Circle. This time, Hyde is busy with a lighter: he very casually sets a sleeve for ABBA’s VOULEZ-VOUS on fire. E) GROOVES, CHICAGO. Another day, another Circle. Hyde leans back and tips a bag of potato chips. The entire bag showers down over his face, and some of them even make into his mouth. He happily munches down. F) GROOVES, CHICAGO. Another day, another – particularly intense – Circle. Hyde leans in to speak to an unseen customer off-camera. HYDE (cont’d): Hey, did you hear about that car that runs on water? It’s got a fiberglass, air-cooled engine, and it runs on water, man! G) GROOVES, CHICAGO. Another day, another Circle. Hyde performs air guitar to the montage music. H) JACKIE AND HYDE’S APARTMENT, clearly decorated by Jackie but currently filled with dim lighting and a smoky haze. (MUSIC NOTE: song cuts out.) Jackie and Hyde sit together, their heads leaned against each other and matching spaced-out smiles on their faces. JACKIE: Baby, I think you’re late for work. HYDE: I thought you were late for work. They both sit up slightly, puzzling the answer. JACKIE: Huh. HYDE: Maybe we’re both late for work. JACKIE: Or – is work late for us? She wiggles her eyebrows, “think about it.” Hyde gives her a short stare, then leans down for a kiss. They fall out of frame as they make out as the montage music resumes for a final sting. CUT TO: INT. FORMAN BASEMENT – NIGHT Back to the present. Jackie has joined Hyde, who has his arm around her shoulders. Leo, W.B., and Angie disperse into the party. Red and Kitty cross to Jackie and Hyde. KITTY: Steven, do you have any idea when Eric is coming? It’s almost midnight. Bob, Kelso, and Fez join them. BOB: And what about Donna? No one knows if she’s coming to this party? A lot of shaking heads answer. BOB (cont’d): Come on, I’m her dad. I deserve some answers. What’s going on with that passport? What’s going on with her and Eric? KITTY: Red, I’m getting worried. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be here by now. HYDE: You want us to go look for ‘em, Mrs. Forman? KITTY: Oh, honey, would you? KELSO: Yeah, that’s a good idea. (pulls out cop badge) Okay, everybody, line up! We’re turning this New Year’s party into a search party! He draws focus from everyone in the party, but only for a second; most of the guests turn back to their conversations. Hyde, Jackie, and Fez disperse, searching for their coats, ignoring Kelso’s hand signals to form a line. CUT TO: EXT. FORMAN DRIVEWAY – NIGHT A thick layer of snow covers the hedges and the yard, but the driveway is clear. The VISTA CRUISER, with suitcases packed and tied on top, slowly backs up into the driveway and parks. ERIC, bundled up for the cold, steps out. He gives a long look around his old home before climbing up on the hood of his car to sit back and look at the stars. DONNA, also bundled up, and with red hair and a short haircut, comes up the driveway. A knapsack is slung over her shoulder. She taps Eric on the foot to get his attention. DONNA: Hey. ERIC: (sits up) Hey. You made it. DONNA: (nods) Snuck the last of my stuff out of my dad’s house. I’m just here to say goodbye to everybody, then it’s off to the airport. ERIC: Good. (sits back) You know, I still remember the night you first kissed me on the Vista Cruiser. It was warmer then. DONNA: Yeah, well... a lot of things are different now. ERIC: (softly) Yeah. Donna climbs up next to Eric and sits back too. Overhead shot on the two of them slowly pulls out as we begin: MONTAGE. Set to “Thirteen” by Big Star. A collection of moments Eric and Donna have shared over seven seasons. Included in the montage are: A) The aforementioned first kiss. B) Eric and Donna moving to hold hands over the scented candle of Eric’s 17th birthday. C) Their dance at junior prom. D) Cuddling in the back of Kelso’s van. E) The “Fernando” dance. F) Their wrestling greatest hits. G) Shoving each other’s heads. H) Eric’s proposal, and his slipping the engagement ring on Donna’s finger. CUT TO: EXT. FORMAN DRIVEWAY – NIGHT Back to the present, and an extreme close-up on Eric and Donna’s intertwined hands. We see for the first time that Donna has a wedding band on her left ring finger. Slow zoom out as Eric and Donna turn in to face each other. ERIC: So – how pissed do you think everyone’ll be when we tell them that you’re leaving tonight to study abroad in London, I’m working on moving my pilot program there so I can follow you next semester, and – just to put a cherry on this stupid sundae – we went and eloped right before Christmas? DONNA: (laughs) Pretty pissed. I think Red might finally put his foot up your ass. ERIC: You know, he actually did that once. DONNA: Really? ERIC: (nods) Iwo Jima. He doesn’t like to talk about it. They laugh again, then scoot together and kiss. And kiss again. And keep kissing, so passionately that they fail to notice Hyde, Jackie, Kelso, and Fez standing by the patio door. Donna finally opens her eyes, sees them. She sits up, alerting Eric, who flips around and sees all his scowling friends. ERIC (cont’d): Oh – hey, guys! They keep scowling. ERIC (cont’d): So, um – how – how much of that did you hear? They keep scowling. ERIC (cont’d): Well, this is awkward. (beat) Boy, I wish there was some way to take the edge off all this. CUT TO: INT. FORMAN BASEMENT – NIGHT THE CIRCLE. Eric and Donna sit together. Eric takes a deep breath. ERIC: Edge, you are officially off. DONNA: (to the gang) I’m really glad I got to see you all before I left for London. And I’m even happier that we didn’t trust any of you bozos with the fact we’re married. Pan to Hyde, with Jackie in his lap. JACKIE: Donna, I think it’s so romantic that you and Eric eloped. Plus, this way, there’s no chance your wedding can upstage mine. And you’re my maid of honor, so you’d better be back here for it! Pan to Kelso. KELSO: (to Eric, Donna) London, huh? Hey, Eric, you know what you should do when you get over there? You should find one of those guards with the big hats, and you should see if you can make him laugh. And Donna, you should have a camera, so you can take pictures when the guard starts beating Eric up. That way, I’ll laugh. Pan to Fez. FEZ: (to Eric, Donna) And while you’re there, you can spit on the palace from me. The British hate my country. That is why the Beatles can kiss my ass! Pan to Kelso. KELSO: You know, Fez, you’ve never told us what country you’re from. How about letting us know before the year’s over? Pan to Fez. FEZ: Isn’t it obvious? (scoffs) Fine. It’s – Pan to Eric and Donna. ERIC: Hold that thought, Fez. You know, guys – this might be the last Circle we ever have together. Pan to Hyde and Jackie. JACKIE: Aww... that’s kind of sad. HYDE: It’s a time for reflection. Like on how many of our brain cells survived the ‘70s. Despite our best efforts, some of those bastards pulled through. But tonight – they’re going down. Pan to Kelso. KELSO: Way ahead of you, Hyde. He pops open a can of beer and takes a chug. Pan to Fez, who also has a beer. FEZ: Die, brain cells, die! And you’re next, liver. He takes a sip. Pan to Eric and Donna. ERIC: It’s like – we always have to remember this moment. Unnoticed by Eric or Donna, Red appears behind them. Pan to Jackie and Hyde, in stunned shock. Pan to Kelso, giggling silently. Pan to Fez, in fear for his life. Pan to Eric and Donna, confused. DONNA: What? Red bends down so that his head is over Eric’s shoulder, giving Eric and Donna a jump. RED: (to Eric) UPSTAIRS! Your mother’s pouring the champagne for the countdown, and then you’re all gonna get it! He storms off. Eric and Donna, stunned, share a look. ERIC: We’re dead. He and Donna break up laughing. The Circle is broken. Everyone is laughing now. They all stand and make for the stairs. ERIC (cont’d): Oh, hey, guys – last one upstairs has to call Red a dumbass! The dare set, everyone breaks for the stairs. The girls, Fez, and Eric make it up safely, leaving Hyde and Kelso to wrestle it out. Hyde gets a good hold on Kelso and tosses him back before racing upstairs. Kelso recovers, looks around, realizes he’s lost. KELSO: Aww, man! He grabs the stupid helmet and starts a slow, reluctant, petulant march up the stairs as everyone in the party begins the countdown. COUNTDOWN (v.o.): TEN! NINE! EIGHT! SEVEN! SIX! FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! TITLE CARD The THAT ‘70S SHOW license plate, now marked with a 1980 sticker. FADE TO BLACK END CREDTIS INT. VISTA CRUISER – NIGHT The gang, driving to the airport together in the Vista Cruiser. Eric drives, with Donna next to him and Hyde in the passenger’s seat with Jackie in his lap. Behind them is Donna’s knapsack, then Kelso, then Fez. They all sing along to the radio – “In the Street” by Big Star. GANG: Past the street light Out past midnight... JACKIE: Boy, we’re good! FEZ: We’re really good! Hyde seems skeptical of that claim, but he, and the rest of the gang, continue to jam to the music. END.

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Auteur Theory: Lino Brocka

Alden Braddock

Lino Brocka’s Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag film was made forty four years ago already but its messages and issues are as relevant back then and to the current time. This progressive film is heavy and depressing as we watch the protagonist, Julio Madiaga, losing himself to Manila. Brocka engages in film that most directors in his time would not dare to do. The film has won various awards. Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag is based on the novel by Edgardo M. Reyes titled, In the Claws of Brightness. Many consider Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, one of the greatest films of Philippine History. It is a must watch film

As Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag starts, we see a various montages of black-and-white shots of Maynila. It captures the essence of the film. The film tells the tale of Julio who is searching for his lover, Ligaya Paraiso. He goes through a lot of challenges just to find his lover. We the viewers see the straightforward message of injustice, poverty and corruption all under Manila. During the Marcos regime, Manila was treated like a be all end all where these people think that their sufferings will end once they get there. But life in Manila is different from their vision. The film does not glamorize Manila, instead it shows the ugly side to it that films during that time would not dare to do. It is not the dream city wherein if you work there you would earn a lot of money, living like a king. But the harsh reality is it’s the opposite of that and you work like a slave. These laborers work their butts off but even then their salary is still not enough for them to live comfortably. These workers are forced to be exploited due to them being desperate to live. Their already small salaries are still cut by the greedy heads of companies. In order just to survive they work in deadly construction sites that do not follow any safety rules, risking their lives just to work. Corruption is one of the many things that people usually do when they have power over people

We follow as the protagonist traverses into Manila, falling deeper and deeper into the slums of the city showing its ugly side even more. The struggles Julio suffers is real and raw, as we see him take one odd job to another hopefully ending in his reunion with Ligaya. His descent of relentlessness, sorrow and hopelessness as he loses his first job as a construction worker and ends up landing a job as a male prostitute in desperation for any source of income. He sells his body and even his dignity is gone just for the sake of money. Even Julio’s sweetheart, Ligaya was tricked into going to Manila. She at first did not want to go, but when you hear such good opportunities like education and being treated well in Manila, Ligaya had no choice but to go. Both Ligaya and Julio were not prepared when they went to Manila, they did not expect what will happen to both of them.

Maynila sa mga Kuko ng liwanag may have ended in the death of Julio. Hunted down then trapped in a corner with nowhere to go. It’s depressing, we never see Julio being together with Ligaya in the end. He was so close to being with Ligaya but ultimately ends to his death. It’s a tragic end to Julio’s story, but maybe in his death he can finally be with Ligaya. Everything in the movie is symbolic of how the Philippines were under the time of Marcos.

The film is realistically portrayed; it is powerful in delivering its message. The problem of labor wages and human trafficking is apparent when watching the Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag. It reflects on the problems we face today. Lino Brocka’s depiction of Manila during the Marcos regime was hard to do, rather than show the beauty of Manila the film showed that we should never forget the ugliness of it. The film would rather tell an ugly truth rather than a beautiful lie.

Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag was beautifully shot, we see the realness and rawness of how the actors portrayed the people living in the slums. It feels realistic, whenever we witness the life in the streets of Manila. We see their desperations for money and their odd ways of getting it. Everything just feels real and it gives you a sinking feeling in your stomach. It shows how life in Manila was like, and it manages to make it feel natural and real.

Lino Brocka is openly homosexual and he was not afraid to show and incorporate such themes in the Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag. His films were not afraid to tackle and talk about gender and sexuality. He repeatedly highlights the marginalized and excluded people. What amazes me is that he did all of these things while living during the Marcos regime. Making the main character sell his body just to get by and show scenes of homosexuality wasn’t normal and wasn’t openly done before in the 1970s. It was a surprise that this film wasn’t taken down due to the strict censorship that was enforced during the Martial law.

Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag was a rollercoaster ride but instead of making you feel afraid of heights and the drops, it slaps you with the harsh reality of life and there are unexpected things that can happen to people we care about. It was a heavy film to be honest. It was a dark film, there was no sugar coating on anything, it showed the harsh realities of life in Manila like an open book. Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag does not shy away in the ugly truths of Maynila. It wasn’t just about Julio looking for the love of his life, it was also about real life and the socio-economic problems, abuse, and corruption that the less-fortunate people to deal with in their everyday lives. Lino Brocka did a great job with the film. Lino Brocka didn’t just want to make a film about Julio searching for the love of his life, he wanted to send a message to the people watching the film that anything there are issues in society that needs to be addressed. Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag is not your typical film where the main character gets a happily ever after or a heartwarming ending for the viewers to go “Awww” in the end while the credits roll. It’s not a love story; it’s a love-tragedy story like Romeo and Juliet. Julio and Ligaya didn’t get a happily ever after. Both of them were at the wrong end of the sword which led to their demise. On the bright side they get to see each other on the other side, literally the bright side.

Let’s talk about the main character, Julio Madiaga. He put everything in line for the hopes of seeing the love of his life again, Ligaya. No matter how long it will take him or no matter what happens to him he will still go on, he won’t give up the search for his happiness. He is really dedicated, he was brave, willing to do anything just to get by, and he was persistent. No matter how hard his challenges to get to Ligaya were, he still tried and tried to get to her. He spent all his savings just to know what happened to his lover. Julio went to Manila despite not knowing anyone, he went in blind with no guide to help him.

Now let’s talk about the film Insiang. Insiang is the first filipino film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is about a girl who lives in the slums of Tondo with a rowdy family. In the introductory scene of insiang, it shows the harsh reality of being one of the unfortunate people. She lives in a household where everything is messy, abusive, and hostile. Even life outside the house it’s still the same for her, people take advantage of her and most of the people in her neighborhood looked down at her. She is seen as an object to men whenever she steps out of her home. She was so isolated from the rest of them. Throughout the whole film she lived with her mother (Tonia) that was disrespectful towards her, she acted as if she despises Insiang’s existence. She was also always grumpy towards her own family in the beginning of the film. Insiang had to go through a lot, and it was really depressing to see that happen to her.

Her mother, Tonya has a boyfriend (Dado) that was younger than her. Every time Tonya and Dado were together, Tonya acted differently. She wasn’t grumpy, she wasn’t mad, she had a different attitude. She was more calmer and sweet compared to her normal self. However, Dado had sexual desires for Insiang because she was beautiful and young compared to Tonya who is old, wrinkly, and dry. Insiang has a boyfriend whose only goal is to have intercourse with Insiang so that he can have this “macho” street cred, and tell his group of friends that he got laid and boast about it. However, one night when Insiang was sleeping, Dado went to Insiang’s room and sexually assaulted her. Insiang told her mom about it but her mom did not believe her, she just got mad at her and it was her fault that she was sexually assaulted. Insiang ran to her boyfriend and told him about what happened. Insiang asked for help and wanted to run away with him but Insiang’s boyfriend took advantage of the situation and told her that if they want to be okay and if she wanted him to protect her they need to have sex. Insiang believed the lie of her boyfriend, they had sex and nothing happened to him protecting her. He just bragged about getting laid.

However, Insiang was a smart girl.The people that were taking advantage and abusing her was about to get hit by karma, stronger than the way they hurt her. She had everything planned out. Insiang manipulated Dado, she flirted with him because she knew that Dado was head over heels for her. She got Dado into beating her ex-boyfriend to death and because Insaing knew that death was somewhat normal in life in the slums and Dado had a lot of power in the neighborhood, people were scared of him. He can make people shut their mouths about what happened. Furthermore, her mom noticed that Dado and Insaign were being sweet together and confronted Insiang about it. Insiang lied to her mom, telling her that Dado hated every second being with her, he always drinks before they go to the room because he can’t bare how ugly and wrinkly she was. Dado didn’t say anything like that. Fueled with Rage, manipulated by Insiang, Tonia grabbed a shank and stabbed Dado in the back. Tonia was imprisoned. Insiang was vindicated, all the abuse that was done to her and mistreatment she received from the people around her. She played it slow and knew that it was all gonna pay off in the end. She played with their minds and wrapped them around her finger. She got fed up with them and they needed a taste of their own medicine, but worse, the kind that makes you queasy when you take them.

I was relieved when Dado got manipulated into killing her ex because he deserved it, also when Dado got killed by her mom, and lastly her mom going to prison. It felt so satisfying because I was rooting for Insiang to do something to redeem herself and she did. The ending was really nice because of the satisfaction that the film gave. The movie was a full course meal, it even had the best dessert was served cold, revenge. Everything was mise en place.

Lino Brocka did a good job directing this film because he made the audience feel things, like as if they were in Insiang’s place. All the abuse, exploitation, and the harsh reality of life in the slums. Lino Brocka’s use of the music helped a lot in the film, it set the right feeling for the emotions in the scene. The music helped set the tone for the environment in the film.

No human being should ever experience the things that Insiang has experienced even because it really is cruel and depressing. It is too inhumane, living in that kind of misery would really break a person. Insiang lives in the heart of chaos, it’s no wonder that she’s out for vengeance. The film touches on themes of hopelessness but eventually hope as Insiang plots out her revenge plan on those who ever crossed her.

Insiang was hardworking, determined, and clever. She played her cards properly to the people that were abusing and exploiting her. She didn’t give up and she gave the people that hurt her what they deserve for what they did to her. She got so fed up with the way she was being treated

Now let’s compare Maynila sa mga kuko ng liwanag and Insiang. Both of the films were pretty dark films. Both talked about the harsh realities of Filipinos living in the slums. Nothing was sugar coated. Both showed the problems in society that we are still facing up until today. Both movies aged well even though the movies were made decades ago. Julio and Insiang grew up and lived their lives differently. However, both of them faced abuse, exploitation, mistreatment from society and both of them just popped and did something in the end.

Both characters, Julio and Insiang, gets fed up with the mistreatment they face and eventually find a way to kill their oppressors. They both learn how to stand up for themselves. However, they do not have the same faith after killing their oppressors as Insiang gets a happy ending where she gets away with it. But unfortunately, Julio was not as lucky because he gets killed right after he kills the main antagonist of the film. Julio on the other hand didn’t get a good ending compared to Insiang because all his hard work looking for Ligaya were wasted. She died when they were supposed to escape and have a happily ever after even though Ligaya has a dark history, starting over again won’t hurt and will help a lot mentally. Julio was dedicated and believed that he was going to see her again, he did but that was the last time he was going to see her alive. To make things worse Julio killed the old chinese man that held Ligaya in hostage. He killed the old Chinese man but his very own life also got taken away from him. All the hard work, all the challenges that Julio went through was just for nothing. The ending of Maynila sa mga kuko ng liwanag wasn’t satisfying and was depressing.

Insiang got the better ending from the two because she was vindicated, it made the audience breathe whereas in Maynila sa kuko ng liwanag they didn’t get to breathe out the stress. She knew what to do, she had a clear plan on how she was going to pull it off, she didn’t do anything spontaneous, she did everything step by step and put everything into place. Unlike Julio Madiaga, he went to Manila without a plan, he went there bare bones, but he only had one thing in mind. Find Ligaya and be with her. Going to Manila blind put him in shambles because he wasn’t able to budget his saving properly because life in Manila isn’t how it is actually advertised as. Everything is much more expensive and it’s hard to earn money. However, the film Insiang was darker than Maynila sa mga kuko ng liwanag because of what Insiang went through. Compared to Julio, Insiang’s living conditions started since she was young. Julio’s problem only began to go down ONCE he moved to Manila to find Ligaya. Whereas Insiang did not have a choice, from the start, she already faced the hardships and it was harder for her to leave said hardships because it all stems to people closest to her, which was her mother.

What I noticed about Lino Brocka’s films is that the plots are mostly character-driven and the character always has a purpose to do in a film, kind of like a mission. Characters realistically portray the hardships people face living in the slum area. He also refused to do any films that would favor the Marcos Regime, often he would make a film that is very Anti-Marcos. He communicated his hatred of the Martial law through his films. He often puts the film’s perspective into the eyes of a worker, or someone from the lower-class.

The style of Lino Brocka proves Auteur theory because both films are somehow alike, you can tell it’s a Lino Brocka film because of the atmosphere and how he tells the story. He wasn’t scared of putting anything controversial in his films, he wasn’t afraid of backlash because he put that there for a reason. He always shows the harsh realities of being alive, not just being in Manila, or living in the slums but living alive. He also wanted to show problems that needs to be addressed. It is evident in both of the films. You’ll know if it’s a Lino Brocka film.

If I watched these two films blindly, watching it without knowing that Lino Brocka directed it. I would come to the conclusion that both films have the same director because the atmosphere, pacing, sequencing, theme, narrative, and actors would be giving it away. Despite the movies having differences both movies were still heavy because of how tragic of their stories are.

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