Rosario

Directed by Albert Martinez

Written by Manny Pangilinan

CRITIQUE PAPER
 Rosario is a 2010 drama film directed by Albert Martinez. It is based on a true
story of Manny Pangilinan’s grandmother, Rosario, a sophisticated Filipina flapper in
the 1920s who has just arrived from New York City, and is spending her vacation in
their hacienda. The film stars Jennylyn Mercado, Dennis Trillo, Isabel Oli, Sid
Lucero, and Eula Valdez and with a special participation by Dolphy. The film was an
official entry to the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival. In this critique paper, the author
plans to know the type of literature of the movie, the separation of literature and
history in the film, how does the narrator knew the story even if he isn’t in the story,
the positive acknowledgement if its influence by the Spanish or American, and some
inconsistencies im the movie.

The opening of the movie begins with Rosario’s son, Hesus writing a letter to
his nephew which is Manny Pangilinan, the chairman of TV5. Eventually he was
invited by his nephew to come to his office. Upon reaching the network station,
Hesus told Manny the story or life of his mother Rosario, which is basically Manny’s
grandmother.

Rosario, the daughter of Don Enrique and Doña Adela, was a passionate
woman who lives according to her heart’s desires. She was young and liberated
woman in the 1920s. She was a woman ahead of her time. While spending her
vacation in their Hacienda, he met Vicente, an older man who manages the tobacco
plantation owned by Rosario’s family. Because of Vicente’s intelligent, Rosario fell in
love with him. They eventually fell in love with each other. But, when Rosario’s father
found out their relationship, he got mad because of the scandalous affair, he sends
Rosario to a convent.

Yet, when Rosario receives a letter from Vicente, she escapes from the
convent, and run away with Vicente to Manila where they raise a family. But
Rosario's life of married bliss slowly crumbles when Vicente becomes ill with
tuberculosis. She met her cousin, Carmen which invites her to join their company.
Rosario being the wife who wants to help his husband, accepted Carmen’s offer.
While working, she also met Alberto, the boyfriend of Carmen. When Carmen was
gone in Manila, Alberto lured Rosario in committing adultery. During Vicente’s
sickness, Rosario find his comfort to Alberto’s arm.

The relationship of Rosario and Alberto imediately cut when Vicente was
cured. But because of Alberto’s lust to Rosario, Vicente found their affair. Vicente
filed a case to Roario and Vicente committing adultery. Rosario was six months
pregnant when they were exiled to Hongkong, Hesus was their child.

When they went back to the Philippines, they move from province to province
but eventually went back again to Manila. Alberto doesn’t portray a good father and
husband figure for he is always hot tempered, he also leave Rosario and their son.
In their apartment, Rosario met Carding, the nephew of the apartment’s landlord. He
likes Rosario. Being the only one who is raising her son and has no job, Rosario
can’t pay the rent of their apartment. Miguel, the landlord present an idea to her so
she will not pay the rent anymore, she need to offer herself to him. When Carding
found out what happened, he got mad and punch his uncle many times. He invited
Rosario to ran way with him because he knows that his uncle will get angry at him
once he wake up from his punch.

Rosario leaves the apartment but didn’t go with Carding. She don’t want to
repeat the same mistake she has done. The ending of the movie went back to the
present time where Hesus and Manny was having a conversation. It was so
emotional because of what Hesus said, “Sa buong buhay ni mama, gusto niyang
humingi ng tawad sa kanyang pagkakasala, subalit hindi niya nakamit ang kaniyang
kapatawaran sa kaniyang mga magulang, sa kaniyang asawa, sa kaniyang mga
anak”.

We can see in the movie that its type of literature is a biography, at the same
time history. It is a biography for the story was all about a person’s life (Rosario) told
by another person (Hesus). It tells some part of history, basically the history of their
family. The movie arrangement was a flashback, from the present Hesus telling a
story to Manny, the setting became in the past, in their Hacienda, in the early-1900’s
or 1920’s where the country is given to the imperialist America by Spain.

In general, the influence of American can be seen from the movie and also,
from character of Rosario, being a liberated woman, the one who made the first
move to Vicente. But we can also see some inconsistencies with this, like when she
and Carmen talking in the veranda, then suddenly, Vicente look at their position but
they avoid and hide from Vicente. If Rosario is fully influenced by the Americans
then she wouldn’t avoid the eye contact from Vicente, instead, she will also look at
him, and smile or wave. Thus, we can say that Rosario’s living in New York wasn’t
fully remove her “dalagang pilipina” character. The movie was also able to highlight
some important American period images such as the American cars, the hair, the
clothes, etc.

At some point, I am not practically sure how does the narrator (Hesus) knows
the story even if he isn’t in the scenario. In my opinion, the early part of the movie
can be questionable, becuse how does he know that part when he’s not even alive
that moment. Maybe her mother Rosario told him about it but not to the point that it
is overly detailed. Hesus is a secondary source of the stroy, thus, lack the
immediacy of the original content. For sure that the story is a mix of both literature
and history. We may see some scenarios where literature and history separates in
the movie, some example of this is when Rosario seduced Vicente and the scene
where Rosario saw her cousin, Carmen aggresively doing things with her (Carmen)
boyfriend, we can’t say that this is historical or truly happens because the narrator
(Hesus) was not in the frame of the story. For sure, Rosario wouldn’t mention this
kind of things to her son, Hesus. Maybe they add this just for the adornment of the
film.

Aside from the common moral of the story or movie, that it is about to teach
all the young pilipina not to follow Rosario’s wrong doings and decision in life, but I
think this movie has deeper and hidden agendas. If we observe thoroughly the
movie is produced by Studio 5/ TV5. From this point of view, think about the
objective of the TV5 especially Manny Pangilinan, why did they produced this kind of
film? It’s not as if he wanted to showcase that he has a long lost uncle and they
eventually reunited. For sure, the movie wants to bring some business related
concept to the viewers of this film. In my opinion, Manny Pangilinan wants to instill in
the eyes of the viewers where he came from. Despite of the luxury and richness he
has today, he’s as simple as us when he started his business. Maybe we can
question him, how come your not from a rich family when in fact it shows in the
movie that your mother, Soledad, was famous and doing recital performance, and
also, their family was residing in America? Well, basically, he, Manny, doesn’t came
from a poor family, but doesn’t also came from a rich family. I think he just want to
state that despite of the challenges they encounter in life, he became what he is
today. He happens to have her own company and business. And also, I think that
this film is an advertisement not only for his image but also, for the company and
business he has. Because every people who will watch the film will know Manny
Pangilinan, then they will eventually inform that he is the chairman of TV5 and the
CEO of PLDT. Hence, the name TV5 and PLDT will spread, and this is a good thing
to promote his business.

To summarize all the points, the majority of the scene in the film was in
1920s, the colonization era of America to Philippines. So apparently, it can be seen
that the movie has the influence of American, from the cars we saw, the clothes they
wear, and many more. The storyline of the movie is not that reliable or truthful as it is
because the narrator (Hesus) was a secondary sources, thus the story lack the
immediacy of the original content. And regarding to the idea that wants to instill by
the film, aside from the common moral of the story, I deduce at the thought that the
film was an advertisement of Manny Pangilinan and his business or company’s
image.