If Oro Plata Mata was a book, it could be one of the best-sellers. And if Oro Plata Mata was made on these days, it will surely be a box office hit. hit. Filipinos would would surely appreciate the movie itself, our own own history and feel proud to our own true-blooded Filipino producers and directors. When I was watching the movie, movie, I saw myself thinking the way that the the Noli Me Tangere Tangere and El Filibusterismo of Dr. Jose Rizal gave me the impact and the desire to read. Because apparently, some characters and scenes of the movie can actually be found on the virtuous book of our national hero in some instances which would you know if you watch it yourself. The setting of the movie will t ell you that the director wanted to achieve a pre-war to war set. This would give you an idea that the movie was suspense and a dramatic one. Although there was no time period told in the movie aside from the quote by Nick Joaquin, you could guest that the setting was a war time. There was no other time in Philippine history that the capital city was devastated. The script or the dialogue and the screenplay would also tell you the above words in connection with the time frame. The word, “guerrilla” became famous during the Japanese era and all of a sudden, people were leaving for mountains to show their hatred towards another occupation. The word is not mentioned these days. As for the dialogue, the words were delivered clearly and of course, connected with the tone of the scene. The characters were also consistent consistent on their attitude. Don Don Claudio, the the old, leader-like leader-like man, was was very calm and and really stood still in his decision until the end of the movie. Doña Viring, that noisy, know-it-all like woman, was consistent in her attitude of being rude and political. The other characters were also consistent too, except for Miguel who seemed to be enlightened because of the influence of guerrillas. Miguel chose not to follow his mother who was the cause of Miguel being a spoiled brat and later on becoming a “rebellion”. We all know know that making making a film is very very expensive and really has to do with money. money. The production production design was was quite not good. The perfect example is the mansion of Ojeda family. The Ojeda family was living in Manila but noticeably they didn’t have any expensive things on their house. Only the mansion had it all. On the other hand, the costumes of the characters fitted them all. If the character is rich or well-known, he/she was dress in Americana and and those who were gardener, helper helper or maid, they they dress in a way that those those people dressed. dressed. If the movie had 5 to 10 points for pr oduction design, it would receive a perfect 10 for cinematography. The movie has one of the best cinematography I’ve ever seen. It encompassed all of the possible shots, from close -up shot to medium to long and to extreme long shot. Added to these things were the proper use of lighting and backdrops. One of the best examples of this is where the Ojeda family immediately went out of their mansion and their silhouette on the fire became one of those very scenes. Actually, there were many very good scenes in the movie falling under the bests of its cinematography. The placing of the cameras and how it shot the characters to see what they were doing are but but another example. example. Another one will be the scene where Viring Viring was telling a suspense suspense story to the Ojeda Family about the news she heard and the camera shot Margarita to Nena and to the rest of the people, showing their expressions one by one. This would actually mean that the director wanted to show all reactions.
The underscoring of music in the movie was also good. The music matched the tone of the scenes. Some of the music simultaneously simultaneously played while with conversations. This added to the feeling that the audience may get from watching. And And of course, the music matched matched the setting of of the movie. The story of the movie could affect the actors’ performances. A story which has good plot would make the actors to perform their best and this was what happened in the movie. The characters were all very good and they executed what I was expecting. The plot matched the title of the film, as what I have read in many online sources. The characters were in gold in Manila where they were experiencing peaceful life, in silver where their life became so bad, and death, where many characters suffered the most challenging parts. Oro Plata Mata showed many symbolisms that greatly described the society where the characters evolved. One of the symbolisms or hidden messages showed in the film was the Majhong. It was very cultural that people or the characters were still playing it despite the fact that there was a war. Yes, it did hide the sadness felt. Another was
when the counting before the entrance of Margarita during her birthday was done in both English and Spanish. This would mean that Filipinos were still embracing the Spanish and English languages at those times. Generally, the film is gender-sensitive. Meaning, all the characters, men and women, young and old, had the opportunity to speak and they were all seen in the camera. The film was very realistic, too. It also encompassed all forms of movie such as action, drama, comedy and the like. Oro Plata Mata is really a very good film. It may enlighten the people of today to the things happened in the past especially at war. It doesn’t ma tter the Gold or Silver award the film had received, it does matter how it affects people bringing them to the ultimate Death of ignorance on everything, even sex.
Movie R eview: 'Oro,
Plata, Mata' shines anew in HD The words “epic” and “saga” have lost some of their luster of late, co-opted by modern marketing teams to denote seemingly anything with a sequel. Fortunately, unlike the overhyped, soulless soap opera fodder contemporary audiences have been forced to endure, the opening film of this year’s Cinema One Originals film festival, Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, Plata, Mata”, has been re-released to show everyone how it’s done. Let me get this out of the way: “Oro” is not a perfect film. But as a testament to the creative abilities of a group of filmmakers at the peak of their powers, this is one local film that has more than earned its “epic” superlative.
The exodus scene, restored in HD, is as beautiful as it is iconic. The object of over 1700 hours of frame-by-frame digital refurbishment by Central Digital Lab as part of the ABS-CBN Restoration Project, “Oro’s” HD resurrection brings to the big screen a vigor and vitality unknown to those who have only experienced the film through home video or the odd academic screening. While not quite pristine, one is hard-pressed to complain; the film shows few of its 30 years, creating the effect of nothing less than a cinematic time machine. Looking for all the world like it was shot last week- –albeit with old film stock and lenses- –it takes little effort for the viewer to be transported to
a place and time when Joel Torre and Cherie Gil were just starting out in their careers. Colors long seeped into one another through copies of copies now pop off the screen, and details once-thought lost to the ravages of time and neglect assert themselves with renewed brilliance. Portions of the film that have benefited most from the restoration are the opening sequence (which formerly looked like it was shot through a Vaseline haze) and segments of high contrast, such as the families’ exodus (which rivals “Gone with the Wind’s” burning-of-Atlanta for sheer cinematic conflagration symbolism) and Manuel’s (an impossibly-young Joel Torre) inevitable trip into the jaws of Tartarus to rescue Trinidad (an even younger Cherie Gil). The three-hour run time has always proven daunting for some, with some going as far as to suggest that the story told here would have been better served as a mini-series. But, having seen it now in the proper context- –far removed from the scratchy, nigh-incoherent VHS copies of yore- –one gets the impression that the pacing was entirely intentional. Chronicling the experiences of two affluent families, the Ojedas and the Lorenzos, who live through the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines, Gallaga begins his tale in a manner immediately familiar to followers of Rizal, Coppola and turn-of-the-century upper societal classes: with a large family gathering. Lovingly shot and meticulously choreographed, the sequence is an exercise in classical storytelling, with the occasion’s ceremony, interactions and sub-interactions telling us everything we need to know about these characters and the rarefied world they inhabit, without the need for extraneous exposition. From the hacienda’s social structure to the families’ penchant for gossip over endless rounds of mahjong, all the while attended to by a small army of servants, Gallaga infuses in his audience a familiarity –-not necessarily affinity- –for these characters. This he does to the point that, when everything comes undone, and their wealth and complacency are stripped away, it is just as jarring for them as it is to the viewer. We never actually see the enemy –-save for one wayward soldier late in the film- –but their presence permeates every moment. As the months go by and the families embark, unknowingly, on their descent into the wilderness of madness, we gain context into the country’s situation through secondhand information, gossip (mostly from Lorli Villanueva’s Viring) and outright speculation.
Joel Torre and Sandy Andolong play Oro's doomed lovers Taking the lead in a cast of future superstars is Manny Ojeda as Don Claudio Ojeda, who brings a preternaturally old-school dignity and calm to his scenes. Even as misfortune after misfortune befalls the clan, and everyone around him spirals into insanity, you never doubt for a second that he remains the patriarch. It is heartbreaking when he is finally broken into shell-shocked, submissive silence. “Oro, Plata Mata” was designed as a commentary on the follies of excess and consumption at a time when such commentary may not have been the wisest or the safest action to make. That the film was made at all with the
degree of artistic fealty on display is tribute to the filmmakers’ tenacity--or is it insanity? Before last Wednesday’s premiere screening, Peque Gallaga declared “Oro” as the work of fools who didn’t know any better. Had they known what they were in for when they started, they probably wouldn’t have bothered at all, let alone see it through. Thus, not knowing any better, the creators of “Oro” proved that, as far as many a follower of Philippine Cinema will attest to, they damn well were the right fools at the right time. Today, with digital technology replacing traditional techniques and a new generation of fools at the fore, this reviewer will remain ever grateful that this saga got an even break. We should all be so foolish. --KDM, GMA News
Oro, plata, mata Posted by Agne Serpytyte
Oro, plata, mata Director: Peque Gallaga Written: Jose Javier Reyes, Peque Gallaga Country: The Philippines Year: 1982 Peque Gallaga – a talented Filipino director has a lot of films in his filmography. However, he is mostly remembered by two of his cont ributions: an erotic tale “Scorpio Nights” and a World War II upper class tragic family story “Oro, plata, mata”. Gallaga himself was born into an upper -class mestizo family (Source: Manunri.com), this brings historical reality into a vivid tale on the celluloid.
Opening scenes of the film give us a peek of pre-war upper class lifestyle in Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, plata, mata”
“Oro, plata, mata” is a war story much like “Gone with the W ind” - it’s not a story from the battlefield, but of those in the periphery strongly affected by the malice of war. The film title itself provides us a blueprint of the film. Oro means gold, plata means silver and mata means bad luck. It refers to an old Filipino superstition that design elements in a house, especially staircases, should not end in elements of three. ( Source: Wikipedia). The film is accordingly divided into the three parts. We meet our main characters, the upper-class families of Ojeda and Lorenzo during a lush “Gold” stage. The first minutes of the film are spent with the camera showing different parts of a luxurious mansion, and the beautifully dressed people dancing and having fun. We get a peek at Trining Ojeda’s first kiss in the garden with her childhood sweetheart Muguel Lorenzo. The signs of war are there too – some young enlisted men are wearing uniforms. They also tease Miguel Lorenzo about not going to army, due to his overprotective mother. Some older men are discussing war issues. M ost of them are quite smug and self-assured, saying that the war will be short. Only the old Ojeda suspects the real potential of the thr eat and starts making his plans. The cheer is broken b y the news of the fall of Corregidor to the Japanese and the party dissembles.
Innocence of “Oro” part of the story symbolized by first kiss in the garden. Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, plata, mata”
Enter the “Silver” period. The Lorenzo’s invite the Ojeda’s to join them in t heir provincial hacienda, to get away from the war. Still surrounded by luxury and servants, they play mahjong and keep the reality at bay. However, once again reality comes knock ing on the door and they have to flee quickly to a mountain retreat of Lorenzo’s and start the “Bad Luck” period. For some time the place seems peaceful and enjoyable. Children play in nature, swim in water streams, while servants prepare all food, all in the backdrop of wilderness. But war catches up again. First they are visited by guerrilla fighters. Families take care of them, treat their wounds and Miguel has to give up his precious telescope for the benefit of the fighters. Real bad luck strikes when the Ojeda household superintendent, Melchor, turns against them. He tells the ladies in their face the he is tired of being treated like a slave while they play mahjong and add nothing for their own survival. Later he comes back with some other rebels and kills off the other servants, takes the treasures and food, mistreats the ladies and takes Tr ining Ojeda with them. The revenge in the form of a massacre is served to them later, delivered by a manned-up Mi guel and a guerrilla fighter. The film ends in a p ositive note – the war is ended, life’s go on, but they will never go back to the innocence they had before.
Mahjong game is important part of the movie, it keeps the women connected to their upper-class identity in times of hardship. It is also an interesting side of Filipino culture – while most of things there are inspired by Spanish culture, this one is taken from the Chinese. Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, plata, mata”
A lot of things happen in the three hour film experience. It i s interesting to watch the characters and how they change when circumstances change. Miguel goes from an innocent mama’s boy, to a man who was initiated into masculinity by committing a massacre. Trining from a pure girl tur ns into a manipulative sexual predator. We see how spoiled ladies get stronger when their survival is at hand. However, “Oro, plata. Mata” does not dive deeper into the darkness of the human soul. There are a few gory parts in the film, like one scene with disfigured corpses in the forest. Though by far the most cruel scene for me personally was one where the guerrilla Mercurio brutally kills a wounded Japanese soldier asking for help. Another part that seems incomplete is the post- war change of characters. Trining expresses “The war has turned us into animals”, though on the surface there is no evidence of that. Actually, her actions in the film, especially going off with the rebels and then protecting them and not wanting to be saved, are a mystery to me. If you would be looking for “Lord of the Flies” level of huma n darkness, it is played down in “Oro, plata, mata”.
For some time the survivors are “imprisoned” in their mountain retreat. Their prison is mental, desperation and hopelessness that are more dangerous than real prison. Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, plata, mata”
Another conflict that the film missed out on was exploring more is the topic of class struggle. Rebelling servant Melchor brings up a good point – while the snobbish and spoiled upper-class are living a careless life, it is the servants who have to break their backs to tend to their needs. They are not even being recognized for this or rewarded in a significant way. It is just naturally ass umed that things must be this way and servants are second class people. While the director does poke fun at upper-class snobbism, especially through utterly annoying character of Viring, there is not a much deeper look into this social r eality. As blogger Noel Vera expressed it in his blog “Critic After Dark”: Melchor comes practically out of nowhere to shake the roots of the Lorenzo’s and Ojeda’s deeply rooted, long – established balete tree with a force even the Japanese could not muster; the script’s failure is to capitalize on that tremor, to show us the darker side of upper-class Negro society as it exploited peonistic se rvitude to fund its high-maintenance lifestyle. (Source: Critic After Dark )
One of the darkest scenes in the film. Voluntary self destruction in absolute hopelessness. Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, plata, mata”
In 1983 Urian awards “Oro, plata, mata” was competing against Ishmael Bernal’s masterpiece “Himala” and won. Though I do think “Himala” is superior as a finished cinematic experience with a strong impact, nonetheless “Oro, plata, mata” is superb. As Alfred A. Yuson, member of Film Ratings Board, exclaimed that it easily enters the top five of the best-Filipino-films list. (Source:Manunri.com)
The newly-restored Oro, Plata, Mata is an epic war movie that recalls the fiery grandeur of Gone With the Wind, and the horrors of corpse-filled Apocalypse Now. With a running time of 194 minutes, it is one of the longest films in the pre-Lav Diaz era. Peque Gallaga’s film is stuffed with memorable characters, bravura set pieces, and coruscating images. Jose Javier Reyes wrote the screenplay from a story by Gallaga, Mario Taguiwalo, and Conchita Castillo.
‘The war turned us into animals,’ said Trining Ojeda (Cherie Gil). An ingénue at the start of the film, she morphs into a chameleon vamp as the hellish hounds of the Second World War reached her paradise of a home. A contemptuous Trining learns to use her charm as a weapon for survival. In the end, she sheds skin once more.
Other members of the Ojeda and the Lorenzo clans slowly shed their inhibitions and bare their true natures as well. Miguel Lorenzo (Joel Torre) makes the biggest transformation. The mama’s boy is the object of Trining’s scorn. Shamed further by guerrillas, he takes to heart the survival and fighting
skills training he received from Hermes (Ronnie Lazaro). The ‘torpe’ guy loads up on beastly courage and embarks on a daring rescue-the-damsel mission.
Margarita Ojeda (Sandy Andolong) is unfairly labelled a snake by her sibling. It isn’t her fault that Miguel falls in love with her. The young lad gets some respect from her and experiences tender affection which he didn’t get from Trining.
I loved certain small images that capture perfectly the Silver, and Death segments of the film. Trining’s yearning for a single santol fruit results in a dozen of fruits being strewn away to the ground. This wasteful act foreshadows her selfish desire to save herself at the expense of other people. There is also a dreamy shot of the young adults frolicking with sheeps while being guarded by armed men. It is a memory of their halcyon, innocent days, which ended too soon.
The death of Yaya Tating (Mary Walter) is powerful for being depicted offscreen. The set up at an ominous open field has the hallmarks of a horror film set piece. The frail elder trekking towards her death followed by a long shot of a Japanese convoy ups the suspense factor of the film. All hell breaks loose as hacienda fields go up in flames.
Another vivid image is that of a servant preparing watermelon seeds for the mah-jong ladies. Of course, we can’t expect the ladies to use their mouths for tasks other than eating and gossiping. The four ladies remind me of another quartet of bitchy, foul-mouthed women from another Jose Javier Reyes-penned film Mga Mumunting Lihim.
Doctor Jo Russell (Mitch 'Maya' Valdes) stands out from the bevy of flawed female characters. Initially, she comes onscreen as a snooty balikbayan. But, her demeanor and behavior with unexpected visitors shows she has the biggest, plumpest pair of caring heart and intuitive mind.
Oro, Plata, Mata is a feast for the eyes and must be seen on a theater widescreen. Despite the film missing about 90 more minutes in footage, the story is good enough for showing that war is hell. More than the gunshot wounds, the psychological wounds are harder to heal. The inner conflict lingers on lending truth to what Nick Joaquin wrote, 'there has been no peacetime since (the start of the Second World War).'
In this flawed and overly long film, an aristocratic Spanish family caught in the throes of World War II in the Philippines has to make an escape into the jungle to survive the invading Japanese. Their members include the grandfather, several women, many servants, and two young men. One of the mothers in the group is snobby about herself and her money and passes this attitude on to her daughter. Another
woman and one young man demonstrate exceptional bravery, and even the young man's new girlfriend shows spunk. But in the end, it will be lucky if the family can survive their own internal conflicts, let alone the four years they must hide out during World War II. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi More
Rating:
NR
Genre:
Art House & International
Directed By:
Peque Gallaga
On Disc/Streaming:
Oct 1, 2008
Runtime:
195 minutes Oro Plata Mata traces the changing fortunes of two aristocratic families in Negros during World War II. The Ojeda family is celebrating Margarita Ojeda’s (Sandy Andolong) debut. In the garden, Trinidad (Cherie Gil) receives her first kiss from Miguel Lorenzo (Joel Torre), her childhood sweetheart. Don Claudio Ojeda (Manny Ojeda) and his fellow landowners talk about war. The youngest g uests mock Miguel’s reluctance to join the army and brand him a Mama’s Boy. The celebration is cut short by news of the sinking of the ship Corregidor.
The movie is set during the events of World War II. During that time, the movie shows how people cope with life during the war, and in this case, the sophisticated families. In events like this, there is no rich or poor, as every one is affected by war regardless of lifestyle. Upon the start of the film, you can get a feel that this movie may get a feel of what a teleserye is like. Once you hear the dialogue of the artists, you’ll be impressed about how good and how much Tagalog there is. I like the development of the character of Joel Torre, he didn’t want to join in on the war against the Japanese, yet circumstances forced him to learn how to shoot a gun, mostly for the sake of his lover, who ran away with bandits. Sadly, he did not get back the girl, but he killed a lot of people in the end. And he gets a different girl instead.
Once war has affected you, there is no guarantee that you will still be the same person you used to be. And in war, your enemy isn’t just the foreigners, but also the people around you. Oro Plata Mata tells of this message.
Kahulugan ng bawat salita ng pamagat [baguhin | baguhin ang batayan] Ang pelikula ay isinaayos sa tatlong bahagi na naglalarawan ng parisan na tinapos sa mga buhay ng mga pangunahing tauhan:
Or o -
mula sa isang buhay ng karangyaan at talaghay sa lungsod, Plata - sa isang nananatiling marangyang panahon ng timbula sa isang panlalawigang asyenda, Mata - at sa huli sa isang pag-iwas na higit na malayo sa mga bundok, kung saan sila ay lininlang ng mga tulisang gerilya.[1]
Mga tauhan[baguhin | baguhin ang batayan]
