Kisapmata

Plot synopsis:
Dadong Carandang (Silayan), a retired police officer, is the domineering father of Mila (Santos), and he is extremely jealous of the latter's suitors, never allowing them into his house. One day, Mila falls in love with Noel Manalansan (Ilagan) and they decide to seek Dadong's permission to get married. Mila finds out she is pregnant. Dadong agrees on the condition that Noel pay a ridiculously costly dowry as well as shoulder a luxurious wedding. Noel agrees and works hard to meet Dadong's demands Bonoy Carandang (Gonzaga) a dream of father.
After the wedding, Dadong insists that the couple stay in his house. Despite protestations by the couple, they acquiesce. The couple is not allowed to sleep together for various reasons, i.e., that Mila's mother Dely (Solis) is sick and Mila needs to comfort her through the night.
After several months of living in this misery, the couple decide to escape. They were hunted by Dadong, to no avail. One day Dadong changes his tactic and makes some compromises to bring them back. Eventually, the couple decide to go back to Dadong's house, but only to gather their belongings. Dadong pleads with Mila not to leave as it is revealed that he has been carrying out an incestuous relationship with his daughter all along, and the baby is his. When Mila and Noel stand firm on leaving, Dadong is driven to desperation and brings out his gun, shooting Dely, Noel, and then finally, Mila. Seeing to no longer consume himself in such obsession, he shoots himself.

Tags: murder

Review:
Skillful, tasteful, powerful. Though the plot was based on an actual murder case, the movie is a imagined recreation of what led to the homicidal incident. Vic Silayan, a patriarch who carries more than mere fatherly love to his daughter, is the ultimate personification of evil here. Unable to accept to accept the impending marriage of his daughter (Charo Santos) to beau Jay Ilagan, he makes life miserable for the pair. Ilagan, slowly learns the hideous secret the family carries and despite his plight, is unable to stop it. The imagery and music add to impending tragedy that awaited everyone. Great acting from Silayan, great directorial work from de Leon!. A great Filipino classic. More than three decades later, Kisapmata is still a thrill to watch. The story of a patriarch (Vic Silayan) who lords over his family. When her daughter Mila (Charo Santos) got pregnant and marries Noel (Jay Ilagan), he makes sure that he remains in control. Watching this movie, it is difficult to comprehend how we can create a superior movie like this, and also come up with trash like Praybeyt Benjamin. The mood, the music, the script are all superior. Vic Silayan is so scary here; in one scene, Noel was shouting on top of his voice, angry at what is happening to them, but when faced by Vic Silayan, fell silent. Even when the dialogue turns Ilocano, you don't need an interpretation to understand that he is evil personified. Towards the end, Mila seemed to have predicted their fate when Noel is asking to read her diary. When I first saw this, I was surprised at the ending, something not often seen in Philippine cinema. If you haven't seen this, look for this great classic.