MAGNIFICO

Philippines, 2003, 120 minutes, Colour.
Jiro Manio, Lorna Tolentino, Albert Martinez.
Directed by Maryo J. de los Reyes.

Magnifico is a celebrated Filipino film, with religious overtones, a contemporary parable of village life with indications of a Christ figure.

The original story was written by Filipino/Japanese writer Michiko Yamamoto. She also wrote the screenplay for Santa Santita and co-wrote The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveiras.

The film portrays life in a village, opening with the birth of a young boy whose proud father calls him Magnifico. The family consists of an older brother who studies in Manila and a younger daughter who has cerebral palsy. The grandmother also lives with the family.

When Magnifico is eight, he manifests a kindness that transforms the lives of everybody in the household and beyond. He is able to care for his younger sister, challenge his older brother who wants to deceive a young woman into marriage in order to get her inheritance. His father is a carpenter and works hard, taking a break in trying to solve the Rubik Cube. His mother is hard-working, short-tempered and worried about finance. The grandmother is a genial woman but is discovered to have pancreatic cancer.

There are various other characters in the town, two gossiping women and a middle-aged man, rich, whose mother has just died. There is also a fat boy at school who helps Magnifico in his enterprises – trying to save money by building a coffin for his grandmother.

The film has the flavour of the Philippines, of life in the village – but moves towards a sad ending, paralleling the death of Jesus and the consequences for people after his death.

Mary J. de los Reyes is a prolific film and television director – but this is his main achievement.

1.The portrait of Filipino life, the theme of goodness?

2.The title, the boy, his being called Ikoy, his father’s delight in his birth, his relationship with the rest of his family, beyond his family?

3.The details of the village, the homes, buildings, the shops, school, the cemetery? The fiesta? The detail and feel? The musical score?

4.The gospel parallels, implicit? The birth of the boy, his family, his father a carpenter, a boy of goodness, his fat friend and himself making the coffin for his grandmother, his care for his sister with palsy, his being able to sue the people? His wanting to take his sister to the fair? To buy the wheelchair? Selling drinks with his friend to raise the money? Getting the leftover wood, the detail of making the coffin, his father helping him, the fat boy? The painting of the coffin? His brother, the relationship with the girl, making his brother face the truth? Reconciliation? Getting the dress from the girl for his grandmother’s wake? His being direct, his honesty? The pathos of his death? Magnifico as a Christ figure?

5.The world of poverty, Ikoy’s brother and his studying in Manila, losing the scholarship? His friend, the plan to deceive the girl, courting her, falling in love, his lies, the girl’s father and his concern? Ikoy’s home, the father and his work, building, the Rubik Cube, his mother and her continued concern, the grandmother’s fall, the hospital, paying for the medicine, needing food, her angers? The funeral, the effect on everyone? Issues of money: the stern mother, her treatment of the children, getting upset with Helen, the grandmother, the gossips, preparing the food for the fair, pawning her ring, getting it back, the final kindness to the grandmother?

6.Helen and her palsy, her moods, feeding her, her crying, Magnifico and the water pistol to help her food going down? The fiesta, the rides, her beginning to talk? Her mother’s delight?

7.The grandmother and her age, the massage for the clients, with the children, on the roof, falling, going to hospital, the diagnosis of cancer? The severity of her pain at home? The medications? Her wanting to eat sweets? With Magnifico and his helping her? Her sadness at his death?

8.The gossiping ladies, the shops, the flirting with Domenk? Their rivalry? Kindness to Magnifico? Concern about Helen? At the fair?

9.The fat boy, continued eating, Magnifico’s comments, his helping him with his work?

10.The brother’s friend, his mimicking Helen, cruel, the plan to seduce the girl? His later kindness in giving the lift?

11.The girl’s father, his wealth, the jobs, the building, with Magnifico’s father, his strictness with his daughter, seeing her with the boy, on the lake, the talking to the two? The correctness of his suspicions?

12.The girl, working in the shop, Magnifico and the dress for the grandmother, flirting with the boy, falling in love, going out, the restraint, on the boat, her overhearing the truth? Her being hurt? The boy going to apologise to her on the bus? Going to Manila? A future or not?

13.Magnifico’s death, Domenk and his concern? The funeral, the priest and the prayer?

14.The aftermath for everyone concerned, the father finding the solved Rubik Cube, the mother and getting her pawned ring back, buying the sweets for the grandmother, the grandmother grateful, Helen and some improvement, speaking? The touch of the miraculous?