HIMALA
Philippines, 1982, 124 minutes, Colour.
Nora Aunor, Laura Centeno.
Directed by Ishmael Bernal.
Himala has a very strong reputation as one of the best of the Filipino films of the 20th century. It was the first film produced by a Philippine government film body, Experimental Cinema of the Philippines, established in the 1980s by Imelda Marcos. Himala won nine awards at the 1982 Metro Manila Film Fest and won the Catholic media award.
The setting is a small remote village. The characters experience an eclipse of the sun and Elsa, a young simple woman in the village, thinks she has experienced a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The people respond in an enthusiastic and even a fanatical way, seeing their town transformed by the shrine and the visions.
The film shows the response of a variety of people. The parish priest, presented sensibly, is sceptical, discusses the issue with Elsa and other people, hears confessions and finally gives a sermon trying to understand what has happened in the town.
The film focuses on Elsa’s friends, the devotees, especially a young woman who is jilted, raped without Elsa being able to help her and then commits suicide. This man, intending to go to Saudi Arabia for work, becomes involved with Elsa’s brother and they commit a murder of a taxi driver. Another key character is a sceptical photographer who comes to make a documentary and captures the rape attempt by two drugged young men on the two women. However, he has to face his conscience and whether he will use the material.
The film has a grim climax. Elsa, feeling that she has been duped by the visions, announces to the crowds at the shrine that she did not see the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is shot and killed. There is a very long procession carrying her body to an ambulance, a kind of Pieta and Way of the Cross.
The film makes a great deal about Filipino village life, Filipino Catholicism and superstition, the desire for miracles (himala meaning miracle). However, with the transformation of a number of people, some kind of miraculous change occurs.
The film was written by veteran writer, Ricardo Lee and directed by Ishmael Bernal, a strongly esteemed Filipino film director. He uses an austere style, many close-ups, long takes – leaving movement especially for the final procession.
1.The reputation of the film, the 1980s, Filipino cinema, the esteem for the film? The portrait of Filipino society? Religion?
2.The portrayal of the village, ordinary, poor, the homes, the church, the countryside, the hill and the shrine? Light and darkness? The opening eclipse?
3.The use of close-up long takes, crowd scenes, the musical score, hymns? The final movement in the procession?
4.The title, miracles, Elsa and her experience, the experience of the eclipse, the visions, her faith, lost in prayer, ecstatic? The consequent healings? Interior transformation? Whether the miracles occurred or not? The nature of faith and intercession? Prayer and petition? The curse on the town, the people to blame, not relying on God? The end? The proclamation of Elsa as a saint?
5.The visuals of the eclipse, the apocalyptic mentality, fear, superstition, the end of the world? Elsa and the barren tree, the vision and prayer? Her return to this place for prayer?
6.Elsa and her adoptive mother, their working together, the woman in charge? Their discussions? Elsa’s life, her friendships? The owner of the house and her becoming the patron? The support group? The older woman with dark glasses, healed? Elsa’s role in the miracles, Elsa as intelligent, devout, going away to pray?
7.The followers, the nature of the healings, the crowds, the control, the commercialisation of the town, the women and their prayer?
8.Elsa’s friend, her boyfriend, her being willing to go away, the looking forward to marriage, supporting the man, talking to Elsa, the man leaving and jilting her, the rape and Elsa unable to help her, her hanging herself?
9.The photographer, looking at Elsa, her looking at him, his finding no room in the hotels, going to the house of the girl who came back from Manila, his photos, photographing the rape, going to the priest in the confessional, discussions with him, his intentions about using the material, going to Elsa, talking with her, his observations at the end?
10.The men, Elsa’s brother, the thief, the boyfriend, the casual approach, the murder? His returning, talking with Elsa, wanting to make atonement?
11.The role of the priest, plain talk, sceptical, the church’s opinions, his advice, the photographer and confession, Elsa, his sermon and his observations about the miraculous?
12.The cholera epidemic, the children taking the food, their deaths, the funeral, people blaming Elsa? The grief of the families, the mother?
13.The thugs from Manila, drugs, the rape at the shrine, the consequences? Later Elsa being mocked and laughed at by the young boys?
14.The woman from Manila, her friendship with Elsa in the past, becoming pregnant, going to Manila for the abortion, her work in Manila, the sex trade, her return, the encounter with the photographer, with Elsa and the plans to leave, discussions with the photographer, her relationship with her father – and the cigarette trick?
15.Elsa, her sense of failure, the deaths, her pregnancy? Her being sick?
16.Her decision to speak to the crowds, the gathering, her confession, her being shot?
17.Elsa’s vision of the Blessed Virgin, with the wound in her side – the Blessed Virgin Mary as a vision of her inner self, her own death? The crowds, the solemn procession? The woman proclaiming Elsa as a saint?
