Otherwise Maladroit

21 August 1998 Pusong Mamon: Reaction Paper

21 August 1998

Pusong Mamon: Reaction Paper

I was so opposed to watching Pusong Mamon that it took all my willpower and a bar of chocolate to walk into the cinema. Sucking in my gut, while praying that no one recognizes me, I muttered my way through the aisle. Damn, I'm so full of myself. My three companions, blockmates, were amused and expressed their sympathy. Later in the same week, we watched the X-files, so I was appeased.

A relative informed me that Pusong Mamon was loosely based on Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet. I smirked with glee, and bit into my Babe Ruth. I planned to grill the local version on the standards of the original. Yummy, I thought.

Since I was cynical from the start, I may have judged the movie to harshly, but who could blame me? This movie should be judged harshly. It's not about keeping the taboo hidden, but the way the tabooed topic was depicted.

Is 'gay' life really that easy? Well, I'll answer my own question: "No it's not. Not in this country, anyway." There aren't many (maybe even any) homosexual Filipinos who have not gone through a cruel licking, or tongue-lashing after announcing their sexuality. The shock alone can drive all embarrassed relatives of the un-closeted queen into reaching for his neck. Even if all concerned had the personality of a saint, not everybody will prance to Swan Lake and let it go.

All right, let's assume that the film deliberately played on a happy note to view the Filipino gay community in another light, but it cannot be denied that there are moments that are hard to swallow. To trivialize the difficulties of being homosexual will not win over the heterosexual audience that the film is targeting to educate. Even To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar a very campy homosexual film knew when to stop using comedy to drive the point.

All is not lost, though. The film had its moments, such as the uninhibited portrayal of gay lovemaking and affection. I do not know if this was a first in Pinoy film history, but it is a leap for local filmography.

If anyone should criticize a Filipino film, it shouldn't be me. I am too discriminating. The Filipino movies that I liked passed away with the decline of Susan Roces and Amalia Fuentes' popularity.

posted by Otherwise Maladroit @ 5:11 PM