BATUBATO SA LANGIT
1. INT. MOVIE SET. DAY.
Story
conference. The director explains to the creative staff and the cast:
DIREK
We're
doing a zarzuela of sorts, set in the Japanese occupation. We'll shoot it on
16-mm black-and-white film.
As
you can see, we're trying to do something different here. We're trying to beat
the System. Or, if that sounds pretentious, we're trying to go around the
System.
The
System requires that a movie intended for a theatrical commercial release
should be shot on 35-mm color film, preferably with superstars in the cast,
usually with formula stories, stereotyped characters, and harmless themes. In this
way, or so the System believes, you are assured of box- office results, and you
don't get in trouble with the censors or the powers that be.
DIREK
(cont.)
We've
tried to beat the System at its own game. Working within the System, we've
tried to do serious films with one eye on the box-office. Sometimes we
succeeded, sometimes we didn't, but usually we've found ourselves banging smack
against the country's antiquated censorship rules.
This
time around let's try to ignore the System. We might have to come to terms with
it later, after we have a finished product that we want to show; but for now
let's just pretend that the film industry is not motivated purely by profit;
that the censors are not composed of little old Victorian ladies and suspicious
intelligence agents; that the authorities are not too touchy.
In
other words, let's take some risks that are worth taking.
Why?
Perhaps out of love for the art of filmaking. Or out of respect for the
potentials of the medium. Or out of vanity, or anger, or plain and simple
frustration. Or all of the above.
Whatever
it is, we will be guided by one cardinal rule: to be good and true and
beautiful.
The
above spiel could be replaced by the following sung overture:
PAMBUNGAD
Direktor,
Manunulat, Koro. Isingit ang Composer somewhere; he sings along with and
conducts the Koro.
DIREKTOR
Ang
hirap lumikha sa kasalukuyan
Kung
ang likhang-sining ay tinatanuran.
Ang
hirap kumanta ng kantang mainam
Kung
titik at himig ay binabakuran.
KORO
Kung
minsan, kung minsan
Ay
pinuputulan,
Aruy,
aruy, aruy, pinuputulan
O
tuluyan pa ngang ipinagbabawal.
DIREKTOR
O
tuluyan pa ngang ipinagbabawal.
KORO
Kung
iyan ang suliranin
Ano
ba ang dapat gawin?
MANUNULAT
Kung
ako ang tatanungin
Ito
ang aking sasabihin:
Kumanta
ng lumang kanta
Tungkol
sa dragon at prinsesa
O
prayle't Katipunero
O
Kano at insurekto
O
Hapon at gerilyero--
Kahit
luma, may tugmang totoo.
KORO
O
Hapon at gerilyero--
Kahit
luma, may tugmang totoo.
DIREKTOR
(pasalita)
Madaling
sabihin, mahirap gawin.
SCRIPT
GIRL (pasalita)
Bakit
naman, Direk?
DIRECTOR
(pasalita)
Kasi...
(aawit)
Ang
hirap kumanta ng lumang kanta,
Ang
hirap huminga kung nakamaskara.
Kapag
tinakpan na ang libog at dusa,
Di
na madarama, di makikilala.
KORO
Gano'n
ba? Gano'n ba?
Ang
libog at dusa,
Naku,
naku, naku, ang libog at dusa,
Kung
may maskara, di makikilala?
DIREKTOR
Kung
may maskara, di makikilala.
KORO
Kung
iyan ang suliranin
Ano
ba ang dapat gawin?
DIREKTOR
Kung
ako ang tatanungin
Ito
ang aking sasabihin:
'Buti
pa'y umawit na lang
Ng
mga harana't kundiman,
Ng
kantang lipos ng luha
At
matamis na gunita,
Uyaying
panghele sa bata
O
awiting lilibang sa madla.
KORO
Uyaying
panghele sa bata
O
awiting lilibang sa madla.
MANUNULAT
Hindi!
Huwag!
DIREKTOR
At
ano ang gusto mo?
Tumahimik
na lamang tayo?
MANUNULAT
(patula)
Kahit
may maskara
Puwede
namang kumanta,
At
puwedeng ipanlibang sa madla
Ang
mga kantang ang tugma
Ay
totoo.
(aawit)
Awitin
mo ang totoo,
Sagad-buto,
tagos-apdo.
Ang
totoo ay mabuti
Kahit
mapanganib sa iyo.
Ang
totoo ay maganda
Kahit
pangit sa reyna.
DIREKTOR
(pasalita)
Mahirap
gawin, mahirap gawin. Pero subukan natin! Lights... camera...
2. CREDITS.
Stills
of Japanese Occupation, particularly of atrocities, juxtaposed with stills from
prewar movies, particularly the Rogelio de la Rosa-Carmen Rosales zarzuelas.
(NGAYONG
WALA NANG MARTIAL LAW, PUWEDE RING PANAHON NG MARTIAL LAW SA HALIP NA PANAHON
NG HAPON.)
3. EXT. SOMEWHERE NEAR THE TOWN OF
SANGANDAAN. SUNSET.
A
Japanese patrol is seen silhouetted against the sunset. The rays of the setting
sun strike the oversized Japanese flag carried by the marching columns.
Closer
view. The Japanese shouldn't look Japanese at all; nor should they be
bowlegged. They're dressed in World War II Japanese uniforms, but there is a
kind of Lost Command or CHDF look about them: anting-anting hanging from their
necks, tubao or Stars-and-Stripes bandannas wrapped around their heads. They
should by accompanied at this point by a Makapili whose head is covered by a
colorful bayong with holes for eyes.
4. INTERLUDE. MOVIE SET.
The
director and the actress who will play Pilar sing a folk song and a variation
on it:
DIREKTOR
Doon
po sa amin, bayan ng San Roque,
May
nagkatuwaang apat na pulubi.
Sumayaw
ang pilay, kumanta ang pipi
Nanood
ang bulag, nakinig ang bingi.
PILAR
Doon
po sa amin, bayan ng Sangandaan,
May
isang lalaking Pepe ang pangalan.
Pagkat
ayaw niya ng madugong digmaan,
Nagtanim
na lang siya ng kamote't petsay.
(Perhaps
these interludes should be sung by Director, Writer, and Composer in shifting
combinations.)
5. EXT. SANGANDAAN. DAY.
Pepe
lives in a modest house with his wife Pilar. He was a novelist and scriptwriter
before the war; she was a movie star. He now tends a vegetable garden, raises
pigs; she still occasionally appears in stage plays. They are, you might say,
content. The war seems far away.
Every
now and then Pepe tries to write. He pulls out a notebook from his hiding
place, writes a bit. Invariably he tears out what he has written and burns it.
Every
now and then a streak of the old Pepe--rebellious, eager to shock--surfaces.
One day during Holy Week, his peasant neighbors prevail upon him to take part
in the ritual chanting of the pasyon. Instead of reading from the book on the
passion and death of Christ, he sings, to the tune of the traditional pasyon,
"Pasyong Mahal ni San Jose" (The Sacred Passion of St. Joseph), which
tells of a poor carpenter griping because his girl's been raped by God.
PEPE
Pait,
katam at martilyo,
ibubulong
ko sa inyo
ang
masaklap kong sikreto:
hindi
ko pa inaano
ay
buntis na ang nobya ko.
Ang
sabi ng anghel, wala
akong
dapat ikahiya,
walang
dahilang lumuha;
dapat
pa nga raw matuwa
pagkat
Diyos ang gumahasa.
Martilyo,
katam at pait,
makukuha
bang magalit
ng
karpintero? Magtiis.
Ang
mahina at maliit,
wala
raw laban sa langit.
During
Pepe's singing, the sound of distant gunfire is heard. He takes no notice of
it.
6. INT. PEPE'S HOUSE. NIGHT.
Pepe
is writing some poems in his journal. Pilar is worried: the poems could land
them in trouble. Pepe assures her he just wants to get the poems out of his
system, then he will burn them.
As
Pepe tears off pages from his journal and burns them in the kitchen stove, the
couple have an unexpected visitor: Sid, once a novelist-scriptwriter too, now
an anti-Japanese guerrilla. He has a bullet wound in one leg. He requests
temporary shelter, medical aid. Then he passes out.
Sid
is in a US Army field jacket several sizes too big for him.
Pepe
is hesitant, afraid. He is worried about the dangers of helping a man wanted by
the authorities. He doesn't want to get involved in the war in any way.
Pilar
has more definite opinions. She doesn't want trouble, doesn't want Sid in the
house. However, she's just a woman and wife; her opinions don't count.
Pepe
decides that a friend in need should be helped, if only for old times' sake. He
assures Pilar he will ask Sid to leave as soon as possible.
7. EXT. BARRIO ROAD. NIGHT.
Pilar
and a doctor in a calesa. They pass by pasyon singers.
The
Director, seated among the pasyon singers, sings a folk song, and Pilar follows
with a variation:
PILAR
(sa himig ng ANG SABI NG IBA)
Ang
sabi ng iba
Madaling
magpasiya,
Ang
sabi ko naman
Kumporme
sa pasiya.
May
pasiyang biglaan,
May
pinag-iisipan,
Ang
pasiyang madali:
Tumawa
pag kiniliti.
Ay,
si Pepeng maawain,
Tumalon
na sa bangin.
Ang
akala'y may sasalo
Pagdating
niya sa dulo.
8. INT. PEPE'S HOUSE. NIGHT.
The
doctor treats Sid's wound.
The
doctor was once in the guerrilla movement with Sid. He was captured, tortured,
detained for a year. He was finally released on the intercession of Estong,
once also a novelist and screenwriter, now a collaborator who writes propaganda
plays and songs for the Japanese in the town of Sangandaan.
The
doctor now works in a military hospital. Most of his patients are Japanese
soldiers.
Sid
invites the doctor to rejoin the guerrilla movement. But the doctor has gotten
used to the easy life. He does not want to go back to prison or the mountains.
However, he promises to help the movement by donating medicine and, if
absolutely necessary, his services.
The
doctor says goodbye to Pepe: "Sid will be all right. All he needs is to
rest his leg for a few days. I never saw you, you never saw me, and I hope we
don't see each other under similar circumstances."
9. INT. PEPE'S HOUSE. DAY.
Discussion
between Sid and Pepe. We learn the reason for the decision each man made at the
outbreak of war.
Pepe
does not want to get involved. He simply wants to survive, to preserve himself
so that he can practice his art again in the future. In the meantime he is
gathering stories about the war--storing them in his head, to be pulled out
when the times will allow him to go back to writing.
Pepe
sings AWIT NG AYAW MAKISANGKOT:
PEPE
Hindi
ako mangingisda,
Hindi
ako mandirigma.
Ako
ay makata,
Isang
makata lamang,
At
ang gawaing aking alam:
Mamingwit
ng salita,
Makipaglaban
sa tugma.
Hindi
ako magsasaka
O
trabahador sa pabrika.
Ako
ay kuwentista,
Isang
kuwentista lamang,
At
ang gawaing aking alam:
Damdamin
ay ipunla,
Magpaandar
ng gunita.
Bawat
nilalang daw, bawat buhay,
May
kanya-kanyang lugar, may kanya-kanyang hukay:
Isda
sa tubig, ibon sa langit, ahas sa damo.
Ako'y
alagad ng sining, alagad ng sining ako,
Alam
ko kung ako'y ano, at sino, at para kanino.
Hindi,
hindi, hindi ko isusugal ang aking anino!
Sa
akin ay huwag isumbat
Na
ang isang manunulat
Ay
mamamayan,
Mamamayan
din naman,
At
may tungkulin sa lipunan.
Linangin
ang sining ko--
Iyan
ang tungkulin ko!
Sid
has turned his back on writing for the moment. Life to him must always take
precedence before art. The struggle for freedom is now more important;
otherwise, there might be no future to write in. He sings AWIT NG
NAKIKISANGKOT.
SID
Sa
harap natin
Ay
bingit ng bangin,
Sa
likod ay lindol, daluyong, apoy.
Ano'ng
dapat gawin
Ng
alagad ng sining
Sa
gabing malagim ng ating panahon?
Ang
iyong pluma, gawing gasera--
Iyan
ang tungkulin mo.
Huwag
mong sabihing
Ayaw
mong tumingin
Habang
ang mundo'y niyayanig ng gulo,
Huwag
mong ilibing
Sa
madugong buhangin
Ang
tulog na diwa ng ulong tuliro.
Ang
iyong pluma, gawing konsensiya--
Iyan
ang tungkulin mo.
Ang
nakahalukipkip
Sa
panahon ng ligalig,
Para
na ring nasa panig
Ng
mapang-api't nanggigipit.
Ang
hindi dudulog
Sa
bayang nalugmok
Ay
para na ring berdugo't salarin.
Huwag
kang matakot
Sa
kidlat at kulog,
Kapit-bisig
tayong lumaban sa hangin.
Ang
iyong pluma, gawing sandata--
Iyan
ang tungkulin mo.
The
talk shifts to Estong the collaborator. Before the war Pepe, Sid and Estong
were the closest of friends. At one time they all courted Pilar. Of the three
friends, Estong was the most nationalistic. Before the war, when the country
was still under the Americans, Estong advocated immediate independence.
Pepe
reveals that he and Pilar still see Estong every now and then. In fact, Pilar
has just come back from rehearsals for a stage play written and directed by
Estong.
Sid
is upset and wants to leave right away. Pepe assures him that Estong never
comes to Pepe's house. He also advises Sid to suspend judgement on Estong.
Estong is a patriot at heart, trying to be true to his ideals within the
limitations imposed by Japanese rule. In the play Estong is now rehearsing, he
is reviving a patriotic kundiman he wrote before the war.
Pepe
and Pilar sing the song ALING PAG-IBIG PA?:
PEPE,
PILAR (DUET)
Aling
pag-ibig pa
Ang
hihigit kaya
Sa
pag-ibig ko sa iyo,
Bayan
ko?
Sa
hirap at ginhawa,
Sa
ligaya't dalita,
Ako'y
kasa-kasama mo.
Kung
ang gintong palay
Ay
kumakaway,
Katabi
mo ako sa bukid,
Bayan
ko.
Kung
tigang ang lupa
At
di ka makaluha,
Ako
ang magdidilig.
Kung
ang bulaklak
Ay
humahalimuyak,
Igagawa
kita ng kuwintas,
Bayan
ko.
Kung
namiminsala
Ang
bagyo't baha,
Ako'y
may kubong ligtas.
May
pag-ibig pa bang
Higit
na dakila
Sa
pag-ibig ko sa iyo,
Bayan
ko?
Wala
na nga , wala.
Later
Pilar chides Pepe for stopping Sid when Sid himself was volunteering to go.
Meanwhile,
Sid's mind seems preoccupied as he massages his leg.
10. INTERLUDE. MOVIE SET.
The
Director and Pilar sing a folk song and a variation:
PILAR
(sa himig ng LERON, LERON, SINTA)
Ang
mamang si Pepe, ayaw makilahok
sa
sagupaan ng limbas kontra manok.
Hindi
na bale raw masabing siya'y takot,
basta't
buhay pa siya at di nabubulok.
11. INT. PEPE'S HOUSE. DAY.
The
following day Sid, instead of leaving, requests Pepe to help him reestablish
contact with his guerrilla unit.
Once
again Pepe is fearful and hesitant. He is willing to help Sid, who is a friend,
but he doesn't want to get involved with people he doesn't know personally.
Sid
persuades Pepe by appealing to his utang na loob. It was through Sid's help
that Pepe got his first novel accepted and serialized in a popular weekly
magazine.
With
Pepe gone, uneasy silence between Sid and Pilar. When they begin to talk, it is
about love and death and betrayal.
Pilar
sings HABANG-BUHAY, HANGGANG LIBING:
PILAR
Ang
sabi mo, "Giliw ko,
Ito
ay itaga mo sa bato,
Habang-buhay
kitang mamahalin,
Habang-buhay,
hanggang libing."
Sabi
mo pa, "O irog,
Habang
ang mundo'y bilog,
Ako
ay iyo, ikaw ay akin,
Habang-buhay, hanggang libing."
Naagnas
na ba ang bato?
Nayupi
na ba ang mundo?
Totoo
pala ang bali-balita,
Wala
kang isang salita.
Sino
na ang kapiling mo?
Ang
dami mong sinabi
Na
isinaisantabi.
Sinungaling
pala, sinungaling
Ang
"Habang-buhay, hanggang libing."
We
learn that Sid was Pilar's first love. He loved her too, but, he says, "It
isn't enough to love each other: we must love the same things." Sid says
he could see that Pilar dreamed of security, comfort, establishing roots. On
the other hand, he wanted adventure, danger, the nomad's life.
War
has made Pilar's security shaky and her comfort minimal, but she believes that
she can still achieve a measure of tranquility, if Sid will only leave Pepe and
her alone.
Pilar
asks if Sid isn't afraid of death. No, says Sid: what he is afraid of is a
useless death.
12. LIBERATED BARRIO. GUERRILLA TERRITORY.
NIGHT.
Pepe
finds Sid's comrades in a rice granary in another barrio of Sangandaan: Roman,
an ex-priest, and Anita, a former beauty queen. They are obviously lovers.
Ever
the curious writer, Pepe asks why the two have joined the armed resistance.
Roman
says he cannot serve God in the abstract, only in the concrete--that is, by
serving the least of Christ's brethren, in this case a people oppressed by
foreign aggressors.
Anita
says that from childhood she had always been shielded from the harsness of
life. She had been a carnival queen, and life was a perpetual carnival for her.
The war brought her face to face with a brutality and ugliness and turned her
into a guerrilla.
Pepe
asks about Roman's and Anita's relationship. They explain that guerrillas,
after all, are human beings, not angels or disembodied spirits.
13. INTERLUDE. MOVIE SET.
The
director and Pilar sing:
DIRECTOR
Bahay
kubo,
Kahit
munti,
Ang
halaman doon
Ay
sarisari:
Singkamas
at talong,
Sigarilyas
at mani,
Sitaw,
bataw,
Patani.
PILAR
Duwag,
bakla,
Kahit
tuta--
Sila'y
humahanga
Sa
mandirigma.
Si
Pepeng mabait
Sa
kaibigan ay galit
Dahil
hindi
Bayani.
14. INT. PEPE'S HOUSE. DAY.
Sid,
Roman, and Anita have a closed-door meeting in Pepe's house.
In
the living room, Pepe and Pilar play sungka and talk of gardening, Estong's
play, the return of MacArthur, pretending that everything is normal. Pilar
can't stand the pretense and brings up the case of Sid's companions staying in
the house. Moreover, it is an abuse of hospitality.
Pepe
says he feels the same way and will inform Sid of their decision as soon as the
meeting is over.
At
this point the guerrillas emerge. Sid says Roman and Anita are leaving, but he
himself, Sid, is staying behind for a while.
After
Roman and Anita leave, Sid asks Pepe to arrange a meeting between him and the
collaborator Estong. Sid says he is tired of fighting, of moving from place to
place, always on the run; in his wounded condition he wants only to lead a
normal life. However, he hopes he can simply surface without having to
surrender formally. Perhaps Estong can help him arrange this.
Pepe
cannot hide his contempt for Sid. Sid asks why he is being condemned for simply
following Pepe's example. Pepe says their cases are not comparable: "I
made a decision not to be involved, and I have stuck by that decision. I am not
a chameleon or a turncoat."
Sid
reminds Pepe of another debt of gratitude: when he, Sid, broke up with Pilar,
the first person he informed was Pepe, not Estong. Pepe was thus in a position
to take advantage of Pilar's broken heart.
Pepe
asks Pilar's opinion. She flares up: he has never consulted her before; why
does he do so now? "Make your own decision! You always do."
Pepe
is not convinced of the wisdom of Sid's decision but agrees to talk to Estong
the following day.
15. EXT. SECLUDED BAMBOO GROVE. NIGHT.
Roman
and Anita are cleaning their guns. They sing KUNG AKO'Y MAMATAY:
ROMAN,
ANITA (DUET)
Kung
ako'y mamamatay,
Kasama,
Huwag
akong iyakan.
Palitan
ang luha
Ng
ibayong tapang.
Iyang
kamatayan,
Kasama,
Karaniwan
lamang,
Subalit
dakila
Kung
dahil sa bayan.
Kung
ako'y mamamatay,
Kasama,
Ang
hiling ko lamang,
Sandata
ko'y kunin,
Ituon
sa kaaway.
Ang
pakikilaban,
Kasama,
Huwag
mong tigilan
Hanggang
pang-aapi'y
Mawalang
tuluyan.
16. INT. AUDITORIUM. DAY.
Estong
is directing a dress rehearsal. Pilar and chorus sing ALING PAG-IBIG PA?--but
each time the phrase "bayan ko" appears, they substitute "mahal
ko." Members of the chorus are dressed up like Amorsolo peasants. Japanese
flags in the background.
Afterwards
the chorus faces the flags and sings AWIT NG KOLABORASYON.
ESTONG,
KORO
Sumisikat
na
Ang
araw sa ating bayan.
Dating
dilim ay pinapawi
Ng
among dayuhan.
Ang
ating buhay
Ay
pauunlarin
Ng
Kristiyanismo, Manifest Destiny
At
Co-Prosperity Sphere.
Nagbabangon
ang dangal
Ng
layuning banal
Na
dala ng banyaga sa mangmang at hangal.
Sa
bagong daigdig
Ay
ihahasik
Ang
maraming biyayang kakambal ay ligalig.
Sumisikat
na
Ang
araw ng kaunlaran.
Bayan,
luhod at sumamba
Sa
among dayuhan.
Estong
leaves them while they're singing and goes to Pepe backstage. They speak in
whispers. Estong is nervous, keeps glancing around, keeps changing the topic
whenever somebody comes in.
Estong
isn't sure he wants to arrange Sid's surrender; this might only arouse the Japanese
Kempeitai's suspicion and cause trouble for him. For old times' sake he agrees
to meet Sid secretly--but not at Pepe's place. Pepe's barrio is too close to
guerrilla territory.
17. EXT. BARRIO ROAD. NIGHT.
Sid,
in Pepe's clothes and with a buri hat on his head, is helped into a clean
calesa. Pepe goes with him; Pilar stays behind. The rig driver looks
suspicious.
Along
the road the calesa passes by tall grass or sugar cane in which Roman and Anita
are hiding. The couple are suprised to see Sid in the calesa.
18. INTERLUDE. MOVIE SET.
Director
and Anita sing:
DIRECTOR
Ale,
aleng namamangka,
Isakay
mo yaring bata.
Pagdating
mo sa Maynila,
Ipagpalit
ng manika.
ANITA
Ale,
aleng namamanglaw,
Si
Pepe ay kaawaan:
Tumulong
sa kaibigan,
Nagpahamak
ng kaibigan.
19. INT. ESTONG'S HOUSE. NIGHT.
Estong's
house reveals his current affluence. Decor includes Japanese knick-knacks and
perhaps No masks. Estong himself could be wearing a Japanese-style bathrobe.
Sid,
Pepe, Estong drink and reminisce. Pepe keeps bringing up the surrender
question; Estong keeps evading the issue. They remember their down-and-out city
days, their days of wine and roses. They recall their exploits with women.
They sing AWIT NG PAGKAKAIBIGAN.
PEPE,
SID, ESTONG
Ang
ating buhay
Sa
mundo ay utang
Sa
ating mahal na mga magulang.
Pero
sa away
Sino
ang dadamay?
Ang
kabarkada, ang kaibigan.
Ang
kaibigan ay kaibigan
Sa
init at ulan.
Ang
kasintahan
Masarap
halikan
At
kung kasiping ay walang kapantay.
Pero
sa sugal
Kapag
naubusan,
Ang
kaibigan ang mauutangan.
Ang
kaibigan ay kaibigan
Sa
init at ulan.
Sa
dusa at ligaya
Kanino
pa aasa?
Sa
liwanag at dilim
Kaibigan
ang magaling!
Halik
sa kamay
Ang
maaasahan
Sa
mga anak na di laki sa layaw.
Pero
sa tagay
Sa
mga inuman
Ang
kaibigan, makikipaglamay.
Ang
kaibigan ay kaibigan
Sa
init at ulan.
Sa
bayanihan,
Pati
sa digmaan,
Makikiisa
ang mga kabayan.
Pero
kung ikaw
Ay
nasa kulungan,
Kaibigan
ang magpapadala ng ulam.
Ang
kaibigan ay kaibigan
Sa
init at ulan.
Sa
dusa at ligaya
Kanino
pa aasa?
Sa
liwanag at dilim
Kaibigan
ang magaling.
Ang
kaibigan ay kaibigan
Sa
init at ulan.
20. EXT. BARRIO ROAD. NIGHT.
Roman
and Anita are walking in the direction of the town proper. They spot a Japanese
patrol; take cover. A tense moment. Jap patrol moves on.
21. INT. ESTONG'S HOUSE. NIGHT.
Sid,
Pepe, Estong continue to drink and reminisce. They recall their political
activities before the war. As writers they were all ardent
independistas--Estong most of all. As students they had led a walkout against
an American teacher who called Filipinos monkeys with no tails.
They
sing: "O the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga... No te vayas, no te
vayas a Zamboanga..." Afterwards they sing another stanza of the song
about friendship.
22. INT. CHURCH. NIGHT.
Roman
and Anita slip into the church sacristy in town and ask for help from the
parish priest, a former classmate of Roman's. The priest, who is taking off
church vestments after the Maundy Thursday rites with the help of a sacristan,
does not want to help. He sings ANG TUNGKULIN NG SIMBAHAN to the tune of the
"Pange Lingua" hymn:
PARISH
PRIEST
Ang
tungkulin ng Simbahan
Ay
tumulong sa tanan:
Ke
mahirap, ke mayaman,
Ating
bibindisyunan,
Basta't
huwag kalilimutan
Ang
abuloy na banal.
Kung
me pera, mas mabuti:
Bendita'y
primera klase.
Kabanalan
ay di libre,
Langit
ay binibili.
Pinagpala
ba ang pulubi?
Tsismis
lang, sabi-sabi.
ROMAN
(pabigkas)
"Sumaakin
ang Espiritu ng Panginoon, sapagkat hinirang niya akong ipangaral ang Mabuting
Balita sa mga dukha." Lucas, Kapitulo Kuwatro, Bersikulo Disisiyete.
PARISH
PRIEST (pabigkas)
"Ang
mga maysakit ang nangangailangan ng manggagamot, hindi ang mga walang sakit....
Sapagkat naparito ako upang tawagin ang mga makasalanan, hindi ang mga
banal." Mateo, Kapitulo Nuwebe, Bersikulo Dose at Trese.
ROMAN
(pabigkas)
"Ang
aking bahay ay tatawaging bahay-dalanginan sa lahat ng bansa; ngunit ginawa
ninyong pugad ng magnanakaw." Marcos, Kapitulo Onse, Bersikulo Disisiyete.
PARISH
PRIEST (pabigkas)
"Sapagkat
ang mayroon ay bibigyan pa, at mananagana; ngunit ang wala, kahit ang
kakaunting nasa kanya ay kukunin pa." Mateo, Kapitulo Bente-Singko,
Bersikulo Bente-Nuwebe.
ROMAN
Pero
may hirap na dulot
Ang
pagpapasan ng krus,
Sakripisyong
di matapos
Ang
paglilingkod sa Diyos.
"Makibaka,
huwag matakot"
Ay
isang banal na utos.
PARISH
PRIEST
Kung
gusto mong lumaban
Di
ka namin pipigilan.
Tao
kang may isipan,
Iyan
ang iyong karapatan.
Pero
ang mismong Simbahan,
Gusto'y
kapayapaan.
ROMAN
(pabigkas)
"Huwag
ninyong isipin na naparito ako upang magdala ng kapayapaan sa lupa; naparito
ako upang magdala ng tabak, hindi kapayapaan." Mateo, Kapitulo Diyes,
Bersikulo Trenta'y Kuwatro.
PARISH
PRIEST (pabigkas)
"Ngunit
sinasabi ko sa inyo: Ibigin ninyo ang inyong mga kaaway, idalangin ninyo ang
mga umaapi sa inyo. Kapag sinampal ka sa isang pisngi, iharap mo rin ang
kabilang pisngi." Lucas, Kapitulo Sais, Bersikulo Bente-Siyete hanggang
Bente-Nuwebe.
ROMAN
(pasalita)
Kabisado
ng diyablo ang Banal na Kasulatan.
PARISH
PRIEST (pasalita)
Naubusan
ang santo ng banal na argumento.
(muling
aawit)
Ang
kay Cesar ay kay Cesar,
Matira'y
sa Simbahan.
Kelangan
ang kumpisalan
Ng
mga mangangamkam,
Kaya
huwag tayong makialam
Sa
makapangyarihan.
ROMAN
(pabigkas)
"Humingi
kayo at kayo'y bibigyan; kumatok kayo at ang pinto'y bubuksan para sa inyo....
Bibigyan ba ninyo ng bato ang inyong anak kung humihingi ito ng tinapay?
Bibigyan ba ninyo siya ng ahas kung humihingi ng isda?" Mateo, Kapitulo
Siyete, Bersikulo Siyete hanggang Diyes.
When
Roman pokes a gun into the parish priest's ribs, the parish priest hastily
asks: "How long are you going to be in town?"
Roman:
"A couple of hours at the most."
Parish
priest: "Better tie us up and gag us, so that we won't be able to run out
and shout for help."
23. INT. ESTONG'S HOUSE. NIGHT.
Sid,
Pepe, Estong continue to drink and reminisce. Now they finish the song about
friendship. Now their past conflicts begin to emerge. Perhaps they recall the
time when they were all rivals courting Pilar.
24. EXT./INT. ESTONG'S HOUSE. NIGHT.
Roman
and Anita dressed as priest and sacristan arrive in the calesa that took Sid to
Estong's place. The rig driver, it turns out, is a member of the underground
movement.
Roman
and Anita walk to Estong's place, carrying bayongs which contain their guns.
Estong
quickly sizes up the situation; reaches for his own gun. But Sid just as
quickly disarms and overpowers Estong. Sid uses his wounded leg to kick away
Estong's gun, which naturally causes Sid pain.
It
is clear now that Sid's surrender bid was merely a ruse to capture Estong. He
will be taken to the liberated barrio to be tried as a collaborator and a
traitor.
Pepe
is outraged: "You can't do this. I was seen coming into this house. You're
putting me into trouble. Is this what I get for being helpful?"
Pepe
is ignored.
Estong
to Sid: "Hudas!"
Sid
to Estong: "Look who's talking. You're the one consorting with the enemy!
You're the one selling the country down the river!"
Pepe:
"What happened to the friendship that transcends everything?"
25. INTERLUDE. MOVIE SET.
Director
and Anita sing:
DIRECTOR
Enero
Pebrero
Marso
Abril Mayo
Hunyo
Hulyo Agosto
Setyembre
Oktubre
Nobyembre
Disyembre
Lubi-lubi!
ANITA
Nalaman
ni Pepe,
Buhay
ay salbahe:
Ang
ayaw sumakay,
Sinasagasaan!
Di
puwedeng tumabi.
Pobreng
Pepe!
26. EXT./INT. LIBERATED AREA. GRANARY. DAY.
Tree
outside the rice granary. A young boy is seated on a limb, eating a guava,
scanning the horizon.
Another
tree, another child keeping watch.
Inside
the granary, the trial of Estong begins. Also present: Sid, Roman, Anita, Pepe,
peasants, workers, children.
Sid:
This man on trial was once a writer with known progressive anticolonial views.
Now he's a collaborator, an enemy of the people.
Estong:
I can't expect a fair trial here. I've got no defense counsel. My accusers are
also my judges and perhaps even executioners.
Sid:
When I was caught by the enemy, I wasn't even tried. But I got one year in
prison. And tortured, naturally. You're lucky you're getting a trial at all.
Pepe here has spoken up for you on more than one occasion. He'll be your
defense counsel.
Pepe
reluctantly agrees. But Estong constantly speaks up for himself--and often
contradicts Pepe.
Estong:
But why me? I've never killed or tortured anyone.
Sid:
By writing propaganda for the enemy, you have covered up for and condoned the
tortured and killings. By helping the enemy, you prolong his stay in power.
27. EXT./INT. PEPE'S HOUSE. DAY.
Japanese
patrol passes by Pepe's house. They enter; demand to be fed and entertained.
Pilar sings KAPARIS NG KAWAYAN, KAPARIS NG KALABAW, a song about survival: the
Filipino is pliant as the bamboo; he leans wherever the wind blows; but the
unbending acacia is toppled by the storm.
PILAR
Ang
Pilipino'y kaparis ng kawayan,
Nakikisayaw
sa hangin, nakikisayaw:
Kung
saan ang ihip
Doon
ang hilig,
Kaya
hindi siya nabubuwal, hindi nabubuwal.
Di
tulad ng punong niyog,
Ayaw
yumuko, ayaw lumuhod,
Kaya
siya nabubuwal, nabubuwal.
Iyan
ang sabi-sabi,
Ewan
lang kung totoo.
Pero
kung totoo ang sabi-sabi,
Lagot
tayo!
Ang
Pilipino'y kaparis ng kalabaw,
Napakahaba
ng pasensiya, napakahaba:
Kung
hinahagupit
Walang
imik,
Kaya
hindi siya pinapatay, hindi pinapatay.
Di
tulad ng baboy-damo,
Ayaw
sumuko, ayaw patalo,
Kaya
siya pinapatay, pinapatay.
Iyan
ang sabi-sabi,
Ewan
lang kung totoo.
Pero
kung totoo ang sabi-sabi,
Lagot
tayo!
28. INT. GRANARY. DAY.
Trial
continues.
Estong:
I'm not as bad as you make me out to be. I help you people.
Sid:
Did you help me when I was in prison?
Estong:
I sent you magazines to read.
Sid:
Enemy propaganda. You were trying to brainwash me!
Roman
is prosecuting attorney, Anita is judge. Sid is a witness. The doctor who
treated Sid is called upon to testify; also the rig driver; also the parish
priest, arms still bound.
Doctor:
He worked for my release from prison. He got me a job after my release.
Roman:
A job in a military hospital, ministering to the enemy!
Rig
driver: He gave big tips.
Priest:
He gave generous contributions to the Church.
Roman:
The people's money! Insurance! Etc.
Estong:
At least I help my fellow Filipinos. Sure, I help myself, but I also mitigate
the sufferings of my countrymen. If not for my help, the enemy occupation would
be more brutal. The people you should try are people like Pepe, who withdraw
from society completely. Pepe doesn't work for the enemy, but he doesn't actively
help the resistance either. He just wants to survive. And after the war the
survivor will make himself out to be a hero by the mere fact of surviving. He
will boast that he did not collaborate, did not soil his hands. Yet he allows
his wife to appear in propaganda plays so that he can live in relative comfort.
29. INT./EXT. PEPE'S HOUSE. DAY.
One
of the Japanese soldiers accidentally finds Sid's US army field jacket and
Pepe's empty notebook. The empty notebook is what angers them most of all: why
is it empty, why isn't it filled with haikus in praise of the authorities?
Pilar is interrogated, threatened with torture and rape if she doesn't talk.
She decides to talk.
They
rape her just the same, in the backyard, among the white shirts and linen hung
out to dry.
30. INT. GRANARY. DAY.
The
audience of peasants and workers are giving their verdict one by one: Death to
the traitor.
31. INTERLUDE. MOVIE SET.
Director
and Pilar and Anita sing:
DIRECTOR
Sitsiritsit
alibangbang,
Salaginto,
salagubang.
Ang
babae sa lansangan,
Kung
gumiri parang tandang.
PILAR
Ang
digmaan ay impiyerno,
'Yan
ang sabi ng demonyo.
ANITA
At
ang ayaw na masangkot,
Tulad
ni Pepe, nasusunog.
32. EXT. CEMETERY. LATE AFTERNOON.
Sid,
Roman, Anita, Pepe, Estong. Estong is given a shovel and told to dig his grave.
Pepe is trying to appeal the sentence.
Estong:
You've condemned me to death anyway. Why should I tire myself digging my own
grave? I won't even live to enjoy the fruits of my labor.
Sid:
Who knows? While you're digging, we may change our minds.
Roman:
Who knows? While you're digging we may be struck by lightning. I don't know
whether that would be an act of God or of the devil.
Anita:
Who knows? While you're digging, the enemy cavalry may arrive in the nick of
time to save you.
Estong
mulls that over, then starts digging.
Sid
sings BAHAGHARI.
SID
Huwag
kang masindak
Sa
kulog at kidlat
O
sa alulong ng hangin sa dagat.
May
bahaghari, may bahaghari
Pagkatapos
ng unos.
Huwag
kang lumuha
Kung
mataas ang baha,
Wala
pang bahang hindi humuhupa.
May
bahaghari, may bahaghari
Pagkatapos
ng unos.
Sa
likod ng ulap
May
aaraw na sumisikat,
Sa
dulo ng dilim
May
liwanag na kay ningning!
Huwag
mong itaghoy
Ang
lagas na dahon.
May
bagong dahon na muling sisibol.
May
bahaghari, may bahaghari
Pagkatapos
ng unos.
33. EXT. LIBERATED BARRIO. LATE AFTERNOON.
Jap
patrol, now with reinforcements, enter the liberated barrio and terrorize the
people, shooting bottles in a sarisari store, beating people up, stealing
chickens, disrupting a ritual singing of the pasyon.
34. EXT. BARRIO ROAD. LATE AFTERNOON.
Pilar
wandering around like Sisa, deranged, singing snatches of ALING PAG-IBIG PA?
35. EXT. CEMETERY. NIGHT.
The
grave has been dug. A child courier comes running to report that an enemy
patrol is on the way.
Sid:
If we flee, we lose our credibility. People will say we can't defend our own
people.
Anita:
But if we don't, we'll be decimated. It will be a setback to the guerrilla
movement.
Roman:
We'll have to retreat. He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.
The people will understand.
But
it's too late to flee. The cemetery is surrounded.
Estong
and Pepe (separately): What about me?
Sid:
I guess we'll have to carry out the sentence.
Estong:
Look, if you kill me, you're as good as dead yourselves. Why don't you just all
surrender like good boys, and I can guarantee you that the enemy won't torture
or kill you and that you will get light sentences. After you're released, I can
give you jobs, if you like that. If you don't, you can always go back to the
hills, for all I care. By then, the war may be over.
After
a brief exchange of views, with Pepe strongly arguing in favor of Estong's
proposal, the guerrillas agree to surrender.
Estong
identifies himself to the enemy; arranges the surrender. As soon as the
guerrillas lay down their arms, Estong orders them shot on the spot. The child
courier, too, is killed. Only Pepe is spared. He stares in horror at the body
of the child courier.
Estong
walks off into the sunset.
36. EXT. CEMETERY. DAY.
Story
conference. Director doesn't like this ending: too depressing.
Writer:
What's the matter? That's a realistic ending.
Director:
It offends my sense of justice. Crime shouldn't pay. The bad shouldn't be
allowed to go unpunished. We need an upbeat ending.
Writer:
In real life, the bad go unpunished. The good get their reward in heaven, but
the bad get theirs right here on earth. They become rich and powerful, they get
to rule nations and empires. Art's function is to tell it like it is, to be a
mirror of reality.
Director:
Art should go beyond surface reality, because reality can be changed. Art's
function should be to indicate the direction in which reality can be changed.
Not just to show what is, but what should be, or what's possible.
Writer:
That's what escapist entertainment does--offer false hopes.
Director:
Then we must offer true hopes. Let's try another ending.
37. EXT. CEMETERY. NIGHT.
Repeat
scene where guerrillas realize it's too late to flee.
Estong:
What about me?
Sid:
You? I'm afraid I can't give you time to time to say your prayers. (Shoots
Estong.)
The
enemy troops attack and kill everybody in the cemetery, including Pepe and the
child courier. They gather the guns and leave.
After
the enemy troops have left, the child stirs. He has only been wounded (in the
leg, naturally, just like Sid) and has been playing dead. He looks around him,
then picks up a gun that the enemy troops have overlooked.
The
boy limps off into the sunset.
38. EXT. CEMETERY. DAY.
The
Director has called another story conference.
Director:
It's still too depressing. One bad guy gets killed, but so do the good guys and
gal, not to mention the fence-sitter.
Writer:
But now we're offering some hope to the audience. The boy survives. And we
suggest that he will continue the struggle.
Director:
On the other hand, he might grow up to be another fence-sitter. People who get
burned and survive never want to come close to the fire again. Often. Look at
the doctor in our story. No, we need another kind of ending.
Actor
who plays Pepe: Why don't we just have the guerrillas shoot their way out and
kill all the Japs?
Director:
That's what happens in all war movies.
Actor:
Well, this is a movie, isn't it? This isn't real life. Why can't we just do
what all other movies do?
Director:
Don't try to be funny. No, what we need is an ending that will bring the focus
back to Pepe. After all, this is basically the story of Pepe--the fence-sitter,
the guy who doesn't want to get involved.
Writer:
And don't forget Pilar. We can't leave her just wandering around like Sisa
aiming for an acting award. Pilar’s story has to have an ending somehow.
Director
(to Actor): Okay, let's bring the story back to Pepe. What do you think? What
should happen now? What should Pepe do?
Actor:
Don't ask me. I'm just an actor here. Ask the writer. Or, you're the
auteur--you decide. Decide what you want and I'll execute it for you. To the
best of my ability. As far as I'm concerned, that's what art is. To do
something well. Whatever you do, do it well.
Writer:
If you collaborate with the enemy, collaborate well. Don't get caught.
Actor:
Exactly.
39. EXT. CEMETERY. NIGHT.
Repeat
scene where it's just too late to flee and Estong makes his proposal. Just when
the guerrillas agree to surrender, Pilar wanders into the scene, her clothes
all tattered and torn.
Pilar
curses the enemy: I prostitute my art for the sake of your war, and for my
peace of mind--and this is what you do to me!
A
Jap sniper kills Pilar with one shot. She falls into Pepe's arms. Wild with
grief, he grabs Sid's gun and aims it at Estong's head.
Estong:
Why me? I didn't do anything. Kill the Japs!
Pepe:
Don't worry. I'll do just that. But right now... (Shoots Estong. Then yells at
the enemy:) Come and get us! We're waiting for you! Come on! (Etc. Hysterical
shouts.)
40. INT. PROJECTION ROOM. DAY.
Another
story conference.
Writer:
That's it?
Director:
I guess that's it.
Writer:
Doesn't solve anything. You just left the ending hanging. In real life, they'd
all still get killed.
Director:
Doesn't matter. This was the story of a fence-sitter.
Writer:
That's not an original concept.
Director:
Let's just say it's a variation on a theme. Anyway I don't think we'll ever run
out of possible endings. But it's possible to run out of film.
Writer:
Can we possibly put this in somewhere? It's the ending of a poem. I don't know,
but I feel it belongs in the story somewhere.
DIREKTOR
(reads; Tagalog translation):
For
we knew only too well:
Even
the hatred of squalor
Makes
the brow grow stern.
Even
anger against injustice
Makes
the voice grow harsh. Alas, we
Who
wished to lay the foundations of kindness
Could
not ourselves be kind.
(At
alam na alam namin:
Pati
ang galit sa kaapihan
Ay
nakakasira ng mukha.
Pati
ang ngitngit sa pambubusabos
Ay
nagpapagaspang ng boses. Ay, kami
Na
nagmithing magpunla ng pakikipagkaibigan
Ay
hindi naging mapagkaibigan.)
Director:
Did you write this?
Writer:
No. Bertolt Brecht.
Brecht's
lines flashed on screen, before end credits.
41. EXT. MOVIE SET. DAY.
FINALE
Direktor,
Manunulat, atbp.
MANUNULAT
Ang
hirap ng buhay ng manlilikha
Kung
di mo mapili ang iyong paksa.
Kung
papaksain mo'y samyo ng bulaklak,
Para
bang ayaw mong pumansin ng sugat.
DIREKTOR
(recitative)
Ang
sinabi mong 'yan,
Magandang
pakinggan.
MANUNULAT
(recitative)
Hindi
orihinal.
Hinango
ko lamang
Sa
isang makatang dayuhan,
Bertolt
Brecht ang pangalan.
DIREKTOR
(aawit)
Kung
papaksain mo'y samyo ng bulaklak,
Para bang ayaw mong pumansin ng sugat.
KORO
Ayaw
ba, ayaw bang
Pumansin
ng sugat?
Aba,
naku, parang gustong umiwas
Sa mabibigat na responsibilidad.
DIREKTOR
Parang
gustong umiwas
Sa
mabibigat na responsibilidad.
KORO
Kung
iyan ang suliranin
Ano
ba ang dapat gawin?
MANUNULAT
Kung
ako ang tatanungin...
PEPE
(sasabad, pasalita)
Kung
ako ang tatanungin...
(sa
himig ng AWIT NG HINDI NAKIKISANGKOT)
Hindi
ako mangingisda,
Hindi
ako mandirigma.
Ako
ay makata,
Isang
makata lamang,
Ang
tungkulin ko sa lipunan
Ay
linangin ko ang sining ko--
Iyan
ang tungkulin ko.
SID
(sa himig ng AWIT NG NAKIKISANGKOT)
Sa
harap natin
Ay
bingit ng bangin
Sa
likod ay lindol, daluyong, apoy.
Ano'ng
dapat gawin
Ng
bawat nilalang
Kung
nasa panganib ang mundo't panahon?
Pakikibaka,
pakikibaka--
Iyan
ang tungkulin mo.
ESTONG
Bakit
dadagdagan
Ang
sugat ng bayang
Binayo
ng lindol, daluyong, apoy?
Ang
dapat gawin
Sa
gan'tong sitwasyon,
Sugat
ay gamutin, bayan ay aluin
At
ang kaaway, kaibiganin--
Iyan
po ang tungkulin.
KORO
Kung
ganyan ang suliranin,
Ano
ba ang dapat gawin?
DIREKTOR
(recitative)
Narinig
natin ang tatlong opinyon,
Nakita
natin ang tatlong posisyon.
Sino
ba ang tama, sino ba ang wasto?
Pepe,
Sid, Estong? O mali ang tatlo?
PEPE,
SID, ESTONG
O
silang lahat ay may punto?
MANUNULAT
(pasalita)
May
punto ang bawat isa
Batay
sa kanyang sariling punto de bista.
Bakit
hindi natin hayaang sila--
Ang
mga nanonood sa palabas nating ito--
Ang
magpasiya?
Huwag
nating subuan ang may sariling huwisyo.
Kayo,
mga binibini, ginang at ginoo,
Ang
magpasiya.
DIREKTOR
Ikaw,
pare, ang tinatanong ko.
Huwag
kang umiwas dito.
Ano
ba talaga ang posisyon mo?
MANUNULAT
Kung
ako ang tatanungin
Ito
ang aking sasabihin:
(aawit)
Awitin
ang totoo,
Sagad-buto,
tagos apdo.
Ang
totoo ay mabuti
Kahit
mapanganib sa iyo.
Ang
totoo ay maganda
Kahit
pangit sa reyna.
DIREKTOR
Madaling
sabihin, mahirap gawin.
MANUNULAT
Mahirap
man, kung dapat gawin...
Gawin!
DIREKTOR
Awitin
ang totoo,
Sagad-buto,
tagos apdo.
LAHAT
(paulit-ulit, hanggat kailangan)
Awitin
ang totoo,
Sagad-buto,
tagos apdo.
Ang
totoo ay mabuti
Kahit
mapanganib sa iyo.
Ang
totoo ay maganda
Kahit
pangit sa reyna.
SAYAWAN.
While
the dancing goes on around them, Director and Writer continue their discussion.
They could be discussing their characters. If they had lived, what would they
be doing now? The Composer strums a guitar, half-listening to the discussion,
looking bored.
FADE OUT
1992.09.10
First
Draft: 1991.06.12
