UY, TARA KYLE

BSN 2 –NB

HISTORY 7 NB

I. Introduction

Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon is a film that viably portrays the battle of

Philippine autonomy, and the life of a standard kid attempting to investigate and find a

greater amount of the nation. The demise of his mom and his colleague with Padre Gil, a

Spanish minister, turned into a purpose behind a youngster named Kulas Ocampo to

cross and walk more in a nation with lost character. With so much diligence and mental

fortitude, Kulas discovered Padre Gil's child, Bindoy and simultaneously, met a youthful

exquisite lady named Diding, an on-screen character who has so a lot of energy and

incredible desirein accomplishing her fantasies and one who promptly got Kulas' heart.

Being new to the spot, Kulas accepted the open door to ask help from a Chinese shipper

named Lim, whom they met en route, to control and carry them to Padre Gil's living

arrangement since he needs to take Bindoy back to his dad. After arriving at Padre Gil's

living arrangement, Kulas was then captured and detained with the revolutionaries. It

didn't take long to liberate Kulas out of prison since Don Tibor, a capable legal counselor

of Padre Gil, rescued him in conformance with Padre Gil's solicitation. Kulas was

additionally left with a lifetime fortune, and an obligation to deal with Bindoy by Padre Gil

as he had ew back to Spain. His life changed from that point forward; be that as it may, it

was insufficient since he needed to have Diding as his lifetime accomplice. Sadly, Diding

was a goal-oriented lady who included brutality inside her with regards to the way toward
accomplishing her fantasies which at that point came about to making's Kulas extremely

upset. With Don Tibor, who has before long found as a ravenous and prideful tip top, and

Diding's unfaithfulness, Kulas was alarmed and lled with outrage against the them two.

Later that time, Kulas was interrogated by the Spaniards concerning the agitators. Stayed

unconvinced, the Spaniards set Kulas into jail for the subsequent time and Kulas was

then ready to escape with Kidlat. During such time, the American liberated the Filipinos

from the Spanish colonizers. Also, simultaneously, Kulas experienced difficulty with his

home since Lim's mom attempted to guarantee the said property. Wear Tibor offered

assistance to Kulas in recovering his property and was clearly ready to give explanations

that demonstrated his possession; nonetheless, around then, Lim was discovered dead

and Don Tibor met a mishap which had him incapacitated for an incredible remainder.

After a huge occasion, it was then discovered that Don Tibor was a hitched man to a lady

from IloIlo. Diding caught the news and later on, asked Kulas to have their marriage. After

some time, Diding came clean about what she felt for Don Tibor. After what Kulas heard,

he nally got into faculties and settled on the correct choice to leave Diding. Kulas ensured

that Bindoy goes to class and that he is very much dealt with before he ofcially left and

returned to his region. The lm shows the change of organization from Spaniards to

Americans. It reliably contains and depicts lives of the Filipinos under the decision of their

colonizers. It has obviously indicated the mediocrity of the Filipinos in their very own

nation which at that point made the idea of national personality of the Filipinos to be

clouded and ambiguous. The inquiry who is the Filipino that Kulas typically asked, turned

into an eyeopener for us Filipinos, particularly now that an ever increasing number of

efficient headways are happening and as a known underdeveloped nation, we will in

general be abandoned coming about to Filipinos acknowledging more the progressions

of other nation than their own one of a kind. The film likewise contains war which may

depict current genuine fights that is available in our nation. These quarrels may include

relational or intrapersonal conflicts. It likewise strikes the contrasts among common and

city way of life, societal position and friendship or love by and large. Concerning the

details, the light and melodic scoring is profoundly in similarity with the Spanish

colonization setting which at that point, gives its watchers an involvement with its setting.

The entire film handed-off so a lot of good exercises however on occasion, it gave us a

hauling feeling.

II. Body of the paper

The change time frame between the Spanish and the Americans demonstrated to

be a troublesome time. The scenes from the film "Ganito kami early afternoon, paano

kayo ngayon?" Showed the battle of the individuals in the midst of the disarray of that

time. The film delineated striking scenes of adapting to another colonizer when we saw

Kulas, the hero, connect with the Americans. We perceived how extraordinary they were

from the Spanish, not just with their frame of mind however with their language too, Kulas

couldn't get them, in like manner, the American soldiers experienced difficulty speaking

with him too. In this specific scene we witness the battle of the locals in modifying these

new individuals and defeating a language boundary. Another scene that would

additionally demonstrate this language hindrance was the point at which Tibor's servant

asserted responsibility for house to the American official, we can see her absence of

information on the english language. In a similar scene we can likewise say that the locals

needed to likewise adapt to another administration as a result of Kulas' failure to recover

his home, since the Spanish left, there was no chance to get for him to demonstrate the

responsibility for property, the announcement of the official to his soldiers about how it

was their central goal to build up American belief systems into the nation. An adjustment

in the training framework is likewise apparent in the film, found in the discussion of Kulas

also, Bindoy, the child of Padre Gil Corcuera, in the school foyer. As they talked, an

American fighter out of sight can be seen conveying a slate up a trip of stairs. The film

likewise demonstrated the hardships of the locals as they attempted to keep on living

regularly in the midst of all the disorder. It very well may be said for there are scenes that

demonstrate this; there was one scene wherein Kulas was stirred by the sound of

discharges and guns. In another scene, Tibor would discuss the disorder that had

happened as far back as the Americans came. What's more, the youthful Bindoy would

dissent to Kulas that he wouldn't like to remain at school for a piece of it had been

assaulted. However with these occurrence, Kulas and different locals would even now go

on with their lives, doing exercises like going on strolls, eating out, and viewing zarzuelas,

things that Kulas and his better half, Diding, did in the film. The progress of the Philippines

from Spain to America would likewise bring about a character emergency among it's kin.

During the Spanish provincial time frame, "Filipinos" were those Spanish conceived in the

archipelago and the locals were classified "Indios". Be that as it may, when the Americans

came such changed, which prompts the inquiry; "who/what is a Filipino?" A question that

Kulas has been yearning to be replied. In the film we see the term develop and given a

wide range of definitions, from Spaniards conceived in the nation, to the individuals who

demonstrate their love for the nation through their activities, appeared in the scene where

Kulas tended to the vagrants as Filipinos before embarking to join the progressives. The
film gives the watchers a look at life during the change time frame, something that can't

be effectively found in history books. It is an amazing film and ought to be viewed by

everybody. It brings issues to light for the battles of change and shows the value that our

individual comrades have paid opportunity, regardless of whether it be detainment or

demise, they would bear it for the affection for the nation. It will plant in the brains of the

watchers, the seed of nationality, something that each Filipino ought to have. The film

additionally brings issues to light to the inquiry, "who/what is a Filipino?" After watching

this film, the watchers would find that what makes a Filipino isn't the starting point of one's

introduction to the world; take for example the character Lim for instance, he is a Chinese

however thinks about himself as Filipino. It additionally isn't the enormity and stature of a

man, as Tibor had expressed, for Kulas tended to the vagrants toward the finish of the

motion picture as Filipinos. It is the adoration for the nation also, the jumps you would

take for it, similar to the Katipuneros and revolutionaries that battled, exposed

inconceivable hardships, and even passed on for her opportunity. The benefit of

burrowing further from our past can be found in the film, the exercises learned through

the story gives significant data for the group of people yet to come of Filipinos, data of a

period of hardship and adjustment. It makes them mindful of their actual character, and

gives them a thought of who/what a Filipino is. The film put to life a period We can only

with significant effort find in books, it made individuals more believe progressively

nationalistic and will drive others to burrow further and find more.

III. Conclusion

Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon (This Is How We Were, How Are You

Now) is a film that constantly asks, "What is a Filipino?", but is so vibrant and droll that it
never feels like the essay section of a dreaded social studies exam. It does not have the

grinding sense of seriousness and self-importance that makes the typical historical film a

chore to watch. The average historical film tries to guilt us into liking it, as if it were our

patriotic duty to suffer through the hero's tribulations and stifle the urge to shout, "Patayin

ninyo na 'yan para makauwi na kami!" (Kill him now so we can go home!) Writer-director

Eddie Romero makes his case with such a light touch, keeps us so amused, that before

we know it, we have pondered the question. Made in 1976 and now showing at Power

Plant Cinema in a digital restoration by the ABSCBN Archives and Central Digital Lab,

Ganito Kami Noon reminds us of the time when the Metro Manila Film Festival actually

tried to combine artistic ambition with box-office appeal. In its skilful fusion of comedy,

drama, and operetta, its casual, almost throwaway social commentary, and its depiction

of life as theater (complete with a traveling troupe), it also reminds us of the influence of

Fellini on Filipino cinema in the 70s. Romero, who cut his teeth on American B-movies,

was particularly interested in Philippine history - he made the epic Aguila, in which history

transpires through the eyes of Fernando Poe, Jr., and Kamakalawa, set in the mythical

pre-colonial past. In 1898, during the brief period between the declaration of Philippine

independence and the Philippine-American War, a naïve young man named Kulas arrives

in Manila and comes into possession of a fortune. The capital is in chaos - it is still held

by the Spanish, but the Katipunan is making its presence felt and there is a general feeling

that the Spanish are finished. A sure sign of the end of the colonial era is that the affluent,

educated locals have taken to calling themselves "Filipino", a term that had been reserved

for Spanish citizens born in these islands. (The locals were called "indios".) From the first

shot of a funeral in a churchyard overgrown with weeds, the film pulls us into the late 19th
century. What great faces - the extras all look like regular people, not actors performing

for the camera or getting ready for their selfies. The production design by Peque Gallaga

and Laida Lim is wonderfully evocative - you can smell the burnt wax in the churches and

feel the rough, scratchy fabrics the people wore. (I have had it with costumes that look

like they still have their price tags from SM). To these elements Romero adds music by

Lutgardo Labad - a vocal chorus commenting on the action. Kulas is played by the young

Christopher De Leon before fame and awards got to him. He's such an appealing

protagonist that even if Kulas is a dolt and we sometimes feel like kicking him in the head,

we root for him. Kulas strikes me as an Asian cousin of Pip from Great Expectations - a

callow youth who makes his way in the world with the unexpected help of benefactors

such as Padre Gil (E.A. Rocha), a Spanish friar who manipulates him into taking his son

Bindoy (Dranreb) to Manila, Lim (Tsing Tong Tsai), a Chinese trader who gives him

passage to Manila, and Tibor (Eddie Garcia), the lawyer who teaches him the social

graces and introduces him to society. "Isa siyang pari," (He's a priest) Kulas tells little

Bindoy when they set out to meet the boy's father. "Malaking karangalan iyon." (It's a

great honor.) As in Great Expectations, there's a beautiful, ambitious young woman,

Diding (Gloria Diaz at her most spectacular), who toys with our hero's affections, and a

scary, violent convict Baltao (Johnny Vicar) whom Kulas befriends. Then there's the

quintessential Dickensian character, the shady impresario who gets himself into all sorts

of scrapes and somehow worms out of them. In this case it's Atong, the manager of the

traveling theater group, played by the great Leopoldo Salcedo. Salcedo is a joy to watch:

you know you can't trust anything Atong says, but it's almost worth it to be fooled by him.

Throughout Kulas’s adventures, the film muses on issues of identity and race. Am I a
Filipino? Kulas asks his mentor, Tibor. Not yet, Tibor replies, but you could be one

someday. To the elitist Tibor, the label "Filipino" must be earned through education and

achievement. Later Kulas, his heart crushed yet again by the deceitful yet honest Diding

(She did say she valued fame more than love), is in a brothel with Atong. Another client

takes umbrage at overhearing anti-Spanish statements, identifies himself as Spanish, and

draws his gun. There's a new kind of Spaniard, someone says, one that is blacker than

coal. Kulas, who starts out being neither Spanish nor Filipino, meanders his way through

life, carried along by circumstance, withouth the capacity for self-determination. One day

he is an indio arrested by the Spanish, the next day an indio fighting the Americans, the

next day accused of being a Spanish spy. Who is he? It's a question he must grapple with

whether he cares to or not, much as we continue to struggle with the question of who we

are. Vivid and exuberant, Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon summons up the big,

teeming world beyond the screen and urges us to embrace it. Happiness isn't everything,

its hero learns, and most shockingly for a Filipino movie, there is more to life than romantic

love. Such as being part of a nation.

Eddie Romero’s epic 1976 classic film Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon stands

the test of time. It uses the different cinematic elements creatively and effectively. The

actors give life to flesh-and-blood characters. The theme or themes are universal. And

most of all, the movie tosses around ideas that the viewers can think about. In Ganito

Kami Noon, Romero who is both the director and co-scriptwriter (with Roy Iglesias) goes

back to a colorful time in our history — the last days of Spanish colonial rule and the early

conquest by the Americans — and asks the age-old question of who and what we are as

a nation, what our national identity is. The central character confronts this question every
step of the way and each time, he gets an elusive answer. We may not be bothered by

the issue of national identity now, except when problems of regionalism and post-colonial

values and the issues of running the government and ordinary folk’s weaknesses come

up. Then as now, the matter is a puzzlement. The movie focuses on a pure-hearted

country bumpkin Kulas a.k.a. Nicolas Ocampo, played with disarming simplicity and

sincerity by a very young Christopher de Leon, who is naturally naïve but sensible and

pragmatic. Throughout the film, Kulas comes upon people and situations that make him

wonder about his being a Filipino. In the course of the movie, his encounters with several

other characters are worthy of a serious novel, much like Voltaire’s Candide, and Romero

makes his picaresque tale effective, dramatic and often funny. Kulas meets a wily,

sexually active womanizer but benevolent Spanish friar Padre Corcuera (E.A. Rocha)

who becomes his padrino and eventually passes on to him great wealth. A review of

Philippine history: Why are there a few Filipino families blessed with so much power and

wealth, and real-estate properties visible “as far as the eye can see? Patronage, as

suggested in the movie, but also maybe crime? “Behind every great fortune is a great

crime.” The Spaniard asks Kulas to bring to Manila his illegitimate son called Bindoy

(Dranreb), and in his travels, Kulas meets, loses, then meets again the woman of his

dreams Diding (Gloria Diaz lovely then as now). Now, Diding isn’t your typical blushing

maiden of yore — certainly not Maria Clara, for she is “showbiz na showbiz,” lusting after

stardom. This is what makes the dramatis personae interesting. The characters are real

and full of surprises. Diding is referred to by Kulas’ ward Bindoy as “kiri,” or “makiri”

(flirtatious on a simple level and a loose woman on a real level, in those days anyway).

Today’s generation would add: She’s “user-friendly.” Another character, Kulas’ ilustrado
lawyer Don Tibor (Eddie Garcia) may be likened to today’s politician — rich and flexible,

and though loyal to Kulas, eyes Diding with desire. There is a Chinoy family represented

by a merchant (Tsing Tong Tsai) who is hardworking, low-key and reliable. There is a

rebel (Johnny Vicar) who is high-strung, intransigent and emotional — human frailties that

are a liability during the Revolution. These characters form a rich tapestry of Philippine

life. One may point out anachronisms in period details but in spite of them, the movie is

generally able to capture the mood and nostalgic atmosphere of an era long gone. It

throbs with life largely due to the music score by Lutgardo Labad whose original and

adapted work is realized from scant instrumental resources. Maybe Wikipedia

erroneously refers to the movie as a “Filipino romantic musical drama” because the Wiki

contributor saw just bits of the movie — in particular its early third which saw the

enamored Kulas imagining himself singing a duet with the unpolished talent that’s Diding.

Hemisphere, the company that produced the movie, was not a major studio, thus it could

qualify as an indie film. The relatively low budget is a give-away, as may be gleaned from

the production design. One thing clear is that in spite of its limited production budget and

location requirements, Romero’s grand period piece and costume drama on the

adventures and misadventures of Everyman (Every Filipino) is effective now as then.

Kulas is a slow-witted young man. People take advantage of his naivety. He lost his

house, wealth, and ladylove. But, one thing they cannot take away from him is his Filipino

identity. Who/what is a Filipino? The film’s greatness lies in its exploration of the Filipino

question. Kulas gets confounded with the different definitions of ‘Filipino.’ It originally

referred to a person of pure Spanish descent born in the country. However, the term

evolved. A travelling Chinese merchant born in the country is also called a Filipino. Being
born in the country seems to be the main criteria. Kind-hearted and gullible Kulas

searches out for a boy named Bindoy and reunites the kid with his grateful father, a friar

named Padre Gil Corcuera. The latter endows Kulas with a house and a huge sum of

money. He gets transformed from a lowly indio into a rich senyorito. He asks a Visayan

lawyer named Tibor if he can rightly be called Filipino. Tibor says that in order to be called

a Filipino, one must be a worthy and valuable person. The young man finds a worthy

cause to live for. He is disgusted at so-called Filipinos collaborating with the enemies, the

Spaniards and the Americans. Just like Jose Rizal, who was heartbroken, he abandons

his love for Diding and shifts his love to his country. Kulas, in the end, realizes that a

Filipino is someone who loves or will love the then newly created Filipino nation. It is not

enough to be born in the country in order to be called a Filipino. One should also love his

country through actions. Kulas approaches a group of orphans and reminds them to call

themselves Filipinos. He then hikes off to join the insurrectos.