C1 Originals

In accordance with Cinema 1’s 20th anniversary was its campus tour packed with 6 of their most

anticipated films, including the restored version of Ganito Kam Noon, Paano kayo Ngayon.

Below are the films I had chosen to put into analysis for the Final requirement in the course,

Communication Theories, continuing on the later part was the analysis for the restored movie,

Ganito kami Noon, Paano kayo Ngayon.

I.

Love doesn’t just build, it also destroys- This was one of the messages that were

conveyed by the ever-tragic story and film of Keith Acuña entitled Woman of the Ruins which

solely evolve to the lives of Maria (Alessandra De Rossi) and Pasyon (Art Acuña) together with

their society’s hopeless beliefs and practices. In a faded beginning, it appears that Maria just then

found by their town’s wise man Sol, at the shore and sooner claimed by Pasyon as his 7-year

dead wife. Her comeback remained a big mystery throughout the film and Pasyon tried to

explain Maria everything about these and such, but for Maria, she could not recall anything.

Maria exclaimed, “Paano ko maalala ang alaalang kahit kailan ay hindi naman naging akin.”

It’s not about to make an excuse, but maybe because she’s not really the one who’s been pushed

through to act as if. Her action was supported by Attribution theory of Heider in which it

attempts to explain why Maria is acting in that way. There are variety of causes that’s why Maria

behaved like that. It maybe she’s not really Maria or she had just forgot everything as for she had

gone for 7 years.

On the following part, it is proved that girls only can easily understand girls. As the story

goes on with Maria and Pasyon’s unconditional love for her, it’s only Sabel Mijares (Chanel

Latorre) whom at first have a clear talk with Maria. Sabel communicates with Maria even she’s

not giving proper response. Their relationship starts from nothing until Sabel tried her best to

help Maria from her pain and anxieties, to close friends. This was supported by Altman and

Taylor’s Social Penetration theory which explains that relationship becomes intimate as

communication develops from shallow to deeper. Sabel spent more time with Maria to the extent

that they become sister-like friendship. Their friendship was tested as they both witness the

darkest part of their lives, the rape scene which caused: Sabel and Eli Pasyon’s (Son of Maria

and Pasyon, believed as the miracle in their society) death, in which the two jumped off the cliff

and got suffocated; and Maria’s second pregnancy, which was bloomed by anger and ache.

Maria accepted her 2nd pregnancy as reality, as for an option instead. Because of pain, Maria’s

second baby discovered dead after she gave birth and no one really expects the scenario. Because

of the series of heartaches, Maria jumped off the cliff and unconsciously, Pasyon followed.

Through his unconditional adoration for Maria, he had just then followed what Maria did without

thinking of what might happen next. This was explained by Petty and Cacioppo’s Elaboration

and Likelihood theory which states that there were two routes to persuasion- Central and

Peripheral- Pasyon’s reaction was under the Peripheral route, because of his liking, Pasyon loves

Maria and even her Idea, that is why he does the act which put the movie into end.

Whose memories aren’t brought back after you have just seen a ranger-robotic themed

film by Miko Livelo, Blue Bustamante, which also features a common scene in the society and

put some twist in resolving such, the ever present OFW scene. It focuses on George’s (Joem

Bascon) life- a frustrated engineer who travelled in Tokyo, Japan just to support his family. The

movie starts in the scene where George with his determination and decision to left the country

for job abroad. I’m pretty sure it ain’t easy to let go especially of your loved one. In the film, it

appeared that the character of Dimples Romana as George’s wife, finds it very hard to let him go

with his decision but in response, George told her that he really have to so that he will be buying

soon their son toys and an amplifier for her. as observed, George tries to reinforce something

towards his wife so that it will soon understand his plan. George’s action was explained by

Hovland, Janis and Kelly’s theory of Reinforcement which explains that attitude changes as

result from an opinion change produced through reinforcement in areas such as attention,

comprehension and acceptance.

In Tokyo, George met a stranger which soon became his friend. At first, George doesn’t

really communicate well with the stranger guy but because they aren’t both accepted in the job

where they had applied, and their nationality, this serves as their common denominator and

became buddies which helped each other throughout the film. This was explained by Berger and

Calabrese’s Uncertainty Reduction theory which explains people reduce uncertainty through

seeking information to make sense of interpersonal situations.in the film, it is because of

similarity, similarities between Geroge and that stranger which reduced uncertainty. As the

movie goes on with George being a stuntman in a ranger themed TV show, Force Five,

Expectancy Violation theory by Burgoon was high lightened in the scene where George calls

back home through a landline in their office with this intention in mind to reveal to his wife what

he really ended up there in Tokyo, surprisingly knowing that his son, which in desperately thirst

for his affection, is an avid fan of the TV show where he is up to. The theory explains that when

expectations are violated, we will respond in specific ways. If an act is unexpected and is

assigned favorable interpretation, it will produce more favorable outcomes than an expected act

with the same interpretation and evaluation. George never thought in the back of his mind that

the TV show was viewed in his hometown and will be loved by his son. In the film, after George

had knew that his son was a die-hard fan of his TV show back in Tokyo, it affected his attitude

and became much hard-working and developed his love for what he do, as for referred in the

theory as the favorable outcome.

II.

Who are the Filipinos? - Throughout the film of Eddie Romero, Gaanito kami noon,

Paano kayo ngayon, it was the question from the back of the mind of the protagonist, Nicholas

‘Kulas’ Ocampo (Christopher De lion). At a very young age, his life revolved so meaningful and

met so many characters which cause so many troubles in his life. The Filipinos in the film seems

like they doesn’t really know that they are the true Filipinos. For majority, being Filipino was a

stage where in you had reached something, finished, and had influenced the society. As for a

priest in the film, he stated that in order for Kulas to be a Filipino, he had to go to Spain to get a

degree and finished his studies soon. For me, Spaniards in the film stole the identities of the

Filipinos, not just the rights but their individuality. The film was divided into two parts, the

Spaniards era, and the American era. But even the Spaniards had ended their reign, still for the

time of Americans, the Filipinos doesn’t still even know who they are, which it was proven in

the ending of the film where Kulas met some kids playing in a lake.

In the beginning of the film, Kulas met a priest in which served as the reason for his hasty

richness. In return for the house and money given by the Priest, Kulas has to take care of his son

by mistake Bindoy. This was supported by the Reinforcement theory of Hovland and Kelly

which explains that attitude changes result from an opinion change produced throough

reinforcement in areas such as attention, comprehension and acceptance. It is seen that in order

for Kulas to accept the task, the priest reinforces his wealth knowing that Kulas’ life seems like

going no-where. After Kulas had found Bindoy, on their way back to Manila, they met a

Chinese which became Kulas’ friend throughout the movie. Because they are at first, going back

to Manila on their first met, the uncertainty for each other was reduced. This was explained by

Berger and Calabrese’s Uncertainty Reduction theory which explains that people reduce

uncertainty through seeking information to make sense of interpersonal situations. In the film, it

is because of their similarity, going back to Manila, similarity between the two which reduced

their uncertainty.

All the way through the story of the film, Kulas seems like he even doesn’t know where

his story will go. His character had so many unexpected happenings. First is his life in Manila,

that it is really tough for him and second is his first love Diding Diaz, which had a secret affair

towards his legal counselor. Through this, Kulas had decided to let go of Diding because of the

pain he had discovered. This was explained by Burgoon’s theory of Expectancy Violation

which explains that when our expectations are violated, we will respond in specific ways. If an

act is unexpected and is assigned favorable interpretation, it will produce more favorable

outcomes than an expected act with the same interpretation and evaluation, and vice-versa. In the

movie, Kulas perceived unfavorable unterpretation towards his counselor and Diding’s

relationship so it produced negative outcomes in Kulas’ attitude. After he had decided to left

Diding and everything he has in Manila, on his way far of Manila, he encountered Filipino

children in which he asked about this ‘Filipino’ term and put the movie into end.