Final POP LIT - This is a movie analysis of the Filipino 2002 film, Super B. The theoretical PDF

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This is a movie analysis of the Filipino 2002 film, Super B. The theoretical framework that was used here is the romance mode....

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Republic of the Philippines POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS Sta. Mesa, Manila

Super B Movie Analysis Using the Romance Mode in the Philippines by Soleded S. Reyes

Submitted by: Oriel, Jose Emmanuel Submitted to: Prof. Joey Clutario

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I.

Introduction The birth of “Comedia”, the first national drama paved the way to spread the metrico romance, the narrative poetry laden with adventures and supernatural event and creatures which was a product of Medieval Ages in Europe, resulting to the popularization of “awit at korido” during 18th century in the Philippines. With the concoction of “comedia” and “awit at korido”, it has forged the collective psyche of many Filipinos to love stories of prince and princesses in distant kingdoms; encounters to giants, elves, tiger and lions, miscellaneous beasts and other gigantic beings; and the reign of terror caused by crusades and invasion of caliph and sultans. Folk tales had widely spread and other stories in magazines, comics, radio, television and film even from these days were derived from the concepts of “comedia” and “awit at corrido” (Almario, 2014). Though the years, these stories had influenced the scenes and the production of popular texts, especially in the film industry. Fantasy has mesmerized many Filipino readers/viewers continuing to draw from these “never seem to end” stories of magic, mystery, horror, utopian world, etc. Various comics and original films or film adaptations (comics to film), works were shaped by these themes. It has been seen as superior forms of mass art or often called as popular literature. This paper will analyze how the romance mode operates in the film Super B starring Rufa Mae Quinto and directed by Bb. Joyce Bernal. The discussion will mainly focus on the features of romance mode present in the film.

II.

Theoretical Framework for Analysis Soledad S. Reyes defined the romance mode as the creation of a world that is not fully equivalent to our own because it goes beyond the parameters by which life is normally bounded. Hence, it is a mode which relies on formulas or stereotypes of the imagination which is characterized by a refusal to be judged according to strict correspondence with patterns of reality or “texture of lived life”. The use of structure

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of quest and highly stylized depiction of many characters are notably, features of romance mode, resulting to strong attempt to project a utopian vision due to texts desire to escape from society’s ills. Gillian Beer, on her book The Romance coined the term peculiar vagrancy of imagination which determines the characteristic associated with romance in literature, together with the preoccupation of themes of love and adventure. Uncannily, realistic texts of one age or audience have a way of becoming “romance/s” in another setting. This was due to romance dependence upon certain set of distance in the relationship between audience and its subject matter as Gillian Beer’s example: The legalistic intricacies of courtly love are discussed in a language open to all; criminal romances of ‘Newgate Prison’ type was much read by the law-abiding; novel with high life delight a middle-class audience. The past and the remote distance us all without class discriminations. The ideal world shown in the texts closely besiege once own milieu but its imaginative perfection can never be attained in life. These social forms for readers considerably perceived as exotic and remote. The arduous struggle between order and chaos appears to be the basic pattern featured in romance mode. Fictional constructs from Greek tales to the medieval romances were utilized as essential basis of the narrative. The desire for peace is often achieved through the help of another character, human or supernatural. In retrospect, romance and realism are considered to powerful modes in different literary types. As Northrop Frye argues, novel is a realistic displacement of romance. This is the reason why they can co-exist in popular texts of Philippine literature.

III.

Discussion

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Darna, Captain Barbel and Flavio (Ang Panday), to name few, are lists in the temple of venerated heroes or called as “popular icons” of Philippine cinema and comic universe. For years, they had been the source of aspirations of millions of Filipino. Fictional heroes in film and comics not only function to as an entertainment through tales of fantasy, but as response to the deficit defenders of real-life imperilments from notorious criminals and evil doers. In the story, Bilma or B was given a magical ring given by Lordino, her longtime suitor which came from her mother (given by a stranger (the former Super B) to her mother in exchange of her kindness by giving the stranger few salted eggs). Engraved to the ring the phrase I wanna be, I wanna be, Super B!, to be able to transformed she needs to say the encrypted phrase and dance with the tune of the main theme song of the movie. Bilma becomes a seductive woman to her made to wear pink swimwear like costume. She became an ultimate fantasy of men, especially his ultimate new writer crush Edgar. Even the goons in the story drools over her figure when she lost her bra while flying in search for bad guys. In the final battle, Super B confronts the Flower Pot Girls sisters (derived for flower Puffed girl cartoon), Rose and Daisy who targets children to be part of their evil plan to conquer the world. The battle was a mixed of slapstick humor, comedy and poor fight scenes (she even copied the FPJ’s trademark fighting style – rapid-fire punching style; overused tumbling and cart wheel choreography; and the use armpit power odor and fart as a magical power with average graphic with short scenes of unsynchronized deployment of graphics to her action). Super B defeated the Rose and Daisy, accomplishing her goal to bring back the peace to her society.

IV.

Findings and Conclusions In terms of Super B’s fictive world, the realistic and romance merged in terms of characters, situations, setting. The basic mythical framework of heroin in popular text is present in the film, and some realignment had been done to reality for the

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images to remain relevant and meaningful. In addition, Super B strength, and ability to fly deployed for good of the helpless victims, her compassion and love for her family. The interactive scenes like the anti-piracy campaign and the after credits calling the award-giving bodies for film making locally and even abroad deviates the usual orientation of critics and viewers to the production of the film. These method of campaign strategy had gone beyond the boundaries of norms, creating a defamiliarizing effect to the viewers and attracts many critics for its unique message to its audience. The setting and majority of the characters abides to the “reality” which makes it within the parameters of bounded reality. Super B was Bilma’s fantasy, she achieves the attention from her desired men. Near the end of the story, the course of the love story changed. Having been rescued by Lordino in shimmering black suite and good-looking transformation including the quality of his voice, Super B finally accepted him after they defeated the evil forces together and reigning peace and order in the beleaguered city. V.

Reference

Reyes, Soledad S. (2009). From Darna to Zsazsa Zaturnnah: Desire and Fantasy. Pasig City, Metro Manila: Anvil publishing Inc. Almario, V. S. (2014). Ang Tungkulin ng Kritisismo sa Filipinas. Quezon City, Metro Manila : Ateneo De Manila University Press. Reyes, Soledad S. Edited by David Jonathan Y. (2012). Salungat: A Soledad S. Reyes Reader. Bayot, First Edition, Vibal Publishing House, Inc. Beer, G. (2017). The Romance. doi: 10.4324/9781315390161

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