"Tubog sa Ginto" (1970)
Lea Productions
Release Date December 25, 1970/ Dalisay
Story Mars Ravelo
Cinematography Steve Perez
Music Doming Valdez
Screenplay and Direction Lino Brocka
Cast Lolita Rodriguez, Hilda Koronel, Jay Ilagan and Eddie Garcia/ Also Starring Luis Gonzales, Marissa Delgado, Mario O'Hara, Veronica Palileo
Tubog sa Ginto is a serialized komiks novel written by Mars Ravelo and was adapted into film by Lea Productions in 1971. Director Lino Brocka’s third movie and Eddie Garcia’s award-winning and favorite film, “Tubog sa Ginto,” tackles a very sensitive and controversial theme on homosexuality.
It tells of Don Benito (Eddie Garcia), a millionaire, who is married to Doña Emma (Lolita Rodriguez) and has a son named Santi (Jay Ilagan). Unknown to his family, Don Benito is a closet homosexual and was having a secret affair with his driver, Diego (Mario O’Hara). Don Benito tries very hard to conceal his true identity until Diego decides to blackmail him. He gives in to all of Diego’s demands until he gets fed up and eventually kills him. Before the horrifying eyes of his family, Don Benito turns the gun on himself.
Lolita Rodriguez plays mother to Jay Ilagan
Eddie Garcia plays a homosexual with a scheming lover Mario O'Hara
From the 1950s to 1970, Mars Ravelo wrote comic book stories using the gay character as a comic relief to the story proper. Hence, from JACK & JILL to PACIFICA FALAYFAY, the leading gay character (mostly played in the movies by Dolphy) was a mere bufoon.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in the 1970s, when women writers became very active in the comic book industry, Elena Patron dared to explore controversial themes such as fetishism, transexualism, anoxeria nervosa, etc., and Lualhati Bautista wrote stories with feminist thrust.
Ravelo, then, had to do a detour.
Glory of Jack and Jill and Facifica Falayfay series of characters had transformed into the serious character of Benito, a latent homosexual who was married and had a son. It was followed up by another serious gay caharacter serial called TRAHE DE TRAHEDYA, a tragic story of a gay couturier's unrequited love for a dashingly handsome young man.
The komiks and the tagalog movies went serious with serious themes, but the Filipino male moviegoers were oblivious of the change. Many accepted it as a mere tongue-in-cheek issue. In fact, when I went to see TINIMBANG KA NGUNI'T KULANG (1974) (a story inspired by an old play SEPANG LOCA - which Lino had told us during our New Playwright's Festival at Kalinangan ng Lahi in 1975), the first scene that featured Mario O'hara on screen, the male audience's reaction was: "Ay, si Diego! Ha-ha-ha!" Referring to O'hara's character in Tubog sa Ginto.
There was such a big laughter from the male audience that made me conclude that the Filipino male audience that time was not ready yet to take seriously the gay character. They would rather watch Dolphy with his limp wrist comedic act and accept it as the status quo in Philippine society.
And with BE-BE GANDANG HARI's grand entrance to Philippine society and people's reaction to it – it just made it much clearer to all of us that it might take more time for Philippine society to welcome such "queerness" as a fact of life.
I guess machismo is a hard thing to dislodge after centuries of its adherence to the the Filipino male culture.
:)
Wow, and a very young and gorgeous Hilda Koronel. How many movies did Hilda do with Lino Brocka? Do you have a feature on Hilda Koronel?
ReplyDeleteRod
Sa mga interviews kay Eddie Garcia, itong Tubog sa Ginto ang pelikulang binibigyan nya nang bukod tanging pagpapahalaga.
ReplyDeleteNanalo sya as Best Actor dito at iyong trophy na iyon ang pinaka iingatan nya sa lahat nang napanalunan nyang award.
Sabi nya dati sa isang interview "mahirap kasi ang role sa tubog sa ginto" sabay biro na "itong character kasi na ito ang natural ko ha ha ha"
-Ben 10-
Yes Rod, i already did a feature on Hilda Koronel--- http://video48.blogspot.com/2009/07/intensity-and-depth-of-hilda-koronel.html
ReplyDeleteJM,
ReplyDeleteNoong mid-70s, mi mga serious themes na rin tungkol sa homosexuality. example yung play ni Orlando Nadres na HANGGANG DITO NA LAMANG AT MARAMING SALAMAT. Si Lino pa nga ang isang lead character. Napanood ko ito sa Ft. Santiago. Noong late 60s, napanood ko yung THE BOYS IN THE BAND.
Auggie
do you have a copy of the film tubog sa ginto? how cab i purchase it?
ReplyDeletedo you have a copy of the film tubog sa ginto? how can i purchase it?
ReplyDelete