ON March 26 I took the so-called Hele Challenge. For those who do not know, the Hele Challenge is a dare by Star Cinema that involves dragging yourself to your favorite moviehouse and watch a film. Not just any film but a period film. In Tagalog. In black and white. One that clocks in at eight hours. The title of that film is Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis.
But first things first. This is not a review of Hele. I’m not a film critic. I just want to be one, and most of the time I feel like one.
Especially when I’m under the influence of alcohol. When I’m buzzed, I can argue practically with anyone about why I think any film with Mario Maurer or Kim Hyo-soon should automatically win an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Actually, no one dares to argue with me when I’m drunk.
Back to Hele.
Hele is directed by the proponent of slow cinema, Lav Diaz. An eight-hour film is typical of Lav. His shortest film, Norte Hangganan ng Kasaysayan, runs for almost four hours. Yes, it’s quicker to fly to Hong Kong and back than to finish a Lav Diaz film.
People have accused Lav of being self-indulgent. They accuse Lav that his style is just a gimmick so that people will notice him. But there are also a lot who love Lav. They say he is a brilliant filmmaker and that when watching his movies, you won’t even notice time ticking away.
In fact, young actress Kathryn Bernardo declared in a promo material for Hele that “watching a Lav Diaz film is not only a story; it is an experience.”
Well, based on the two other Lav Diaz movies I’ve seen, she’s right. I was initiated into the Lav Diaz experience through the six-hour film Mula Sa Kung Ano Ang Noon. It was a stark and effective film about martial law. My next Lav experience was Norte, which was hauntingly beautiful. It was a brilliant loose adaptation of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and was hailed a masterpiece by the critics of The New York Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The A.V. Club and many more.
Meanwhile, Hele is freaky. And in many instances, psychedelic. It is also exciting to see John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual finally together on the big screen. John Lloyd is such an effective actor, and Piolo…oh, Piolo. He elevates himself to another level in this movie. Piolo gave life to the character of Simon from El Filibusterismo and he did so with much gusto. He’s also hot. His hotness should warrant an automatic nomination in next year’s Oscars for Best Cinematography. He’s really gorgeous in the movie. Oh how I wanted more of Piolo—and eight hours of Piolo is not enough.
Watching Piolo looking ravishing is enough reason to watch Hele. But if you want more, then watch Hele because you love the Philippines. The movie is about being a Filipino and how as a country, we struggle to find our soul and our conscience. It is about how the young should not despair as the future is in their hands. “Emancipation from Spain—freedom demands long discourses, exhaustive struggles,” Simon says.
“Freedom from Spain is the start. Next step is in the hands of the youth.” In another moment in the film, Father Florentino (also from El Filibusterismo) tells his godson Isagani (played by John Lloyd): “Look at the mirror. Dissect every fiber of your being and even the depths of your soul. The roots of your questions have answers. The future lies in young people like you. Correct our failures. The future of this pitiful land lies in you.”
That is why I hope Kathryn Bernardo will stay true to her word and take the eight-hour Hele Challenge. And imbibe its lessons. Because the lessons of Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis make for a profound payoff.
1 comment
Lav Diaz is similar to Thomas Mallick whose movies are long winding, beautifully crafted but box-office flops. I wonder why producers still support their self-indulgent projects.