Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Manila in the Claws of Light Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 9, 2018

Lino Brocka's " Manila in the Claws of Light" (1975) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with critic Tony Rayns; vintage documentary film by Mike De Leon; introduction by Martin Scorsese; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by Jose B. Capino and technical credits. In Tagalog, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The newcomer

The transition to 1970s Manila is so abrupt that initially it feels like one has started viewing a vintage documentary but after missing a substantial portion of it. The camera then just as abruptly picks up a complete stranger and begins following him around.

At a large construction site the stranger convinces another man to give him a job, but shortly after collapses next to a pile of crushed stones. It turns out that he has not eaten in a day, which is why he can barely stand on his feet. Someone kindly hands him a sandwich and warns him that he won’t last long if he does not eat -- even with a full stomach the heat and humidity are borderline unbearable.

In the days ahead the stranger becomes a desperate man on a mission to reconnect with the love of his life. Scattered flashbacks reveal how Julio (Bembol Roco) and Ligaya (Hilda Koronel) spent plenty of time together until one day a fancy older woman came to their village and recruited a few girls to follow her back to the capital. She promised the girls good jobs and an exciting life that they could never have in the tiny village. Julio did not trust the older woman, but Ligaya joined the other girls so that she can help her struggling family. It was the last time he saw her.

Shortly after he is told that he is no longer needed at the construction site Julio meets a male prostitute who offers to teach him how to make real money, but the ‘job’ proves a lot harder than his new friend had insisted and he goes back on the streets. Without money and beginning to realize that the city actually enjoys crushing people like him Julio preparers to abandon his mission, but then a fresh lead gives him new hope and with the help of an old pal from the construction site he makes an important discovery.

Lino Brocka’s drama Manila in the Claws of Light heads down the same route that the great Italian neorealist films followed and this is the main reason why it is a remarkably authentic time capsule. It can very easily be compared to Bicycle Thieves, La Commare Secca, or Mamma Roma, all of which use their narratives to deliver unfiltered reflections of the realities in which their protagonists exist.

It is important to underscore, however, that Brocka does not utilize Julio’s journey through the frequently overcrowded and dirty streets of Manila to search for the most striking contrasts. The young man is given plenty of time to spend with his memories and his struggle to come to terms with Ligaya’s disappearance is in fact an essential element of the narrative. In other words, the film maintains a balance between documentary authenticity and romantic intimacy which is what ultimately makes it unique. (Another very good film that does precisely the same thing but in an edgier contemporary setting is Sean Ellis’ Metro Manila).

The leads are terrific, but there are also many non-professional actors whose contributions are absolutely invaluable. In fact, even though it may not be too obvious now some important sequences were definitely shot in pretty rough areas, so the end product truly is rather special.

Manila in the Claws of Light Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lino Brocka's Manila in the Claws of Light arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"The work was restored in 2013 by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and the Cineteca di Bologna/L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, in association with The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project, LVN, Cinema Artists Philippines, and cinematographer Mike De Leon. The restoration was funded by Doha Film Institute, Supervised by De Leon, this digital transfer was created in 4K from the 35mm original camera negative, deposited at the BFI National Archive by Pierre Rissient on behalf of Cinema Artists Philippines. Because of color decay in the negative, De Leon guided the grading phase and validated the color using a positive print as a reference. The monaural soundtrack was restored from the 35mm original sound negative, also deposited at the BFI National Archive by Rissient on behalf of Cinema Artists Philippines.

Transfer supervisor: Mike De Leon; Cineteca di Bologna and L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna, Italy."

I find the new appearance of the film that was delivered via the 4K restoration unconvincing. Indeed, there is an entire range of color values that effectively destabilizes the film's native dynamic range and in many cases even collapses existing detail (see screencaptures #4 and 12). Plenty of the darker/indoor footage also conveys very specific digital flatness that gives the film a distracting artificial quality (see screencapture #15). Quite predictably, there is no proper depth that a scan of the OCN should have ensured. Grain exposure is also unconvincing, though I have to make it clear that without the anomalies that are described above the visuals would have been quite wonderful. Image stability is very good. Debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, and other standard age-related imperfections have been carefully removed. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Manila in the Claws of Light Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Tagalog LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless audio track is very good. Excluding one short segment where a light echo effect appears during the exchanges, clarity and stability are excellent. The music is nicely balanced as well. Dynamic intensity is limited, but given the organic nature of the original sound design this should not be surprising.

Manila in the Claws of Light Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - a short video introduction by acclaimed director Martin Scorsese. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• "Manila"... A Filipino Film - this archival documentary chronicles the production history of Manila in the Claws of Light. Included in it are clips from vintage interviews with star Bembol Roco, Hilda Koronel, director Lino Brocka, and others. The documentary was produced by cinematographer Mike De Leon in 1975. In English and Tagalog, with optional English subtitles. (23 min).

• Signed: Lino Brocka - this documentary film focuses on the life and work of director Lino Brocka. It was produced by filmmaker Christian Blackwood in 1987. In English. (84 min).
  
  1. The truth
  2. Roots and Soaps
  3. Personal values
  4. Homosexuality
  5. Poverty
  6. Film and politics
  7. Protest

• Challenging the Viewer - in this new video program, Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns discusses the work of Lino Brocka, Manila in the Claws of Light, and the socio-political environment in the Philippines at the time when the film was conceived. The program was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring Jose B. Capino's essay "A Proletarian Inferno" and technical credits.

Manila in the Claws of Light Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I am grateful that I was able to discover this wonderful film from Lino Brocka because it has a little bit of everything that I appreciate in foreign films, and if compared to Sean Ellis' recent powerful drama Metro Manila it is obvious that it remains a relevant eye-opener. The film has been fully restored in 4K, but I was unimpressed with the work that was done at L'Immagine Ritrovata. Similar to the recent 4K restorations of King Hu's Dragon Inn and A Touch of Zen that emerged from the European lab, this film has been awkwardly color-graded and looks very unappealing and at times flat-out artificial in high-definition. This is unfortunate. I really wish that the folks at Criterion were in charge with some of these projects because they would have delivered vastly superior organic presentations. If our review has piqued your interest, please find a way to rent this release and then decide whether you wish to own it. RENT IT.