Synopsis
Andrés Bonifacio, the freedom fighter known as the father of the Philippine revolution, was executed by rival revolutionaries in 1897. His wife, Gregoria de Jesus, searched for his body in the mountains for 30 days. It was never found.
Prologue to the Great Desaparecido
2013 ‘Prologo sa Ang Dakilang Desaparecido’ Directed by Lav Diaz
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What a well shot film! This is like a short version of the events that take place in A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery. A little Filipino history knowledge is good to have for this, otherwise it wouldn't be very clear. If you want to get a taste of what Diaz's films are like but don't want to dive into one of his longer films right away, I recommend this. It has the same atmosphere and feeling, but doesn't touch on nearly as much as his longer works.
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Surprisingly successful take of the short form from Diaz even though I join with the fellow reviewers who consider the film too open to be really considered a whole. The presence of nature with all its sounds and unclear spots are always as important to Diaz's camera as people even though the focus is on the spiritual struggle of a nation and its folk. There's something everlasting in the nature that stands on the way of people - every stumbling to it is an agonizing memory of something that has firm roots, of something that seems to be able to control its own fate. Sure, nature is always unpredictable but at the same time there's stability in it; it listens…
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If this is any indication then I'm certainly gonna enjoy watching Lav diaz's films. Prologue To The Great Desaparecido is an introduction to his upcoming feature film, The Great Desaparecido, which is said to tackle the controversial subject of Philippine Revolution and Independence. The black and white photography here is truly lovely. And it contains more camera movement than what Diaz is known for. Though the film doesn't make too much sense on its own, its calm, meditative style still leaves you much to ponder about.
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78/100
A mournful recreation of Filipino history, set right after Bonifacio's unjust execution, where his wife Gregoria roams the mountains in search of her husband, while their tormented friend Emilio Jacinto tries to pacify her. The brilliant Hazel Orencio immerses herself within the grief-stricken persona of a woman on the verge of a mental breakdown, as Diaz portrays her lost and alone in the wilderness, with tears from the realms above falling as rain and masking her own.
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Stunning widescreen B&W, hyperreal presentation of millions of raindrops on millions of leaves. A story of some kind. And constant rain, weather as an imminence that shapes peoples' lives.
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Hazel Orencio is an amazing actress, and this is a great short.
8/10
Lav Diaz: Ranked -
des gens qui errent et pleurent sous la pluie dans la jungle jusqu'à s'effondrer pendant 30 min environ
puis y a un contexte historico-politique -
Las Diaz's style of film-making really drives the point of Gregoria’s suffering as she wanders in the mountain looking for her husband’s body. Shows that in conflict, it’s ordinary people that suffer a great loss.
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