Philippine Sex Melodrama

This blog entry outlines my reaction to, as what this blog title says, Philippine Sex Melodrama based on the article written by our very own Cinema101 Professor Jamal Ashley Abbas. That article, just like how it claims and I quote, "reviews some films that show the power of sex workers, especially female sex workers, one of the most maligned people in Philippine society. It discusses Philippine sex melodramas as a film genre and the power discourse depicted in these films."

I'm not to discuss any sex film in this entry. Not even to give any review about any sex film. All I'll ever write in this particular entry is my pure reaction on Philippine Sex Melodrama.

Yes. This is Philippine setting so I will not include Marilyn Monroe, the so-called sex symbol, in this discussion. I will not also highlight the feminist side of me as that could be really biased. But I will just express my stand on this type of genre.

For me, the evolution of Philippine Cinema to include sex scenes in its melodramatic films is just but natural. I mean, it's human nature. We don't expect everyone to be always wholesome. Green jokes are part of our comic relief. And there would always be that one person to write, imagine or create a scene of naked woman, kissing scenes, bed scenes and what-have-you because those are part of our daily lives. Whether one uses surrealistic approach, being neo-realistic, symbolic, or expressionistic way of showing it, there would always be the best way to show it in a creative way.

So yes, I mentioned "creative way." I believe that there is the best, creative possible way to educate and show people the reality behind sex workers, woman's body power, and social sex revolution especially if this  is going to be shown on big screen. For me, hard core sex isn't something that should be tolerated especially for us Filipinos. Don't get me wrong. But as traditional Filipinos, we have our core values that dictate us to act in such a way that we should treat sex as a sacred union between married couple. And that showing it publicly should include responsible censorship for its audience. Although, not all people will appreciate that.

Just like what Sir Abbas mentioned in his article, the Sex Melodrama genre in the Philippines deserved to be categorized as a separate genre because of some instantly-recognizable patterns and techniques in terms of setting, content, themes, plot, motifs, styles, structures, situation, characters and stars. Below are some points about this genre that I got from Sir Abbas's article:

• STAR. A director who would want to make a comedy or horror movie with a sex star could not hope to attract all the public who normally patronize that particular star in sex melodrama films.
• Or, put it in another way, a director of sex melodrama cannot just turn the film into a comedy or horror film without antagonizing its viewing public.
• The director is constrained by the limitations of this genre.
• THEMES. Rites of passage, rape stories, domestic relationships, and AIDS are among of those several themes in sex melodrama.
• Sex-worker themed sex melodramas highlight the three dimensions of difference, according to Max Weber - class, status and power.
• Use of Mulvey's "male gaze" in which during the process, the male creates thoughts of desire to a woman.

Now, let me tell you something...

Honesly, I haven't watched those Tagalog sex films mentioned in this article such as Burlesk Queen, Red Diaries, Toro or Boatman among others. No. Sorry, I haven't watched any of those. And I'm not apologizing for not watching these films that include sex scenes, but I guess I'm apologizing because I didn't know that these films do exist. And because of that, I have very limited grasp of the subject. But I laid out my point and I hope that would leave you, somehow, contemplated.

So to end this entry-slash-reaction paper about Philippine Sex Melodrama, let me quote Patrick Flores (2000):

"Sex in Philippine cinema has to be seen as always enmeshed in power: the power to suffer pleasure, the power to address desire, the power of agents to resist both craving and conscription as sexual labor and capital."

Here's a video clip courtesy of Youtube. This is Ina Raymundo's Burlesk Queen, Ngayon. Enjoy!