Manila in the Claws of Light (1975)

Manila in the Claws of Light (Maynila sa mga kuko ng liwanag)
Directed by Lino Brocka
Written by Clodualdo Del Mundo Jr. from a novel by Edgardo Reyes
1975/Philippines
IMDb page
First viewing/Criterion Channel
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Pol: A girl who’s used to dried fish will be thrilled with smoked fish. But give a girl smoked fish when she’s used to ham and it’s all-out war. Poor girls are easy to please.

This is a well-made, well-acted look at third-world poverty.

Ligaya Paraiso and Julio Madiago are young lovers living in a coastal village, where Julio works as a fisherman. One day, a Mrs. Cruz arrives in town recruiting girls for what she says will be well-paid factory work in Manila. She dangles educational benefits as a extra incentive. Ligaya’s family is short on money and her mother encourages her to go. Ligaya promises to return in two years and Julio promises to wait for her. Julio gets one letter and then nothing more is heard of her.

So Julio takes off to Manila in search of her. He catches up with Mrs. Cruz and follows her to a seedy Chinese import business in the red light district. The proprietors deny that Ligaya has ever been there. But Julio patiently waits day after day in hopes that she will appear.

Living conditions and working conditions for the poor in Manila are abysmal. Julio gets a job as a laborer on a construction site. Occupational health and safety laws do not seem to have made it to the Philippines. The foreman basically steals a portion of the workers’ pay. Julio loses his job and access to the camp where homeless workers sleep.

He is helped along the way by other poor people. Finally, he reluctantly tries male prostitution but can’t go through with it.  Life for a poor boy is one series of abuse and exploitation.  We will learn that the situation for poor girls is even worse.

This heartbreaking story is not something you will want to pull out if your faith in humanity is at a low ebb.  I also thought it dragged a little bit. It’s worth seeing though for a glimpse at another world. One which the majority of folks on the planet have to contend with every day.