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Information

A.k.a.
Manila in the Claws of Light
Year
1975
Runtime
125 min.
Director
Lino Brocka
Genres
Drama, Mystery
Rating *
7.8
Votes *
525
Checks
721
Favs
86
Dislikes
6
Favs/checks
11.9% (1:8)
Favs/dislikes
14:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. -1flb2-'s avatar

    -1flb2-

    Movie deals with issues that still go on today in 2016. Movie showed true poverty and desperation. 7 years 7 months ago
  2. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    Manila in the Claws of Neon starts with a black and white credits sequence, very much in a documentary style, establishing from the off that it is a portrait of Manila. And when it turns to color, it nevertheless retains that gritty, natural (and naturalistic in the literary sense), feeling of cinema verite. This is the Philippines in 1975, but it could be an urban center in any poor region, at any time in history, where people suffering in rural areas flock to the big city to find fortune, but mostly find a world that wants to abuse them. Though Julio's quest to find his girlfriend, the victim of human trafficking, is compelling, it nevertheless often feels like an excuse for him to be in Manila so he can experience first and second hand the injustice, inequity and corruption on offer in Manila. Though Julio makes easy friends throughout, many of them come to terrible fates, and several of their stories are told rather than seen. This is a very depressing movie. Downer or not, there's one scene that feels indelible to film canon, and it's essentially the climax where Julio gets a certain piece of bad news as women cackle at a nearby table. A masterful moment of point of view realism. 4 years 5 months ago
  3. Netflixfan's avatar

    Netflixfan

    Google translates jarudet's comment thus: Unique Filipino film . Hopefully I watch on Pinoy acts like this 10 years 3 months ago
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In 9 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #1 in Pinoy Rebyu's 100 Greatest Pinoy Films of All Time
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    Pinoy Rebyu's 100 Greate…

    1
  2. This movie ranks #32 in BIFF's Asian Cinema 100
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    BIFF's Asian Cinema 100

    32
  3. This movie ranks #350 in BFI's 360 Classic Feature Films Project
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    BFI's 360 Classic Featur…

    350
  4. This movie ranks #469 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2500
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    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    469
  5. This movie ranks #528 in The New York Times's Book of Movies
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    The New York Times's Boo…

    528
  6. This movie ranks #595 in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
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    1001 Movies You Must See…

    595
  7. This movie ranks #723 in Tom Vick's Asian Cinema: A Field Guide
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    Tom Vick's Asian Cinema:…

    723
  8. This movie ranks #777 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time
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    Sight & Sound's The Grea…

    777
  9. This movie ranks #1139 in The Criterion Collection
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    The Criterion Collection

    1139
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