SINCE being introduced to the movies of Mario O’Hara back in 1986, film critic Noel Vera knew that he was seeing the works of a master.
His exploration continued within the Nineties, as he became more aware of the filmmaker’s body of labor. He noted the narrative power and powerful visual language in movies like Bulaklak sa City Jail, Bakit Bughaw Ang Langit?, and Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, all of which depict the violence that plagues those within the fringes of society.
But the concept of writing a book on Mr. O’Hara only materialized in 2005, and it took a protracted while to place together. The result’s a group of essays titled The Quiet Man: The Movies of Mario O’Hara.
Mr. Vera, BusinessWorld’s long-time film critic, describes Condemned as “the right noir,” and Bagong Hari as “the right motion film.” He refers to Mr. O’Hara as more understated, more “drawn to the dark and morbid, yet still tender,” as in comparison with his contemporaries like Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Mike De Leon, and Laurice Guillen.
The book is a long-overdue tribute to the person’s talents. His is a body of labor that “deserves its own module, if not its own course” in film studies, in response to Mr. Vera.
“I’ve seen all the very best in Philippine cinema, you name it, and I still consider O’Hara’s movies were probably the most moving,” he said throughout the book’s launch on April 25 at Archivo 1984 in Makati. “His work touches me, above anyone else, and I feel he’s the very best not only within the Philippines, but the whole world.”
The book got its name largely as a result of the director never truly selling himself or having as many champions in film scholarship as other directors, but there’s a distinct reason as well. Once, author and fellow critic Jolicco Cuadra referred to Mr. O’Hara as his favorite Filipino director and someone “who truly knows violence.”
“The person who’s loud, threatening violence as he’s walking down the road? I’m not petrified of him. I’m afraid of the quiet man,” he said, talking about Dan Alvaro’s character in Bagong Hari. Thus, the title of the book was born.
The primary chapter gives more insight into this moment, painting an image of a sit-down interview with Mr. O’Hara within the Nineties, once they managed to corner him backstage at his last performance of a play. (Though a famed film director and screenwriter, Mr. O’Hara was also an actor in television and film, but was most prolific in theater.)
Mr. Vera explained that the experience of going through the person’s filmography impressed him step by step as he went along, and hoped that the book could aid more people searching for to do the identical.
In attendance on the launch was actor and production designer Frank Rivera. He gave a moving speech recalling his friendship with Mr. O’Hara, and talked about how they’d take ideas from the things they saw around them. During a walk along Roxas Boulevard, they saw a blind man with a guitar near the US Embassy — which eventually inspired the character played by Yoyoy Villame in Babae sa Breakwater.
One other anecdote he told was when Joel Torre needed to drop out of a job in Babae sa Bubungang Langit as a result of scheduling conflicts, and Mr. O’Hara asked Mr. Rivera to take his place. A moment of hesitation got here when a scene required frontal nudity.
“Sabi niya, artista ka naman. Gawin mo na para matuloy ang pelikula. Na-challenge ako. (He said, you’re an actor. Do it so we will proceed the film. I used to be challenged),” Mr. Rivera recounted.
“He was not a quiet man. He told stories, he told dreams, and he sang. He made me do things I didn’t wish to do. I made him do things he didn’t wish to do. And I miss him every single day.”
As for where to see Mr. O’Hara’s movies, quite a couple of were restored and could be found on YouTube because of ABS-CBN’s now defunct Sagip Pelikula program — Mga Bilanggong Birhen, Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Bulaklak sa City Jail, and Tatlong Ina, Isang Anak.
Leo Katigbak, who used to move the film restoration initiative before it closed, said that “plenty of young people now are rediscovering classics.”
“There’s a resurgence of interest in all things old. I’m glad we were capable of do plenty of that in ABS-CBN. Without delay, I’m a consultant with the FDCP (Film Development Council of the Philippines), so we’re specializing in restoring plenty of movies,” he said.
One in all these is Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, directed by Lino Brocka and co-written by each Brocka and O’Hara.
“It’s an excellent time to be a cineaste, to be a movie buff,” he said. “We’ve got to revive more movies while plenty of the individuals who actually worked on them are still around.”
The Quiet Man: The Movies of Mario O’Hara is published by Archivo 1984. The book is offered to order via archivo1984.com. — Brontë H. Lacsamana