Actually, this review was for my Sociology class since our teacher asked as to submit a review for the film Deadline. Now, read on..
If you are given the opportunity of having the power or authority in the society what are you going to do with it? Well, if it was me who was asked to answer this question, I would use my power in the right manner by doing devotedly the duties and obligations accompanied by accepting the opportunity. But if other people would be asked this question, what would their answer be?
I’m not sure if everyone will have the same answer as mine. Well, I can say that from what I have witnessed not so long ago. It was around seven on a Monday morning, the streets were busy as people are rushing their way to the city. I was on my way to school and was riding a multicab. Everything felt normal when suddenly I saw this man on a motorcycle. He was approaching the multicab I was in when another multicab moved forward and blocked his way making the man stop. He approached the driver of the other multicab and argued with him. He was saying to the driver that he should not get in his way. He was very mad that he pulled out something from his side. It was a gun. He threatened the driver to use it if he resists on what he says. Everyone in the multicab I was in looked at them. The driver could not do anything since he had no match to a man with a gun. Then the man on the motorcycle leaves the scene.
I don’t know if that man was a police or a government official, but one thing is for sure, he was on the wrong lane. He was literally on the wrong side of the road and he was even more incorrect when he used his gun to threaten the driver. Why would some people do anything they want to people who are powerless?
This issue was highlighted in the movie Deadline which was shown last Saturday. When I heard that the movie was an indie film I was really excited to see it since indie films are known for their interesting and good stories, not to mention the creativity of the people behind these types of movies despite the little budget they have.
From: philippinesgraphic.com
Deadline tackled the killing of media men in our country. In fact, it was patterned from the ruthless Maguindanao Massacre that happened in Mindanao in 2009. The film follows the story of different journalists who have close connections to the murdered Henry Rosales (Luis Alandy), a journalist who fearlessly exposed the wrongdoings of Governor Ghazi (Tirso Cruz III), a warlord in the hypothetical place of Abdul Rabb in Mindanao. After his death, his girlfriend Greta (Lovi Poe) mourned for his death and eventually for their unborn baby; Ross (TJ Trinidad), an acquaintance of his whom he had worked with once, found himself guilty for not taking Rosales’ offer of joining him in his fight against the warlord seriously; and Azad (Allen Dizon) and Claire (Ina Feleo), whom he had asked for help in doing his series of articles against the warlord, went into hiding after they were ambushed by the warlord’s private army. The death of Rosales blazed the flame in the hearts of these people he left behind. Together, they worked hard to reveal the identity of the warlord who was responsible for the death of Rosales and end his reign of terror not only in Abdul Rabb but also in certain parts of the country. The group decided to conduct a press conference in order to reach their goal but was stopped when the venue was bombed killing a large number of journalists who were present in the event including Claire. It was later revealed that Ghazi has a hold on the higher officials in the country including the president, for the reason that he used his power to let her win in the last election, which explains the slow development of Rosales’ murder case. Due to the president’s fear of exposing her dirty past, she declared martial law in Abdul Rabb. The movie ended with the annihilation of Ghazi’s private army and his unexpected death after one of his followers resisted the army’s overturn.
The film was like a peek into the lives of journalists. In the film we see how their jobs or their chosen professions affect their lives and their relationship with the people close to them. They chose to be journalists in order to serve the Filipino people, to let us know what we need to know. And yet, some selfish people are just killing them so easily just because they got in their way. Getting into trouble and making their lives at stake made them ponder on why they had chosen Journalism as a course in college when they just wanted to become a good reporter or a very good writer or just a good public servant.
The movie was really an eye-opener. I really did not have a better picture of our country’s situation being the powerful having the control over things, even the lives of the innocent and the good people.
How the movie ends was definitely not so close to that of real life, having the antagonist die at the end made the film look like a fairytale. In reality, it’s even hard just to catch them. But I guess the writer wanted it that way to make the viewer see that all evil has an end and that people have to pay for the crime they make. Who doesn’t want a good ending anyway?
I really appreciate the performance of the actors and actresses in the film, especially Lovi Poe, TJ Trinidad, Ina Feleo and Tirso Cruz III, they were very good in portraying their roles and they were believable. The writer also did well coming up with a story like that. And Director Joel Lamangan really pulled it off.
I really hope that more Filipinos will be able to see the movie so that they can see how journalists risk their lives just to do their jobs, and make them see that doing evil things will not do you any good. Lovi Poe even had a line in the movie saying: ‘Kung lahat lang ng tao sa mundo ay may konsensya siguro napakaganda na ng mundo.’ Isn’t it beautiful to live in such a world?
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