A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery

Long Movie Marathon 2.0 Part VII

this, to me, is Diaz at his best (at least from what ive seen from him so far). its him at his most mystical, most passionate, and most emotional, every scene is so perfectly crafted, ive never seen such fantastic blocking, the themes and characters are complex and compelling, its truly a gargantuan work of art that can hit well above its weight. 

this movie is not about a man or singular event, its about a nations struggle to set itself on the correct path, a revolution of government and the people, a profound change affecting every aspect of existence, its the generational and systemic uprooting of a system sculpted to diminish and deteriorate the being of all those under its cursed spell, it shall be ripped into pieces and mulched into what would become the foundational guide stone to a strong, independent and united Philippines. 

i love when directors blend real world subjects like history or politics with film, it forces the viewer to think that much more and it can totally transform the entire meaning of a film. this was a perfect blend of everything, i have zero complaints in any department, genuinely just a perfect movie in every regard, so fucking spectacular.

Long Movie Marathon 2.0 Part VII

this, to me, is Diaz at his best (at least from what ive seen from him so far). its him at his most mystical, most passionate, and most emotional, every scene is so perfectly crafted, ive never seen such fantastic blocking, the themes and characters are complex and compelling, its truly a gargantuan work of art that can hit well above its weight. 

this movie is not about a man or singular event, its about a nations struggle to set itself on the correct path, a revolution of government and the people, a profound change affecting every aspect of existence, its the generational and systemic uprooting of a system sculpted to diminish and deteriorate the being of all those under its cursed spell, it shall be ripped into pieces and mulched into what would become the foundational guide stone to a strong, independent and united Philippines. 

i love when directors blend real world subjects like history or politics with film, it forces the viewer to think that much more and it can totally transform the entire meaning of a film. this was a perfect blend of everything, i have zero complaints in any department, genuinely just a perfect movie in every regard, so fucking spectacular.

Lav Diaz blends in literature, mythology and history into one cohesive storyline.

A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery uses literature, mythology and history to reveal what is laid common: the Filipinos' search of freedom and salvation. Diaz presents to us the enigma as to why Filipinos' couldn't attain their freedom, and that is the Filipinos' disunity. Diaz presents the struggles of Filipinos in attaining freedom through the cruelty of man with one another whether it be among our own race or the Spaniards. The film uses literature (El Filibusterismo) to reveal the cruelty of man, loss, idealism and the notion of freedom to reveal the duality of Filipinos: their sense of freedom but their cruelty overwhelms even each other, their struggle being oppressed and their goal of freedom. Filipino freedom isn't merely freedom from the oppressors, but Filipino freedom is to remain united as one race in the test of time. The film uses mythology (Bernardo Carpio) as a mechanism of salvation, a very idealistic one in fact. It shows how far the Filipinos would go for freedom into believing superstitious beliefs by idealizing a savior called Bernardo Carpio to save them and hand them their freedom.

Truly, Diaz gives us a picture into the nature of a Filipino at the time through this blending.

Lav Diaz blends in literature, mythology and history into one cohesive storyline.

A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery uses literature, mythology and history to reveal what is laid common: the Filipinos' search of freedom and salvation. Diaz presents to us the enigma as to why Filipinos' couldn't attain their freedom, and that is the Filipinos' disunity. Diaz presents the struggles of Filipinos in attaining freedom through the cruelty of man with one another whether it be among our own race or the Spaniards. The film uses literature (El Filibusterismo) to reveal the cruelty of man, loss, idealism and the notion of freedom to reveal the duality of Filipinos: their sense of freedom but their cruelty overwhelms even each other, their struggle being oppressed and their goal of freedom. Filipino freedom isn't merely freedom from the oppressors, but Filipino freedom is to remain united as one race in the test of time. The film uses mythology (Bernardo Carpio) as a mechanism of salvation, a very idealistic one in fact. It shows how far the Filipinos would go for freedom into believing superstitious beliefs by idealizing a savior called Bernardo Carpio to save them and hand them their freedom.

Truly, Diaz gives us a picture into the nature of a Filipino at the time through this blending.

I rewatched Michael Snow’s Wavelength recently and the idea of exercising 3-D planes within the image has kind of taken over me

Lav Diaz is a near perfect example of how to exercise this technique. He will often hold on a location for a good 20 seconds before any actors are on screen and usually when these actors are walking in, they are coming from a higher elevation or far in the background, along a path that will eventually bring them closer to the camera. These moments are among my favorites throughout Diaz’s films because this simple motion, of an actor walking across the frame for a couple of minutes helps the shot so so much, it gives every single inch of the frame a purpose and an explanation for why Diaz is shooting what he’s shooting, the characters are almost a vessel for the camera itself, allowing the viewer to see through Diaz’s eyes

I rewatched Michael Snow’s Wavelength recently and the idea of exercising 3-D planes within the image has kind of taken over me

Lav Diaz is a near perfect example of how to exercise this technique. He will often hold on a location for a good 20 seconds before any actors are on screen and usually when these actors are walking in, they are coming from a higher elevation or far in the background, along a path that will eventually bring them closer to the camera. These moments are among my favorites throughout Diaz’s films because this simple motion, of an actor walking across the frame for a couple of minutes helps the shot so so much, it gives every single inch of the frame a purpose and an explanation for why Diaz is shooting what he’s shooting, the characters are almost a vessel for the camera itself, allowing the viewer to see through Diaz’s eyes

Overly Lengthy - Overly Diverting

Finally half way thru the movie, I must say. It hasn’t let me down, 4 hours in and yet I’m still hooked up, the honest visualization of the historical moments of the Philippines, concepts that we study in school, colonialism, superstitions, revolutions. are easily shown in the movie, rating the first half of the movie a 5 star rating is just right, the long still-shots are a very nice technique that Lav Diaz has used in most of his films. 

Overly-long movie but very enticing and entertaining, an ingredient you don’t often see in movies very superior in it’s length, comparing this to some of the long movies I’ve watched, “Satantango” and “War and Peace” - “A Lullaby To The Sorrowful Mystery” is the longest film I’ve ever watched, I must say. among the 5-hour+ long movies I’ve watched, “Fanny and Alexander” and “War and Peace” are by far my favorites, but after watching this film, I think it’s on the same stage as the movies I mentioned, the vivid and beautiful cinematography is also one to mention, it radically invokes the mood that we are supposed to feel.

Dr. José Rizal, The National Hero Of The Philippines, whose full name is José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, wrote numerous literary works, and some having a huge impact on the Philippine History, one of his notable works is “Noli Me Tángere” which he wrote in Europe, a novel used to promote Nationalism in a nation colonized by The Spanish Empire, the Philippines was colonized for 333 years, the Philippine Revolution started in the fall of 1896, sparking the end of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, after they lost and ceded sovereignty to the United States.

A Lullaby To The Sorrowful Mystery a masterpiece made by the Legendary Film-Maker, Lav Diaz. the statue of the Filipino structure, historical and memorable events portrayed in a black and white moving picture, a very notable and bombarding film towards the human understanding, some may find the film boring and others may not, but either way, this is a pure masterpiece and is the absolute representation of how long movies shall act out. At 15 years old, films have been a big part of me, it is such a gorgeous idea, that brought life to many ideas of the human mind. Finishing this film is not only a huge accomplishment but also a huge lesson, a film that has huge significancy in the study of the Philippine History.

97/100

Overly Lengthy - Overly Diverting

Finally half way thru the movie, I must say. It hasn’t let me down, 4 hours in and yet I’m still hooked up, the honest visualization of the historical moments of the Philippines, concepts that we study in school, colonialism, superstitions, revolutions. are easily shown in the movie, rating the first half of the movie a 5 star rating is just right, the long still-shots are a very nice technique that Lav Diaz has used in most of his films. 

Overly-long movie but very enticing and entertaining, an ingredient you don’t often see in movies very superior in it’s length, comparing this to some of the long movies I’ve watched, “Satantango” and “War and Peace” - “A Lullaby To The Sorrowful Mystery” is the longest film I’ve ever watched, I must say. among the 5-hour+ long movies I’ve watched, “Fanny and Alexander” and “War and Peace” are by far my favorites, but after watching this film, I think it’s on the same stage as the movies I mentioned, the vivid and beautiful cinematography is also one to mention, it radically invokes the mood that we are supposed to feel.

Dr. José Rizal, The National Hero Of The Philippines, whose full name is José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, wrote numerous literary works, and some having a huge impact on the Philippine History, one of his notable works is “Noli Me Tángere” which he wrote in Europe, a novel used to promote Nationalism in a nation colonized by The Spanish Empire, the Philippines was colonized for 333 years, the Philippine Revolution started in the fall of 1896, sparking the end of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, after they lost and ceded sovereignty to the United States.

A Lullaby To The Sorrowful Mystery a masterpiece made by the Legendary Film-Maker, Lav Diaz. the statue of the Filipino structure, historical and memorable events portrayed in a black and white moving picture, a very notable and bombarding film towards the human understanding, some may find the film boring and others may not, but either way, this is a pure masterpiece and is the absolute representation of how long movies shall act out. At 15 years old, films have been a big part of me, it is such a gorgeous idea, that brought life to many ideas of the human mind. Finishing this film is not only a huge accomplishment but also a huge lesson, a film that has huge significancy in the study of the Philippine History.

97/100

after all that anguish and ruin, the first strum of the guitar once credits rolled made me tear up just a little. i retched over moments where the traitors of the revolution were reeled over— glaring just enough to elicit discomfort, to coax the viewer to turn away else be witness to the horrors of betrayal. these were the moments i was in disbelief, not when the fictitious elements of the film had the spotlight. eight hours of reality and ebbing desperation and yet all the principle characters were close to bursting, anything to escape the lives they were living. the fact that this was still essentially a mirror of actual history was not lost on me, but it didn't prevent me from feeling so helpless.

masterful performance from the cast. i especially loved the tikbalangs; the way they slinked around the scene, waiting and ready to pounce, added a layer of suspense that helped bring the film up from its more tedious moments. this was my first lav diaz film (a crime, i know) but im so glad it was, and i suspect that i'll be watching more of his filmography in the future.

after all that anguish and ruin, the first strum of the guitar once credits rolled made me tear up just a little. i retched over moments where the traitors of the revolution were reeled over— glaring just enough to elicit discomfort, to coax the viewer to turn away else be witness to the horrors of betrayal. these were the moments i was in disbelief, not when the fictitious elements of the film had the spotlight. eight hours of reality and ebbing desperation and yet all the principle characters were close to bursting, anything to escape the lives they were living. the fact that this was still essentially a mirror of actual history was not lost on me, but it didn't prevent me from feeling so helpless.

masterful performance from the cast. i especially loved the tikbalangs; the way they slinked around the scene, waiting and ready to pounce, added a layer of suspense that helped bring the film up from its more tedious moments. this was my first lav diaz film (a crime, i know) but im so glad it was, and i suspect that i'll be watching more of his filmography in the future.