Oro revisited

Tonight at 6, the organizers of the Flip Movie Club is requesting the pleasure of the company of friends and cineastes at the 20th anniversary screening of Peque Gallaga’s Oro, Plata, Mata at Greenbelt 3, Cinema 1. The invitation is tri-lingual, in keeping with the three languages (English, Filipino and Spanish) used in the dialogue of the landmark movie which won a Special Jury Prize at the 1983 Manila International Film Festival and was voted one of the Best Films of the 1980s by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

The Flip Movie Club is a monthly offering of FLIP Magazine, "the Official Guide to World Domination," with Gentext, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Ayala Theaters, Hewlett Packard and Insular Life Dollar Earner as co-presenters.

"It‘s not everyday that we come together to toast a Filipino movie," said FLIP publisher and editor Jessica Zafra. "But Oro, Plata, Mata is clearly one film that deserves to be commemorated. It raised the standards for Filipino films and, 20 years later, the public and the industry still look to the movie for guidance and inspiration."

For the information of the new generation of film lovers (those 30 and below), Oro traces the fortunes of two aristocratic clans in Negros as the Philippines plunges into World War II. Amid the grim realities of war, the two families struggle to preserve their lifestyle and refuse to take the path of decline even as they flee their hacienda and take to the hills.

So what has happened to Peque and (some of) his actors 20 years later?

"I’m still an actor doing all kinds of roles," smiled Joel Torre who was introduced in Oro along with Ronnie Lazaro. "I’ve wisened up but I’m still basically me."

Since then, Joel has won several Best Actor trophies including those from the Star Awards and the CMMA for Unfaithful Wife (also directed by Peque), gotten married (to fellow Bacolodnon Cristy Azcona with whom he has two children, Aila, 11, and Marela, 7) and, Joel is right, he continues to do good movies (in addition to acting in soaps), such as his three personal favorites, Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s Karnal (as a deaf-mute), Mike de Leon’s Bayaning 3rd World (as Dr. Jose Rizal) and Luv Diaz’s Batang West Side (as a Fil-Am detective).

"My Tagalog was very bad when I did Oro," recalled Joel who is a Peque Gallaga creation/discovery, honed from the La Salle-Bacolod’s Maskara Theater Ensemble to the big screen, "so somebody had to dub my lines. Since then, my Tagalog has improved a lot. Nawala na ang Ilonggo accent ko."

What Joel considered his most memorable scene in Oro shows him blasting Kuh Ledesma’s brains with a gun.

"I’m ‘anti-gun’ so that scene was very hard to do," said Joel.

Cherie was 19 when she did Oro which she last saw at its 1982 premiere.

"I’m just as excited as everybody else to watch the movie again tonight," said Cherie who remembered her torrid kissing scene with Ronnie with a blush. "Actually, I didn’t have that many scenes in the movie but the ones that I did are what I would call markado."

Like Joel, Cherie said she learned three things from Peque: Discipline, a "no ego" attitude and seriousness with the craft.

Now "on leave" from showbiz and the artist-in-residence at the University of Saint La Salle Bacolod, Peque actually came up with a six-hour epic drama but, with a heavy heart, had to cut almost one half of it. But unlike Francis Ford Coppola who added several deleted portions when Apocalypse Now was reshown/reissued (as Apocalpyse Redux) two years ago, Peque has left Oro intact, as is, and that’s the copy Oro- lovers will be watching tonight.

"What would I change if I were to do Oro today?" asked Peque whose last movie, Aswang, was shown in 1999. "The script would probably be kinder and milder, more mellow, less sexy and less violent. Twenty years ago, I was intrigued by and interested in sex and violence. I was galit sa mundo. I have mellowed considerably."

The screenplay of Oro was written by Joey Javier Reyes who, 20 years later, has become one of the country’s finest directors.

In tonight’s event, other Oro stars are expected to attend, including Mitch Valdes (who did a near-nude torrid love scene with Ronnie), Sandy Andolong, Mely Mallari, Lorli Villanueva, Abbo dela Cruz and Liza Lorena.

Lara reacts!

I received the following reaction letter from Lara Fabregas, estranged wife of Raymond Bagatsing:

Hi, Ricky,

This is just to comment on what you printed in your column a few days ago.

Regardless of what people may think or say, I believe that the negative comments concerning Raymond were unfair. It hurts me to hear things like this and it hurt me to read this in your column. People around us will always judge and sometimes it’s those that are closest to us who are so quick to point the blame but this should not be so. Separation is painful enough without the added intrigue. I’d like to let your readers know that there is a beautiful soul inside the man I married. Please help us in a positive manner through this very rough time.

Yours Truly,

Lara Fabregas

Dear Lara,

While sympathizing with you, Funfare stands by its story. You’re right: Separation is painful especially if you happen to be in showbiz. I guess it becomes even more so if the husband is the one talking on national television while the wife, such as in your case, opts to remain silent and leaves the movie press reading more meaning than there is in your pregnant silence.

You might be interested – and pleasantly shocked – to know that my informer belongs to the circle close to the Fabregases. They even described you as "a martyr wife" but they truly cared for you.

I’m sorry to tell you that it’s not us movie writers who can fix your marriage but you and Raymond alone, just the two of you. I’ll pray for you and Raymond and wish you all the luck.