#batch '81

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Mike De Leon (1947-2025)

We learned yesterday of the passing of one of the greatest Filipino directors, his family confirmed to French film distributor Carlotta Films (they released a box set of his films in France).

Mike De Leon's path in filmmaking is already a part of him. He's the grandson of LVN Pictures founder Narcisa "Sisang" De Leon, the matriarch who established their family's film business and gave it a commanding presence in the years following World War II in the country. When her son, Manuel De Leon took over, he pursued social-realist stories veering away from his mother's taste for popular romances mixed with song and dance (traditional awit and corrido).

De Leon emerged as one of the leading filmmakers in "Second Golden Age" of Philippine cinema along with directors Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal. Directors in these era experimented with new techniques despite tecnological constraints and persisted with their bold political themes as Martial Law threatened and prevented a creative renaissance in local filmmaking.

He first started as a producer and cinematographer. He produced what is considered as the greatest Philippine film of all time, Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (Manila in the Claws of Light - 1975). Collaborating with Lino Brocka and Clodualdo A. del Mundo Jr.

Then he made his first directorial debut with Itim (1976), starring Charo Santos in her first film role. Despite being a commercial failure, it has garnered favorable reviews over the years and provided insight in his style and vision. His next film, Kung Mangarap Ka't Magising (1977), a romance drama he dedicated to his grandmother's centennial birthday and perhaps a nod to her love for romance movies, which helped make their studio well-known.

Itim (1976)

Kung Mangrap Ka't Magising (1977)

A visionary and known for his razor-sharp social commentary, De Leon didn't hesitate to expose the problems in society that lies within normalcy, often critiquing his upper class upbringing and institutions. From domestic violence that simmers within a single home perpetuated by a tyrant father, outwardly symbolizing the Marcos dictatorship in Kisapmata (In the blink of an eye - 1981) to using fraternity life as lens in the nature of fascism and how even intelligent minds can sacrifice their humanity and free will in order to comply and belong in Batch '81 (1982).

In his lighter moments, he laced his work with biting satire in films like Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (Does Your Heart Beat Faster? - 1981), a closer look on how foreign control influences the Philippine economy. Aliwan Paradise (1993), a black comedy short part of the anthology film Southern Winds, set in semi-futuristic Philippines that critically examines and unsettlingly predicted the fixation of the entertainment industry in showcasing "poverty porn" and current trends to be the new opium of the masses.

He was also in initial talks to direct a Jose Rizal biopic with GMA Pictures but both dropped out. He eventually directed a mockumentary Bayaning 3rd World (3rd World Hero - 2000), starring Joel Torre, Ricky Davao and Cris Villanueva.

In 2018, he came out of retirement to co-write, produce, and direct Citizen Jake (2018), a bold return to filmmaking which he didn’t hold back a scathing critique of then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

Mike De leon, despite his known temperamental personality, has remained steadfast in pursuing cinematic excellence. He found courage to pursue and bring out the truth from the realities of the troubled years of the nation. From beginning til end, he slammed authoritarian regimes using his cinematic voice and gift of visual language. We hope that new and current film audience, filmmakers, practitioners and scholars still seek his works.

In Wim Wenders' documentary Room 666 (1982), he asked selected directors, which one of them is De Leon to answer the principal question about the future of cinema, he stated, “To ask a director like myself from the Philippines what the future of cinema is, I find, an absurd question. To ask what the future of cinema is in the Philippines, is like asking what the future of the Philippines is.” 

Kisapmata (1981)

Batch '81 - 1982

Sister Stella L. (1984)

Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (1981)

Aliwan Paradise (1982)

Citizen Jake (2018)

My last memory of Mike De Leon was during the pandemic, when he was working to restore vintage Filipino films from his family’s studio archive and make them available online, perhaps his final gift.

[sacredwhores]

Mike de Leon - Batch ‘81 (1982)

[sacredwhores]

Mike de Leon - Batch ‘81 (1982)

[sacredwhores]

Mike de Leon - Batch ‘81 (1982)

[megmaxino]

Batch ‘81: A Film of Cowardly Boys! But That’s Exactly The Point

Hello! I’m Meg :)

Today, I’ve got some things to say about Batch ‘81. Let’s get to it!

[Warning: Spoilers ahead.]

Batch ‘81: A Film of Cowardly Boys! But That’s Exactly The Point

About the Film

MVP Pictures’ Batch ‘81, released in 1982, was directed by Mike De Leon and was selected for the Directors Fortnight at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. It stars Mike De Leon as Sid Lucero, Ward Luarca as Pacoy Ledesma, Noel Trinidad as Santi Santillan, Ricky Sandico as Ronnie Roxas, Jr., Jimmy Javier as Vince, Rod Leido as Arni Enrizuez, and Vic Lima as Gonzales. These 8 boys decide to take up the ambitious challenge of signing up for the fraternity, Alpha Kappa Omega, supposedly the best frat of the university. The film follows these neophytes as they go through the tortuous hazing process to become an official member of the fraternity. 

Impressions

During my first viewing of Batch ‘81, I found myself constantly mad at everyone. “You idiots!” I said, “This is so stupid; this makes no sense.” I wasn’t referring to how the film was shot or the flow of the story. No, I was referring to what was happening in the story. I was referring to how the character’s choices were making me feel. I couldn’t help but question all the dumb decisions being made. What were they playing at?

“Kaisahan: Isang kalooban, Isang Katwiran” (Unity: One Will, One Righteousness)

That was something that was always emphasized and gone back to. But what did unity actually mean to them? To me, in the context of the film, it meant being selfish and cowardly- BUT, maybe that was the point?

Cowardly Boys and their Questionable Intentions and Decisions

Frat? All for What?  After another round of initiation, Arni and Sid return to their dorm room. Arni complains about his aching bones. What exactly is all this pain for again?

[Arni: Shit, my neck hurts.  Sid: That’s okay, Arni: “That’s okay,” yeah right. We’re being tortured! Sid: Just think about the advantages of being in a frat.]

Unity? Really? Sounds More Selfish to Me When one of the boys shares to the others that he wants to quit, Sid Lucero asks, “Eh, ano namang mangyayari sa batch?” Is that all you care about, Sid? Throughout the course of the film, it’s another thing always gone back to. “What about the batch?” they’ll ask, “We need to stick together.” But what do you care if he leaves? If you want to stay, by all means. Let him if he can’t take it anymore. How selfish.

[Sid: Then what’s gonna happen to the batch?]

What Kind of Friends Are You? In another moment, Pacoy feels betrayed by his own batchmates - friends, even - when they didn’t tell him they knew about an embarrassing incident with one of their professors. The said incident was streamed and the frat leaders made them watch. Sid gets Pacoy to calm down and Pacoy opens up saying that this was meant to be some form of therapy due to his anxiety towards people.

[Pacoy: I didn’t even want to join the frat. It was my mom!... And doctor. He said it’d be my therapy.] 

Just Let Him Go! Arni is another boy of the batch that expresses his desire to leave. This causes Sid to say he’s weak and even gets into a fight over it. But what for? Like I said earlier, just let him leave! It’s his life, not yours.

The Girl that Said It for Me

When Sid goes out on a date with his girlfriend, Mariel, they discuss this whole frat hazing situation. She knows how it goes and she knows how dangerous it is. She wants him out of there. Her own brother died from initiations trying to join that same fraternity. But still, Sid won’t listen. Mariel goes on to say that he doesn’t have his own mind anymore. No matter how ridiculous, he’ll follow orders of the frat leaders.

[Sid: Look, I know what I’m doing. You know me. I have my own mind. Mariel: Maybe before, but not anymore. The day will come when you’re all just the same. You jump at any requests they have.]

Batch ‘81: A Film of Cowardly Boys… But That’s Exactly The Point

To my understanding, they’re really just scared to be alone. At any mention of quitting, someone jumps up immediately to prevent whoever from leaving. But why? Just let them leave if they really want to. It’s their loss if they don’t get in and gain all these “advantages” of being in that fraternity.

“Kaisahan: Isang kalooban, Isang Katwiran” (Unity: One Will, One Righteousness) AGAIN, that was something that was always emphasized and gone back to. But what did unity actually mean to them? To me, in the context of the film, it meant being selfish and cowardly- BUT, maybe that was the point? 

The point of initiations are to test and see if you are worthy of being a part of the group. That specific fraternity values unity, so naturally they would test incoming members on exactly that. It wasn’t about being brave, strong, and tough enough to endure all the dumb and torturous hazing - WHICH, BY THE WAY, I DO NOT APPORVE OF THIS HAZING. It was about making it through as a team. It was to see if you would do anything for your friends. If you passed the test, the frat leaders were sure that you would be a loyal member.

Sure enough, the ones who stuck together made it to the end.

[xxntigo]

“Batch ‘81″ Film Reaction 2019

Film Language

Robedillo, Jeremy

MMA23 S.Y. 2019-2020

      The film was a very tragic and heavily laced film for me, it followed the journey of young student Sid Lucero (Mark Gil), from seemingly an inexperienced beginner to the leader of the frat. Along the way, each strike of a hitting him, each dignity-crushing act of subservience, each death of a comrade would serve only to push forward as being part of the frat. He gave me the feeling of a person’s behavior can be misleading. We need to be clear though this does not make them a misleading person. Rather we are born with a defense mechanism not to show any kind of weakness, mental or otherwise.

       Crime levels decrease quickly when a dictatorship arises in society. As Sid goes deeper in the film, it gave us the ideas on how fraternity works such as the severe physical, mental—and even fatal—initiation rites they undergo in the name of the fraternity’s promise of brotherhood. Although crime levels typically rise in a dictatorship because there are different laws passed, sometimes at a whim by the leader. The film gave a huge impact when it comes to the forefront of the fraternity’s name now takes greater significance. As the film portrays the psyche of men it also illustrated that men join fraternities to exercise dominance, power, and control over other men rather than seeking brotherhood.       

       It was in this scene where Martial Law was mentioned once throughout the film, it was very shocking for me knowing that Mike De Leon was able to produce this kind of film especially it attacks the Marcos followers and such. So many young promising men had been put to waste. So many dreams had been shattered and many families had been broken. The fraternity system has become a big black hole that sucks these young promising men to their graves. By offering underage students access to alcohol, fraternities promote illegal drinking, which often leads to hospitalizations for alcohol poisoning or alcohol-induced injuries will often cause him to sacrifice his grades to put the fraternity first. Education for me makes us capable of interpreting things, among other things. It is not just about lessons in textbooks. It is about the lessons of life. Some college students can find it hard to juggle classes and fraternity responsibilities with their authoritarian regimes. 

      Moreover, the film lives in crushing poverty, increasingly lack basic provisions, and at any given moment face the possibility of instant or agonizing death, largely at the hands of their government which is the strategy of co-opting the leadership of a launching organization by buying its loyalty. 

     Mike De Leon struck during an unexpected crisis: a serious health problem, job loss, or divorce. These crises can be particularly debilitating when compounded by other risk factors such as low education, limited skills training, lack of savings, or lack of family support. Poverty can result from personal struggle many people experiencing poverty are faced with a lack of emotional, psychological or financial support. 

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#34 Batch '81 dir. by Mike de Leon

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Sid Lucero, Batch '81