Film Review - Dilim

A predator-hero in ‘Dilim’
By: Rianne Hill Soriano

Starring: Mario Magallona, Rica Peralejo, Emilio Garcia, Hermie Concepcion, Archie Adamos
Directed by: Topel Lee

In the midst of the global boom of fantasy and superhero movies, it is a tough endeavor for Pinoy filmmakers, especially those within the independent scene, to venture on a live action-animation assemblage that defies its own line of constraints (mainly its financial restrictions) by utilizing both the collaborative talents of the filming team and maximizing their limited resources to the film’s advantage. Benefiting with the look, style and mood it has formed, this story about a mysterious creature/predator called ‘Dilim’ capitalizes with a punk treatment and metaphorical statement of ‘new blood’ director Topel Lee – playing around the digital medium to come up with animation and special effects that may not be in par with Hollywood’s finest but, considerably, just right to come up with something that fits its own eccentricities.

If superman is about to hit the Philippine theaters this coming Wednesday, a Pinoy dark superhero comes to play ahead – a week before it – through the Cinema One Originals and Filipino Classics Festival which raved the SM Cinemas last June 21 to 25, 2006. The digital feature ‘Dilim’ stars Mario Magallona, Rica Peralejo, Emilio Garcia, Hermie Concepcion, Archie Adamos and a lot of commendable talents both from the local film and theater circuit.

‘Dilim’ takes advantage of the use of harsh lights to promote its effective high contrast look the way a digital camera films it – as compared to the generally better technical quality and contrast difference of the 16 or 35mm film. From its music video-long OBB, the film moves on with stylish, fast-paced and action-packed visuals accompanied by punk and rock tracks. Multiple cuts are apparent in almost every scene where there is at least 3 different angles shot for one particular scene. Both wide angle and telephoto lenses are utilized accordingly. A number of distorted images are seen along with chroma shots that try to blend with 3D backgrounds. The chroma shots are not perfectly rendered though – I’m not sure if that’s intentional or not, but considerably, it works – the characters shot in blue or green screen look too obviously attached to the background as the contours of the characters are not seamless with these backgrounds. Nevertheless, the overall presentation creates a certain feel acceptable enough for its alternative way of storytelling. The special effects don’t tend to fall under the impressive category and its punk style tale wallows into certain compromises – that may look good for some, or dismaying for others.

A number of allegories have been utilized in the story: the blessed and the cursed; the human and the beast, the victims and the victimizers – all presented in literal and figurative terms. ‘Dilim’ has his own inner struggle from his curse while the grueling world struggles along with its own strife. The story merely draws on how Dilim’s monstrosity covers up a true human heart from within.

Overall, ‘Dilim’ is for a certain type of audience that may be able to grasp such a punk style. The film is ambitious. And though the screenplay may not be as astounding as I expected, it does make a statement. The stunts and fight scenes may not be as striking; but the fact that its overall audio-visual impact may be technically new to the eyes of the regular Pinoy viewers, particularly the ‘masa,’ it can promote a new taste that they may consider again next time around.

Its basic weakness lies on some minor but still unjustifiable discontinuities. On a higher level, there are some lapses in the script and visuals. They may seem tolerable in general, but knowing that this film has been intended for competitive endeavors, it’s not as remarkable as a number of critically-acclaimed films that may line up alongside with it.

No doubt, not all can get impressed or see its own goodness. No doubt it’s not the best film to boast for, critically-speaking. But it makes its stand amidst its own struggle as an independent/alternative work – in the same way as the character ‘Dilim’ struggles for his own space in the society.

Some old school folks may call it trashy. Some conservative ones may call it out-of-the box. Some high-end critics may see it having some moving pretentions. Some mainstream buffs may call it weird. Some may call it ambitious or too ambitious. Some may call it ‘astig.‘ Different minds can meet with various insights. But above all, this film’s attempt to achieve its own ambitions amidst an obviously tight budget and its own time constraints is an achievement in itself. Shooting this film using the digital format and choosing its own level of animation and special effects, its radical thoughts become perceivable in its punk treatment. In a third world country as the Philippines where it has long been said that it has a dying film industry, the digital medium as presented in this film can really prove a revolution.