MOVIE ANALYSIS ON MURO-AMI

MOVIE ANALYSIS ON MURO-AMI

NAME OF STUDENT: MA. GRACIELA M. TAGAYUN

SUBJECT: LITERATURE 1

DATE: FEBRUARY 16, 2012

TITLE: MURO-AMI

SUBMITTED TO: PROF. VIVIAN B. BUHAIN

THEME: “Vengeance is not ours” and “Everything has a proportion return or exchange”

I.                   WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PURPOSE OF THIS MOVIE? Based on what I’ve watched, on my own understanding the main goal or purpose of the movie “Muro-Ami” is to show the importance of our nature, specifically the sea where we can search for abundant treasure that serve as living for the people especially for most Filipinos. This movie depicts the widespread of illegal fishing and destroying the corrals. This movie serves as a precaution for everybody for what will happen if the Muro-Ami will be exercise.

     

    Muro Ami (Reef-Hunters) is a Filipino film that depicts one of the worst forms of child labor in the illegal fishing system. Fredo is the ruthless captain of 150 Muro Ami divers. The illegal fishing is done by pounding and crushing corals underwater to scare the fishes and drive them towards the nets. With a high quota to meet, Fredo forces the divers, who consist mostly of children, to accomplish at least eight dives a day to meet their goal before the millennium. Tired and harassed after the burdensome task being given to them, the children have to make do in subhuman conditions in the Muro Ami boat, The Aurora. They sleep in rat-infested bunks and are fed only twice a day. Life above the water in the boat is much worse than the suffering the children encounter beneath the sea. For every dive, a child's life is perilously in danger.

   A fisherman's wounded spirit begins to give out as Fredo loses his hold on his livelihood in this drama from the Philippines. The movie gives a good impression of the gruesome child-labor practices even though the truth is even more horrible -- and the destruction brought forth by the illegal fishing practices (and actually leading to accusation that the making of this movie itself also damaged the reef). The movie includes a lot of impressive underwater scenes, and makes a good piece of drama.

II.                DOES THE SUCCEED IN ITS PURPOSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWER. In my own opinion this movie succeeds in its purpose because as a viewer I also learned some lessons in life. The main character, Fredo somehow realizes that “Vengeance is not really ours” it belongs to our beloved God. As he revenge with the sea there is an exchange for his overrule the sea doing the Muro-Ami which put into danger not only the sea creatures but as well as his way of living, taking into consideration that he is a fisherman. What will he catch if they will destroy even the shelter of those unfortunate sea creatures?

III.             A.COMMENT ON THE CHARACTERS:

a.      Cesar Montano (Fredo) is a fisherman who has endured more than his share of hardship in life; his wife and child both perished in a boating accident. He commands a crew of young people from poor families as he takes his rattletrap ship into the ocean in search of fish that live along the reefs, snaring catch with an illegal netting system. He is a man with an eager determination to revenge against the sea. He has a deep pride and power with his words, because as he had said in a line “Walang kakain hangga’t hindi nakukumpleto ang quotang dapat na mahuling isda” he  also had a long anger with the sea as what he said in a line “Pinagdadamutan na naman ako ng dagat” though he is also a man with a kind heart that is was very difficult for him to show it because of his pride as he said in a line “ganun naba ako kasama? Kahit kailan hindi ko sila pinalaki na maging maging ganyan na magnakaw, ang gusto ko lang naman ay matuto sila dahil ayokong maranasan nila kung anong mga naranasan ko noon”.

b.       Pen Medina (Dado) is the father and serves as the consultant of fredo in their travel in the sea. He is a kind father, because he does not consider all of fredo’s decision as he had said in his line “Tama na, hindi ka pa ba napapagod? Kailangan na din bumalik ng mga bata para makasama ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay”. And he love his son that much that whatever happens he is always at the back of fredo giving him the solutions for his problems.

c.       Jhong Hilario (Botong) is a close friend of Fredo who have grown weary of Fredo's tirades, because of the early labor he open his eyes with the reality of life. He began to betray Fredo by keeping some money in his pocket. He does not have a conscience as he kill an innocence child. And he keep on blaming Fredo of what he had been as what he said “Oo, matagal na akong nangungupit sayo, pero kung sino ako ngayon dib a ikaw din ang may kasalanan?”

d.      Amy Austria (Susan) is the love interest of Fredo, but she does not love Fredo as if all that happened with the two of them is just a game that she betray Fredo as she make love with botong just to set her free. As she said in a line “Wag mo akong subukang mahalin dahil magsisisi ka lamang sapagkat hindi ako marunong magmahal”

    

B.COMMENT ON THE PLOT:

     In my own opinion the plot of this movie is well organized that gives the story some thrill; we can learn some lessons with the life of Fredo as well as his revenge against the sea. This movie succeeds in making as aware what will happen if illegal fishing like Muro-Ami is still exercise by those fishermen.

C.COMMENT ON THE SETTING:

     The setting of the story was so magnificent and fantastic with this movie we can mentally travel in some part of Bohol, where this film took place. Muro-Ami was shot primarily at sea, and is distinguished by its fine photography and vivid portrayal of the fisherman's life. As a viewer I can really appreciate the beauty of the Philippines that we need to care. We need to treasure our nature because if we will continue to destroy it we are directly penetrating all the sufferings. It is not a joke if the nature will revenge against us.