Huling Mandirigma
Philippines, Shown in 1957
CREDITS
Director:
Eddie Romero
Cast: Leopoldo Salcedo, José Padilla Jr., Ben Pérez, Melita de León
People’s Pictures Inc.
Huling Mandirigma (The Last Warrior), a film from the Philippines, is much different from its predecessors in the festival, designed obviously for an audience that wanted vitality, energy, violence and a long picture. Just as Pather Panchali is universal in its appeal, The Last Warrior is specialized. It is set on Mindanao. The time is about the turn of the century, but the native tribes were even then virtually untouched by contemporary developments, so that actually the action might have occurred centuries before. Two brothers, one choosing the traditional pattern of killing to make his way, the other a Christian concept, are set against each other. The details of how these proud jungle warriors lived is skillfully reflected through director Eddie Romero’s film, and, while its interest may be primarily academic, it is a rich contribution to the variety of the festival. —Paine Knickerbocker, San Francisco Chronicle
