CNN came up with a provsional list of Top Asian films of all time and the late Ishmael Bernal’s hallucinatory film on feudal culture Himala made it to the list. The list is provisional and invites criticism for including New Zealand in its list — CNN for all its vast network apparently doesn’t know its geography. And how about a movie on monster in a Korean river (Gwoemul)?
What happened to Kurosawa’s Rashomon or Yimou’s Raise the Red lantern? And no Ozu, Park or Suzuki either? Well, it’s CNN not AFI.
I like Himala, along with Manila by Night, Brocka’s opuses Tinimbang ka Ngunit Kulang, Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag and Insiang, O’ Hara’s masterpiece Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos and De Leon’s Kisapmata,
Nora Aunor as Elsa
Bernal is such a genius on social commentary and paints on a wide canvas, and Himala is definitely a social realist tour de force unmatched in its scope and images in Philippine cinema. (The oeuvre of this generation of Filipino film makers remains unsurpassed in quality and dimension.)
Himala is good choice and I support its inclusion in the list. But Philippine cinema has a lot more nuggets in a generally trash industry.
Posted by diego rojo banaag 
