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Released by: Mondo Macabro
Released on: 11/20/2007
Director: Elwood Perez
Cast: Maria Isabel Lopez, Sarsi Emmanuelle, Myra Manibog, Mark Joseph
Year: 1985
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The Movie:
Elwood Perez's Silip begins with a group of children watching a man named Simon (Mark Joseph) slaughtering a buffalo. One boy pleads with Simon to spare the animal but Simon points out that if people in the village want to eat, he'll have to kill the animal. From there we meet Tonya (Maria Isabel Lopez), a young woman filling in for the local priest at the small village's school. The sexual couplings going on around her abhor Tonya and she sees her fellow villagers as sinners. She teaches the children that sex is evil and even goes so far as to tell some of the female students that what hangs between a man's legs is the devil's horn! Despite her attempts at living a pure life, she still has thoughts about Simon from time to time though at this point has yet to act on them.
When Selda (Sarsi Emmanuelle) and her white boyfriend come to visit the village where Selda grew up, things get complicated. Selda and her man make love one night while Tonya watches and then later Selda seduces Simon after the two of them tie up his lover, the town widow, Mona (Myra Manibog). Tonya brings Selda's boyfriend to the hut where they're getting it on and he and Simon get into a fight which results in the boyfriend's decision to leave town. All the while, there's an unspoken mutual lust between Tonya and Simon. As all of this is going on, Tonya's teachings are getting more and more bizarre. When a young student tells her she's had impure thoughts Tonya reacts by throwing hot sand between her legs.
Eventually it all comes to a head as the villagers decide that Tonya is no longer fit to teach the children. In fact many of them believe she's gone crazy. As Tonya and Selda try to sort out their differences and get over their past together, it all hits the fan and the villagers soon turn into an angry mob.
On the surface Silip might seem like little more than a strange softcore film but there's really a very interesting and intelligent story underneath all the bumping and grinding going on. While the film definitely has its fair share of full frontal nudity (with a few scenes that come dangerously close to hardcore) the story revolves as much around Tonya's struggles with her faith versus her natural instincts as a woman than anything else. She's obviously very repressed not only in her feelings for Simon but also in her ability to deal with Selda. Of course with Tonya employed as the town teacher there's a trickle down effect and her bizarre and adamant stance on the evils of sexuality start to effect the children. Obviously the parents want their children to get an education from a trustworthy and moralistic teacher but Tonya takes things to such a ridiculous extreme that even the most devout Catholic would have to take issue with her stance.
It makes for interesting viewing, as Perez gives us enough sex, violence, sleaze (and unfortunately all too real animal violence) to keep things unpredictable but also delivers a genuinely interesting story and some rather impressive compositions (one shot one of Simon's buffalo looking on at a couple as the make love!). The cinematography is very effective in how it pulls you into the dusty village; everything feels hot and a little bit gritty. As far as the content of the film goes, the back of the packaging comes with a warning and for good reason - there's some strong stuff in here. Full frontal erect male nudity, naked children, slaughtered animals, rape, bloody violence and decapitation, murder and bizarre religious imagery. Most of the more exploitative content bookends the film and as such the middle part feels a little long (the picture is over two hours in length) but the pay off is completely worth it. Silip is a completely unique film that toys with genre expectations by delivering thought provoking sleaze, rock solid performances and impressive camerawork.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Silip is presented in 1.85.1 anamorphic widescreen, which appears to be the right aspect ratio for the film as the compositions used in the film all look quite good. Taken from the original negative (which was not stored under the best of conditions) the film looks good despite some scratches and debris present throughout. Some day for not shots look a little murky but otherwise color reproduction is strong and there are no problems with compression artifacts.
Watch the film in your choice of Tagalog with optional English subtitles or dubbed into English by way of the two Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo tracks on the DVD. The Tagalog version plays much better than the English one does and it contains a much more interesting soundtrack. The audio setup page states that the Tagalog version is the one we should watch and it proves to be right, the English dubbing hasn't been done very well though it's nice to see it included here for those who want it. One minor complaint - the subtitles sometimes misspell Tonya as Tonia.
The first disc is barebones save for chapter stops and a few menu screens but Mondo Macabro have supplied a whole bunch of interesting supplements on the second disc in this limited edition set.
Rounding out the extras on the second disc are some cast and crew biographies and an essay on Silip and Filipino 'Bold Cinema' from Mondo Macabro head honcho Pete Tombs. Both add some valuable insight into the production and its place in the country's cinematic history.
The Final Word:
A genuinely unsettling look at the juxtaposition of sex and religion by way of an artsy exploitation film. Silip is an interesting and very well made film. Mondo Macabro's two-disc set treats the film with the kind of respect rarely afforded to quirky foreign imports such as this, and it's a testament to the companies dedication to preserving and expanding the audience for some of the most interesting movies from around the world.