Ganito pala sa Maynila, ano? Maingay, Magulo, at puno ng Oportunista. 

Manila has always been seen as the land of opportunity. With its glamouring city lights, sounds of vehicles, and different Filipino faces, it looks promising to a better life. But when an opportunity comes, a risk will always be at stake. This is how Lino Brocka’s Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag strips away this illusion, revealing a darker, harsher truth.

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When Ligaya went to Manila for a job, Julio, her lover, followed her. The story begins as the young man slowly unfolds the truth about the city glamored by the people outside of it. Manila, a chaotic city but full of opportunity, was filled with darkness and fears. That’s when Julio thought that every person who lives here needs to die first, not physically, but through hardship and unfair treatment.

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What I really admire about this film is the bravery and raw honesty. During a certain part of Julio’s Manila life, he became a “call boy,” a name usually called for male sex workers. He was getting paid by different clients, in expense of having a “sensual service.” The portrayal of the scene was raw and an eye-opener not just in Julio’s innocence, but also to the viewers who have no idea of what it takes to make the ends meet.

Through Julio’s journey, we are shown a Manila not of dreams, but of exploitation, poverty, and survival. Ligaya, the probinsyana lured by the promise of work, becomes a symbol of the many who are taken advantage of. Julio’s arc in the city, from hopeful lover to a disillusioned worker and eventually a call boy, mirrors the soul-crushing impact of taking risk in the city. The fact that everything is more than a fiction, from the worker’s unfair wage, to the exploitation of Ligaya to a Chinese businessman, it mirrors how a capitalist system dehumanizes the poor.

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It was worth noting that the film was made during the Marcos Sr.’s Regime, a time when the Philippines’ freedom was under threat. Brocka did not hold back on telling the reality of Filipino Experiences through a creative platform, it speaks on why he is a “National Artist”. A recognition for his bravery, dedication, and contribution not just in Philippine Cinema, but in the socio-political landscape of our country.