Life Onscreen

In SM Cinema's IMAX, I viewed J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" in 3D. When it was the time to put on the glasses and Bilbo Baggins started to take shape in front of me, I remembered Yoyoy Villame's novelty song titled "Unamg Pagtan-aw Ko'g Sine". There was a scene when something exploded and shrapnels seemed to lead to my direction I almost cowered. I've seen a lot of 3D stuff in my friend's flat via his home theater system but the IMAX experience is different. There was also a wasp which seemed to fly towards me that I thought it landed on my shoulder.

I shelled out some dough for the flick not just for the experience but "The Hobbit" was a favorite book of mine way back in high school. My sister who adores cats had a pet named Bilbo. When Peter Jackson decided to translate Tokien's tales through The Lord of the Ring trilogy, I remembered getting distracted with my norms to be able to see the films. I think this is the only trilogy which made me feel that way (and so with George Lucas' Star Wars). I left Harry Potter to my students and gave Johnny Depp's antics through Pirates of the Caribbean to my friend Karen.

My cousin Mario loves the theater. His love is infectious that he literally told me the experience he had when he saw Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera". He also exposed me to Webber's other plays like "Cats," "Evita," etc.. When "Miss Saigon" produced by Cameron Mckintosh became a national pride due to Lea Salonga's Tony and Lawrence Olivier awards, I also started to listen to Claude-Michel Schoenberg and Alain Boublil who immortalized the potent music and words of Saigon... That was when I realized that the duo made the musical "Les Miserables" breathe into life.

Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" haunted me way back in college. The book was like an affair which leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. I was into Neil Gaiman, Anne Rice and Stephen King. But Hugo's characters have these realistic pains which cut across culture, race, religion and generation. Paris during the 1800's could still be found everywhere. The barricades seem to be the epitome of every person's struggle to topple down oppression, injustice and even personal battles.

When the book was presented onstage through the thespian of the actors and musicians, the world seemed to be centered on the truth of the characters. Boulbil and Schoenberg made a miracle out of these lines:

Do you hear the people sing, singing songs of angry men? It is the music of a people who will not be slave again! When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!

And what about the thief who turned to become a good mayor? Jean Valjean could be a wise study of sociologists here since in our country, the opposite often happens: A good mayor will turn out to become a thief! And there's Javert whose sole purpose of existence is to capture Prisoner 24601... He could be the personification of the few whose sole purpose on this Earth is to feed on the misfortunes of others. And who could not be entertained with the irony of The Thernadiers? Their gluttony and unquenchable thirst for money are reflections of poverty...

Ah, the danger of art becoming reality!

I'm going to view the latest film version of the musical "Les Miserables" by Tom Hooper. Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman already received citations during the Golden Globe Awards as Best Supporting Actress and Best Actor respectively. It could be in 3D or 2D. It would not matter as long as the experience would push me towards the better understanding of humanity. This could lead me to acquire more of what we call as LIFE skills.

There is a castle in the clouds

I like to go there in my sleep...

There is a lady all in white

Holds me and sings me a lullaby

 (photo:imbd.com)