Tirador
Tirador (transl. Slingshot) is a 2007 film directed by Brillante Mendoza. Produced by the Centerstage Productions, the film shows the political undertones of the Filipinos who are living in poverty.[1]
Tirador | |
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Directed by | Brillante Mendoza |
Produced by | Ferdinand Lapuz |
Written by | Joel Ralston Jover |
Starring |
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Music by | Tere Barrozo |
Cinematography |
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Edited by | Charliebebs Gohetia |
Production company |
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Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 126 minutes |
Country | Philippines |
Language | Filipino |
Plot
The movie revolves around the lives of Rex, Caloy, Leo and Odie in the streets of Quiapo, Manila. Quiapo is known to be one of the most crowded, depressed and notorious areas in Manila. The movie was set during Holy Week and the 2007 elections that showed both the political and religious stands of a typical Filipino in the slums. The low-life criminals are portrayed in a way that humanizes them, and was compared to the corrupt and hypocritical politicians who exploits the poor.[2]
Cast
- Jiro Manio as Odie
- Coco Martin as Caloy
- Kristoffer King as Rex
- Nathan Lopez as Leo
- Harold Montano as Rod
- Jaclyn Jose as Zeny
- Julio Diaz as Diego
Production
The movie was produced by Centerstage Productions, Rollingball Entertainment and Ignite Media. Tirador was distributed in the Philippines through the same production in 2007 and was also shown internationally in France through Swift Distribution and Peccadillo Pictures in 2009 in UK.[3]
Themes and Symbolism
Low-life and one-dimensional characters
The movie showed the cruelty of the society and how a regular Filipino, living in the slums survives another day.[2]
Impact
The main actors played realistic roles, that mirrored how men live in the slum area. The movie exposed the contrasts of corruption in all classes, where the influential was placed in the hot seat. It also showed the difference of societal levels and the animalistic instinct of humans to survive.[2]
References
- "Tirador – Libre Pelikula". Youtube. 2 April 2017.
- Ellao, Janess Anne (25 April 2009). "Poverty of the Human Soul: A Movie Analysis of Brillante Mendoza's Tirador". Bulatlat.
- "Tirador (2007) Company Credits". IMDb.
- Cruz, Oggs (2 July 2008). "Tirador (2007)". OggsMoggs.