Limang Libo (2009)
This short film was one of the first films that have caught my attention. The plot was really interesting and the way they executed it was amazing. The film was more about a dramatic side thus using an environment with lighting that wasn’t bright. Medium and Close up shots were used.
The film depicts the life of two people, Susan and Manuel. They were poor so they are struggling with money. They weren’t able to finance their needs thus leading to the problems they had in the story.
Technical, Symbolic, and Written Codes:
Technical
Different camera shots were used during the movie. This includes Medium shot (0:13 – 0:49), Long shots ( 6:40 – 6:45) and Close up (0:51 – 0:57). Lightings were also used in the film like the Key Light Technique.
Symbolic
The symbolic codes that I recognized in the film was the telephone, a cutter, and a mobile phone. This three items represented meanings like the principle Chekhov’s gun, they were essential to the outcome of the story.
Written
I don’t know much about the written codes of the film. However, I think the one written code was the title of the story. “Limang Libo” which represented the reason why one of the main character snatched and killed.
Answers for pages 131-136:
She was crying because of the financial problems they are facing plus she is worried thinking about her son.
No, they didn’t know each other.
Manuel uses his cutter for work.
Susan was expecting her son to come home.
He probably earns 50 pesos or less. He placed it on the blind guitarist’s can.
He witnessed the transaction of 2 guys.
The mailman who was carrying their bills. Susan’s son was introduced in the film by the time it was getting dark.
The son was mocked as a “mama’s boy” in the story. As you can see, their relationship is very close. The cellphone symbolizes their intimacy.
Manuel and Susan was together in the dining area while she is reading all their bills. Because of the money which was used to buy the phone, it would have been the payment for their bills.
Their lives crossed because of Manuel’s wife is about to give birth.
Manuel’s wife is already in labor and when he carried her the blood got stuck in his shirt. She wanted to use the money he asked to pay their bills.
It is by placing them in the right position according to the scene they were doing.
They were parallel due to the reason that the problem they were facing was similar. They both needed money and in order to do so, they were faced with a choice. Manuel ended up killing Susan’s son to get the money needed and in the end, the same thing happened to him.
It is based on the situation that is assigned to each character.
They do not know each other. The blood was from Manuel’s wife or maybe from Susan’s son. Susan is crying because of her bills.
Poverty, underemployment, and crime.
It gave an emotional impact to the viewers. Thus earning their sympathy.
They both faced the same issues and that’s why their lives were connected.
It makes the story more dramatic.
It was to show the viewer’s the main point of the story. Karma is a bad thing. The events that transpired was enough to pique the interest of the audience.
