''Itim'' (
Filipino: ''Black''), released overseas as ''The Rites of May'', is a 1976 Philippine
supernatural horror
Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten, or scare an audience. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon, in 1984, defi ...
film directed by
Mike de Leon in his feature film
directorial debut
This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many filmmakers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...
, from a screenplay written by
Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Gil Quito. It stars
Tommy Abuel
Tomas "Tommy" Rosales Abuel Jr. (born September 16, 1942) is a Filipino actor and lawyer. He won the FAMAS Best Supporting Actor Award in '' Maynila, Sa Kuko Ng Liwanag'' (1975), and ''Karma'' (1981); and Cinemalaya Best Actor Award in '' Dagsi ...
,
Mario Montenegro, and
Charo Santos in her acting debut, and follows a young photographer who encounters a mysterious woman whilst visiting his father in
San Ildefonso
San Ildefonso (), La Granja (), or La Granja de San Ildefonso, is a town and municipality in the Province of Segovia, in the Castile and León autonomous region of central Spain.
It is located in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama moun ...
during
Lent
Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...
.
''Itim'' addresses the topics of
occultism
The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mystic ...
and religion in a "foray into
gothic horror
Gothic fiction, sometimes referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name of the genre is derived from the Renaissance era use of the word "gothic", as a pejorative to mean m ...
, exploring the spiritual nature of life and people in the quiet little town of San Ildefonso". The
Association of Filipino Film Critics included the film on their list of the 10 Best Films of the 1970s. The film was digitally restored in 2022, with a subsequent theatrical premiere as part of the Cannes Classics section at the
75th Cannes Film Festival.
In a 2022 retrospective at the
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
, the film was described as "one of the most remarkable debuts in cinema history".
Plot
During a
séance
A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French language, French word for "session", from the Old French , "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general and mundane: one ma ...
, an ''
espiritista'' (medium) exclaims that Rosa, a missing
Catholic nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...
, is dead. Her younger sister, Teresa, is uneasy. Their mother asks the ''espiritista'' if she can speak to Rosa. The medium tells her to wait for
Good Friday
Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...
.
Meanwhile, Jun, a young photographer from
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, is visiting his mute and wheelchair-bound-father, Dr. Torres, in
San Ildefonso
San Ildefonso (), La Granja (), or La Granja de San Ildefonso, is a town and municipality in the Province of Segovia, in the Castile and León autonomous region of central Spain.
It is located in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama moun ...
during
Holy Week
Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...
. Throughout his visit, Jun photographs various Lenten rituals for the Manila-based magazine he works for.
He comes across Teresa and takes her photograph while she is dazed. Following this are several chance encounters where she exhibits strange behaviors she does not seem to have control over. Soon, however, they discover that it was not chance but the supernatural that brought them together. In the clinic of his father, Jun finds a film negative; he develops it and sees it is a photo of his father and a young woman, who he soon learns is Rosa.
It is revealed in another séance that the spirit of Rosa possesses Teresa. Rosa's spirit lets out that she was having an affair with Dr. Torres, who forced her to have an abortion, resulting in her death. Soon after the incident, Dr. Torres was involved in a car accident that left him mute and paralyzed. After revealing what happened, Rosa exacts her revenge, causing Dr. Torres to fall down the stairs and die.
Cast
Production
Development
Originally a
cinematographer
The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...
, Mike de Leon was known for his award-winning work on the 1975 film ''
Manila in the Claws of Light
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
'', which was directed by
Lino Brocka
Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. His filmography often addressed the co ...
. Although de Leon did not initially set out to become a
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
, following ''Manila'', in 1975, he made a short film ''Monologo'' (''Monologue''), his second directorial effort after the 1972 short ''Sa Bisperas''. ''Monologo'' would serve as a turning point, the experience piquing his interest in directing. Brocka, was the first person to view the
rough cut
In filmmaking, the rough cut (also known as the first cut or editor's cut) is the second of three stages of offline editing. The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when film stock was physically cut and reassembled, but is still ...
of ''Monologo.'' He subsequently encouraged de Leon to pursue directing.
De Leon thus later described ''Itim'' as an offshoot of ''Monologo''.
The script of ''Itim'' was written by
Clodualdo del Mundo Jr., who wrote the script of ''Manila'', and del Mundo's brother-in-law, Gil Quito. Quito conceived of setting the film during
Holy Week
Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...
and incorporating
spiritualism
Spiritualism may refer to:
* Spiritual church movement, a group of Spiritualist churches and denominations historically based in the African-American community
* Spiritualism (beliefs), a metaphysical belief that the world is made up of at leas ...
.
He recalled that the script was written with relative ease, except for the ending.
Spiritist Becky Gutierrez was on set as a consultant for the psychic-related elements of the film. She wrote down the
incantations
An incantation, spell, charm, enchantment, or bewitchery is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung, or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial rit ...
from her actual séances for the production team, which were then used to inform the final scene.
De Leon also credits production designer
Mel Chionglo for assistance in re-writing the séance scene. According to de Leon, screenwriter
Ricky Lee
Ricardo Arreola Lee ONA (born March 19, 1948) is a Filipino screenwriter, journalist, novelist, and playwright. Starting in 1973, he has written more than 180 film screenplays and collaborated with many of the Philippines' most notable film di ...
initially worked on the script but requested not to be credited; the director believed that Lee, known then as a former student activist, made the request due to the lack of
overt social relevance in ''Itim''.
Casting

Initially, de Leon, as he explains in a 2022 interview, was interested in casting big-name actors, as was the common practice at the time in Indonesian film.
The original idea was an
erotic thriller
The erotic thriller is a film subgenre defined as a thriller with a thematic basis in illicit romance or sexual fantasy. Though exact definitions of the erotic thriller can vary, it is generally agreed "bodily danger and pleasure must remain i ...
with
Alma Moreno
Venesa Moreno Lacsamana (born May 25, 1959), professionally known as Alma Moreno (), is a Filipino actress and politician.
Early life
Moreno was born in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur to her parents Frank Lacsamana, from Pampanga, and Jean Moreno.
Ac ...
and
Bembol Roco
Rafael Aranda Roco, Jr. (born November 20, 1953), professionally known as Bembol Roco, is a Filipino actor whose work ranges from films to television. He is best known for his role as Julio Madiaga in the 1975 film ''Manila in the Claws of Ligh ...
, the latter of whom starred in Brocka's ''Manila''. According to de Leon, after ''Manila'', Roco committed to appear in de Leon's directorial debut but had a schedule conflict with another film he had already signed on to act in. Regarding Moreno, the director was put off when her manager demanded there be full payment upon signing the contract. Following these setbacks, de Leon asked for Brocka's assistance in casting
Hilda Koronel
Hilda Koronel (born Susan Reid; January 17, 1957) is a MMFF, FAMAS, Luna and Urian award-winning Filipino actress. Born to a Filipino mother and an American father who was a serviceman in Clark Air Base, she has starred in around 45 films, m ...
, but her fee was beyond their budget. As a result, the production was risked on newcomers, including Charo Santos and Susan Valdez.
After winning the Baron Travel Girl
beauty pageant
A beauty pageant is a competition in which the contestants are judged and ranked based on various physical and mental attributes. Per its name, beauty pageants traditionally focus on judging the contestants' physical attractiveness, sometimes sol ...
, Santos, then a college student, was noticed by Brocka. The latter referred Santos to de Leon and a
screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. It is typically a secondary or later stage in the audition process. The performer is generally given a scene, or sel ...
was arranged. Santos was subsequently offered her first acting role.
As Santos refused to do any
erotic scenes, or even to kiss on screen, de Leon scrapped the original concept of an erotic thriller and instead delved into
Catholic guilt through the lens of the
horror genre
Horror is a genre of speculative fiction that is intended to disturb, frighten, or scare an audience. Horror is often divided into the sub-genres of psychological horror and supernatural horror. Literary historian J. A. Cuddon, in 1984, defin ...
.
The film also served as the acting debut of Susan Valdez, albeit in a non-speaking role; prior to the film, Valdez was known as a
commercial model
A model is a person with a role either to display commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an artist's model.
Modelling ("modeling" in American English) entails using one's body to represent someone els ...
. The main role of the photographer was given to Tommy Abuel, who de Leon had worked with on ''Manila''. Meanwhile, the more seasoned Mario Montenegro and Mona Lisa were cast due to de Leon's familiarity with them as actors of
LVN Pictures
LVN Pictures, Inc. was a Filipino film studio that was considered one of the biggest in the history of Philippine cinema and its foremost establishment in motion picture post-production until 2005. In its heyday of motion picture production, LV ...
, which was formerly run by de Leon's grandmother
Narcisa de León
Narcisa Buencamino-De León (October 29, 1877– February 6, 1966) was a Filipino film producer and businesswoman.
Clad daily in the frugal rural dress of the ''camisón'', ''saya'' and Slipper, chinelas, Doña Sisang, as she was widely known, ...
.
De Leon admitted that Montenegro was his favorite of the LVN actors, for his
costume films, particularly a childhood favorite of his, the 1954 feature ''
Prinsipe Teñoso''.
De Leon recalled approaching
Rolando Tinio
Rolando Santos Tinio (March 5, 1937 – July 7, 1997) was a Filipino poet, dramatist, director, actor, critic, essayist and educator."Philippine Theater", Nicanor G. Tiongson (ed.), CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, Volume VII, 1994
Biogra ...
, his former teacher, to discuss whether his wife, actress Ella Luansing, would play the ''
espiritista'' in the film. However, Tinio turned the discussion into a criticism of ''
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
'' and the role eventually went to Sarah Joaquin.
Filming
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
commenced at the ancestral home of de Leon's family in
San Miguel,
Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
over the course of two months in 1976.
Since it was his family's home, built in the 1920s at his grand-mother Dona Narcisa Vda. de Leon's request,
de Leon took liberties with the set production, including removing walls and moving old furniture around, much to the displeasure of his father when he visited the set. The house is the place "where more than two decades later
e Leonwould also shoot ''
Bayaning 3rd World
''Bayaning 3rd World'' (English: ''3rd World Hero'') is a 2000 Philippine mockumentary film directed by Mike de Leon, with a screenplay written by de Leon and Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. Shot in black-and-white, the film stars Ricky Davao and Cri ...
.''"
''Itim'' is regarded as the first major
production design
In film industry, film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and ...
work of Chionglo, who would later go on to be a respected director in his own right, best known for the trilogy consisting of ''
Sibak'', ''
Burlesk King'', and ''
Twilight Dancers''. On the set of ''Itim'', Chionglo was also assigned to assist newcomer Santos as her
acting coach
An acting coach or drama coach is a teacher who trains performers – typically film, television, theatre, and musical theatre actors – and gives them advice and mentoring to enable them to improve their acting and dramatic performances, prepar ...
.
The film also served as the first
cinematography
Cinematography () is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography.
Cinematographers use a lens (optics), lens to focus reflected light from objects into a real image that is transferred to some image sen ...
work of Rody Lacap, a former
color grader and
optical print operator at LVN Pictures. Lacap had first been hired by de Leon as a
gaffer and
lighting director for his short film ''Monologo''. He would go on to be the cinematographer of several of de Leon's other films, including ''
Kakabakaba Ka Ba?'', ''
Kisapmata
''Kisapmata'' (Filipino language, Filipino for "in the blink of an eye") is a 1981 Philippine psychological horror film directed by Mike De Leon, Mike de Leon from a screenplay he co-wrote with Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Raquel Villavicencio. ...
'', ''
Batch '81
''Alpha Kappa Omega Batch '81'' (also known as ''Batch '81'' or ''ΑΚΩ 81'') is a 1982 Filipino psychological drama film directed by Mike de Leon from a screenplay he co-written with Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Raquel Villavicencio. The fi ...
'', and ''
Sister Stella L
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer ...
.'', as well as
Peque Gallaga
Maurice Gallaga (August 25, 1943 – May 7, 2020), better known as Peque Gallaga, was a multi-awarded Filipino film-maker. His most significant achievement in film was , which he directed after winning a scriptwriting contest sponsored by the ...
's ''
Oro, Plata, Mata
() is a 1982 Philippine historical war drama film co-written and directed by Peque Gallaga. The screenplay written and adapted by José Javier Reyes was based on the story developed by Gallaga, along with Mario Taguiwalo and Conchita Castillo. ...
'' and
Marilou Diaz-Abaya
Marilou Correa Diaz-Abaya (née Diaz; March 30, 1955 – October 8, 2012) was a Filipina multi-award winning film director. She was posthumously conferred the Order of National Artists of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts in 2022, sh ...
's ''
José Rizal
José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is popularly considered a na ...
''. Lacap was co-cinematographer with Ely Cruz, who also worked with de Leon on ''Monologo'', and would go on to photograph Peque Gallaga's ''
Scorpio Nights
''Scorpio Nights'' is a 1985 Philippine erotic thriller film directed by Peque Gallaga from a screenplay by Rosauro "Uro" Q. Dela Cruz, based on a story concept written by T.E. Pagaspas and art director Romel Bernardino. It is about a love affai ...
'', among others.
Santos described de Leon on set as seeing "a genius in action",
adding: "He storyboarded the entire movie in his head, even before the first shot. He expects perfection from everyone."
There were similar recollections by Susan Valdez, who recalls how the director was "
ticulous in preparing a
shot
Shot may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Shot'' (album), by The Jesus Lizard
*''Shot, Illusion, New God'', an EP by Gruntruck
*'' Shot Rev 2.0'', a video album by The Sisters of Mercy
* "Shot" (song), by The Rasmus
* ''Shot'' (2017 ...
. He was particular about how the lighting was set up."
which implied long waits from the actors on set.
The more experienced Tommy Abuel also recalled that de Leon "was mainly concerned with the technical aspects of the film such as
camera angles
The camera angle marks the specific location at which the movie camera or video camera is placed to take a shot. A scene may be shot from several camera angles simultaneously. This will give a different experience and sometimes emotion. The diffe ...
, shots,
lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight. ...
, etc."
De Leon himself admitted he was not an actor's director, but rather treated film acting as an element of the overall film.
Post-production
In order to achieve a bleak and moody atmosphere, de Leon used various
post-production
Post-production, also known simply as post, is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording indivi ...
techniques that imagined the cinematography's darkness as a
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
, including
exposing the
negatives twice. A tricky procedure, several negatives were ruined in the process, requiring the re-shooting of the respective scenes. The film was scored by Max Jocson, who worked with de Leon on ''
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
''. For several scenes of ''Itim'', Jocson scored "against picture" by having live musicians play the score while the film was being projected in real time.
Themes
Supernatural and horror
In a 2022 interview, de Leon explained why he had been interested in making a film containing elements of supernatural or at least fantastic, that he had started exploring in his 1975 short film, ''Monologo;'' he stated that he considered that short to be a
ghost story
A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them."Ghost Stories" in Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature''. ...
, a genre he related to
Lafcadio Hearn
was a Greek-born Irish and Japanese writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture and literature of Japan to the Western world. His writings offered unprecedented insight into Japanese culture, especially his collections of legend ...
's writings, which he liked very much, but also to Antonioni's 1966 film ''
Blowup
''Blowup'' (also styled ''Blow-Up'') is a 1966 Psychological thriller, psychological Mystery film, mystery film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, co-written by Antonioni, Tonino Guerra and Edward Bond and produced by Carlo Ponti. It is Antoni ...
'';
in that film, still according to de Leon, "
e character takes photos and he does not realize that he has photographed a ghost or a presence in his own house.
..his camera saw it but he did not."
Regarding the categorization of ''Itim'' as a horror film, de Leon explained that he accepted it, and added that others influences included Nicholas Roeg's ''
Don't Look Now,'' that he had watched "in Germany in the mid-1970s",
and Jack Clayton's ''
The Innocents,'' that he had found extremely "frightening" and praised greatly.
Catholicism and folk Catholic imaginary
The film is set during
Holy Week
Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...
, which film academic Bliss Cua Lim described as "a season in which the mundane time of everyday life intersects with a biblical temporality of sin, repentance, and
redemption." The final scene occurs during
Good Friday
Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...
, which Lim suggested meant the story falls short of the redemption symbolized by
Easter Sunday
Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...
and thus "closes on the darkness of death, remorse, and frailty named in its title."
There are several allusions to
Catholic rites,
devotions, and images, including the
uninterrupted chanting of the ''
Pasyon
The ''Pasyón'' () is a Philippine epic narrative of the life of Jesus Christ, focused on his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. In stanzas of five lines of eight syllables each, the standard elements of epic poetry are interwoven with a colourfu ...
;'' a veiled statue of the
Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
; and a group of twelve life-size saint statues representing the
twelve apostles
In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
of Jesus Christ. These allusions, theologist Antonio Sison contended, are presented through the lens of "
folk Catholic imaginary", that blends images of Catholicism with the
Filipino primal religion. As such, the séances depicted are not part of Catholic belief but "occup(y) a niche in folk Catholic practice, which does not take issue with religious
syncretism
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various school of thought, schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or religious assimilation, assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the ...
." The topic is thus approached with seriousness and confers a certain religious legitimacy to the practices of spiritism, distinguishing the séances in ''Itim'' from other depictions of such scenes in horror film.
The character of Jun, the young photographer, first encounters the apostle statues when he takes photos of them as several women chant the ''
Pasyon
The ''Pasyón'' () is a Philippine epic narrative of the life of Jesus Christ, focused on his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. In stanzas of five lines of eight syllables each, the standard elements of epic poetry are interwoven with a colourfu ...
''. The statues then appear to Jun in a dream. They surround him and then suddenly begin moving towards and circling him, alerting Jun to the heinous deed committed by his father. Sison commented: "The folk Catholic imagery recognizes the divine intervention of religious images who will use dreamscape as a means to interrupt sinful patterns in the characters' lives and make
metanoia a possibility, or, at least, a promise."
Darkness
Commentators have noted that in the approach of the filmmaker religion and horror themes share the
trope
Trope or tropes may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Trope (cinema), a cinematic convention for conveying a concept
* Trope (literature), a figure of speech or common literary device
* Trope (music), any of a variety of different things in medi ...
of darkness or blackness (''Itim'' meaning ''black''). A French retrospective presentation found that the typically Filipino
syncretism
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various school of thought, schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or religious assimilation, assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the ...
of mysticism and Christianity is visible in the film through certain stylistic choices: "''Itim'' shines with this singular harmony of gentleness and fear, of magical realism and spectral fantasy.
e Leonlets the darkness take over the setting to the point of making it a character in its own right." This implied a particular use of colour that restoration enhanced. A French review of the restoration version indicated: "Often described by critics as a slow-burn, atmospheric horror, the film has the expected oppressive darkness against white compounded with unexpected dark browns and
maroons
Maroons are descendants of Africans in the Americas and islands of the Indian Ocean who escaped from slavery, through flight or manumission, and formed their own settlements. They often mixed with Indigenous peoples, eventually evolving into ...
in interiors against verdant backgrounds. The Italian film laboratory L'Immagine Ritrovata restored these qualities to their proper depth, soaking the viewers in a bath of voluminous, deliberate color, light, and shadow."
This includes "darkness (''dilim'') and light (''liwanag'')—the selfsame words that haunt the urban protagonist of ''Itim'' from the first evening on".
Social justice
A presentation of the film at the
MoMa
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
stated that ''Itim'' expressed its director's "fears" about "the dark side" of culture in the Philippines, namely "the
Spanish colonial legacies of superstition and antiscience".
In 2022, de Leon commented in an interview: "One thing that made my films a little different from most other Filipino films was that they didn't focus on depicting squalor and poverty, which international festivals love in third world films. Instead, they dealt with the corruption of the Filipino middle and upper classes, the abusive patriarchal rule in the Filipino family, or the fascist training instilled in student fraternities."
The same year the director explained that "horror" had come to mean something even darker than what the fictional genre supposed, as his country was now facing not imaginary ghosts but the actual "monsters of Philippine politics", adding that the said monsters, "after a long wait in the subterranean caverns of hell, ha
returned to ravish and rape my country all over again. The crazy thing is that we invited them back.” A 2023 French review of the DVD version wrote that Mike de Leon used "fantasy
..as the only way of justice for a violence that is sadly concrete and inscribed in the mores of this patriarchal society."
and that the director used the invisible to figure real "monstrosities".
Release
Initially released in 1976, it was made commercially available in the Philippines in 1977. The film was internationally screened for the first time in 1979 at
Filmex in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
.
Restoration
Although the
Asian Film Archive offered to fund the
digital restoration of ''Itim'', delays due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
led director Mike de Leon to fund the restoration himself. The restoration was done by L'Immagine Ritrovata, the same film lab de Leon worked with for the restoration of his films ''
Batch '81
''Alpha Kappa Omega Batch '81'' (also known as ''Batch '81'' or ''ΑΚΩ 81'') is a 1982 Filipino psychological drama film directed by Mike de Leon from a screenplay he co-written with Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Raquel Villavicencio. The fi ...
'' and ''
Kisapmata
''Kisapmata'' (Filipino language, Filipino for "in the blink of an eye") is a 1981 Philippine psychological horror film directed by Mike De Leon, Mike de Leon from a screenplay he co-wrote with Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Raquel Villavicencio. ...
'', as well as for the restoration of ''
Manila in the Claws of Light
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
''.
The restoration used the original negatives, which had been stored at the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
since the 1970s.
On May 20, 2022, the restored version premiered at the
75th Cannes Film Festival as part of the Cannes Classics section. It was personally introduced by Cannes Delegate General
Thierry Frémaux.
The restored version had its Philippine premiere at the
10th QCinema International Film Festival.
In November that same year, the restored film was included in the "Mike De Leon, Self-Portrait of a Filipino Filmmaker"
retrospective
A retrospective (from Latin ', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in software development, popular culture, and the arts. ...
at the
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. It was screened alongside screenwriter Clodualdo del Mundo's
behind-the-scenes https://www Googlefinans.co=
In filmmaking, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK ( ...
documentary ''Itim: An Exploration in Cinema''.
The following month, ''Itim'' was shown in another retrospective, "Mike de Leon: A Life in (Moving) Pictures" at the
Three Continents Festival
The Three Continents Festival ( French: ''Festival des 3 Continents'') is an annual film festival held since 1979 in Nantes, France, devoted to the cinemas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It was founded by Philippe and Alain Jalladeau. in
Nantes
Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Home media
In March 2023, ''Itim'' was released on
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of ...
by Carlotta Films as part of a five-box set of a selection of films directed by de Leon.
Reception
Box office
''Itim'' was a commercial flop upon its initial theatrical release, running for only one week.
Critical response
Filipino film critic Pio de Castro III lauded ''Itim'' in a contemporary ''Times Journal'' review, writing that the film was enigmatic, technically excellent, and "the touchstone against which all other films of 1977 will be gauged." The
Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (Filipino Film Critics) included the film on their list of the Ten Best Films of the '70s.
In 1998, after a screening at the
Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reader Theater, as part of a Festival of Philippine Cinema, Ray Privett highly praised the "sparse, long-take style" of the film and its soundtrack and stated that watching the film was an experience that would haunt him for some time. A retrospective review of the film calls it "an esoteric psychological drama that leans towards genre cinema".
It has also been described as Leon's "horror masterpiece". In a mixed retrospective review for AsianMoviePlus, however, Don Anelli criticized the "unnecessary technical flourishes" and the "slow-burn" pace of the film, and stated that ''Itim'' was a "generally enjoyable if somewhat flawed supernatural effort".
Accolades
At the 1978 Asian Film Festival, ''Itim'' was awarded Best Picture, and Charo Santos was recognized as Best Actress.
Mike de Leon's sophomore feature, ''
Kung Mangarap Ka't Magising'', as well as
Eddie Romero
Edgar Sinco Romero, (July 7, 1924 – May 28, 2013), commonly known as Eddie Romero, was a Filipino film director, film producer and screenwriter.
Early life
Romero was born on July 7, 1924. His father was José E. Romero, the first Philipp ...
's ''
Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon?'' were also festival entries. De Leon's father, producer Manuel de Leon (although not a producer of ''Itim''), accepted the award for Best Picture on his son's behalf. In 1956, the film
''Child of Sorrow'', produced by Manuel de Leon, had received the same honor.
''Itim'' also received four Gawad Urian awards: Best Cinematography, Best Music, Best Editing, and Best Sound.
References
Bibliography
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External links
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{{Mike de Leon, state=collapsed
1976 films
1976 directorial debut films
1976 thriller films
1970s ghost films
Filipino-language films
Films directed by Mike De Leon
Films with screenplays by Clodualdo del Mundo Jr.
Films scored by Max Jocson
Philippine thriller films
Supernatural thriller films
Films about Spiritism
Films shot in Bulacan
Films set in Luzon
Philippine horror films