Insiang

My feelings about insiang are very good and I enjoyed the film. It showed us that what we perceived to be a weak character because she was weak and quiet but was actually smart and strong. Insiang is a girl who was raped by dado her mom’s boyfriend which was hinted at the very start on how he looks at her and defends her from the mother. The mother is very controlling and heartless toward insiang and others which can be seen as a symbol of Marcos and how he treats the Filipino people at the time. Dado also has some sort of symbolism at the beginning of the film he was part of the people who tortured the pigs and the way he died he was tortured which can symbolize that he was a pig on the way he treats his people. The film is also feminist but it can be seen as anti-feminist at the beginning especially when there was a male character that touched a female character’s butt and the other characters said he was just drunk and also saying that is fine when it should not be. I also that Insiang was raped by Dado and the way she reacted is that it’s fine and lets him do it again because her mother won’t believe her. She also has a boyfriend Bebot who she is planning to escape with. During a motel scene, he promises that he won’t leave her but does the next day. All these changes when Insiang returns and mentions that she has to do something. She then threatens her mother when she receives more abuse telling her that she had sex with Dado and that he enjoyed the sex with her more and that the mother is just old. These anger the mother and when dado returns he gets killed violently. Insiang a girl we thought to be weak was actually strong and got revenge on Dado for raping her and also her mother for setting her up to kill him to go to jail getting revenge on both of them.

For the shots at the beginning of the film, most of the shots showed the overall brutally of the pigs at a wide shot and a close-up shot to their faces to show how much pain they are truly in. Some of the shots are in a wide shot showing the setting that is poor places in the Philippines. Close up shots of agony Insiang when she was first raped, Bebot with the fear for Dado and the mom when she was in jail knowing that she was a bad mother and she underestimated her daughter’s mind and paid for it. Also, the shot, when Dado died showing the mom in a higher angle showing power at that position and Dado, is at a lower angle during these shots experiencing punishment.   

Gratified expectations are when Dado finally raped her because these were teased at the beginning of the film with the way he looks and touches her. He also defends her from the mother. So as the audience we know that he likes her and is about to make a move and when he does we are not surprised. Cheated expectations are that we expected Insiang to be this weak character but she actually fooled her mom to kill the guy getting revenge on both of them without going to jail and also that Bebot her boyfriend did not fight for her and just left her after his promise that he will stay with her and escape together. Delayed expectations are that the mom picked up on both of them having sex pretty late with all the warning signs in her house like Dado always leaves the room at night and when he comes back tired and sweaty.