Bomba: The Birth of a Genre
BOMBA: THE BIRTH OF A GENRE
Luigi Conti
Film 102: History of Philippine Cinema
Faculty: Nick Deocampo
March 14, 2012
The 1970s proved to be a major turning point in the history of the Philippines, both in politics and in the cinema. Amid protests, terrorist attacks, and civil unrest, the president declared Martial Law on September 21, 1972, curtailing civil liberties and press freedom.
Lasting until 1981, it is interesting to note how the cinema, in its function as a mirror to a troubled society, had fared in that span of time.
Not surprisingly, the public found refuge in the movies. In 1970, Uhaw was released to extensive commercial success. Although not garnering much critical praise1, the film banked on its sex scenes and adult themes to appeal to a society wrestling with itself. Within the year, more of these soft-core sex films were released, earning big in the box office.
The emergence of the bomba genre may be attributed to three main factors: the first and most obvious of which is economic. The bomba film reasserted the duality of the cinematic medium, emphasizing its effectiveness in earning big bucks. Secondly, the emergence of the bomba film may be attributed to a cultural factor not entirely exclusive to the Philippines. It should be noted that the 60s was a period of global sexual revolution, and the subsequent materialization of the bomba was not a mere coincidence.
Bomba went mostly unnoticed by censors, but by the latter part of 1970s, debates were raised about the artistic merit of the genre2, as well as the detrimental effects on the industry – and thus to the medium – itself. With the advent of tighter censorship and socio-political stability, the genre met its eventual demise in the mid-1990s, with the emergence of home video media.
In reviewing the evolution of the bomba genre, it is interesting to note the relationship of society with the screen. As a genre, the bomba did not appear out of nowhere. Its rise and
Luigi Conti
Film 102: History of Philippine Cinema
Faculty: Nick Deocampo
March 14, 2012
The 1970s proved to be a major turning point in the history of the Philippines, both in politics and in the cinema. Amid protests, terrorist attacks, and civil unrest, the president declared Martial Law on September 21, 1972, curtailing civil liberties and press freedom.
Lasting until 1981, it is interesting to note how the cinema, in its function as a mirror to a troubled society, had fared in that span of time.
Not surprisingly, the public found refuge in the movies. In 1970, Uhaw was released to extensive commercial success. Although not garnering much critical praise1, the film banked on its sex scenes and adult themes to appeal to a society wrestling with itself. Within the year, more of these soft-core sex films were released, earning big in the box office.
The emergence of the bomba genre may be attributed to three main factors: the first and most obvious of which is economic. The bomba film reasserted the duality of the cinematic medium, emphasizing its effectiveness in earning big bucks. Secondly, the emergence of the bomba film may be attributed to a cultural factor not entirely exclusive to the Philippines. It should be noted that the 60s was a period of global sexual revolution, and the subsequent materialization of the bomba was not a mere coincidence.
Bomba went mostly unnoticed by censors, but by the latter part of 1970s, debates were raised about the artistic merit of the genre2, as well as the detrimental effects on the industry – and thus to the medium – itself. With the advent of tighter censorship and socio-political stability, the genre met its eventual demise in the mid-1990s, with the emergence of home video media.
In reviewing the evolution of the bomba genre, it is interesting to note the relationship of society with the screen. As a genre, the bomba did not appear out of nowhere. Its rise and
Bibliography: Allyn, David. “Make Love, Not War: The Sexual Revolution: An Unfettered History”, 2000, Little, Brown and Company. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 1998. del Mundo, Clodualdo. “Towards the Development of the Filipino Film,” The Philippines Daily Express, July 4-5, 1976. _________________“’Nympha’: Posing as Art/’Nympha’: Umano’y SIning” Pilipino Reporter, 1971. _________________. “’Uhaw’: Unang Bomba,” Pilipino Reporter, November 10, 1970 Deocampo, Nick Insights into Philippine Cultural History, Issac Donoso (Ed.) Quezon City: Vibal Foundation, 2008, 345-361. Reyes, Emmanuel. Notes on Philippine Cinema. Manila: de La Salle University Press, 1989. “Yvonne, naghubad sa lobby ng Gala Theater”. Taliba, December 4, 1970. “’Bomba’ – di nakapanood, nagpakamatay”, Taliba, March 22, 1972. Tolentino, Rolando. “Introducing the PP Films”, Palabas column, Bulatlat.com, accessed Feb. 20, 2012, http://www.bulatlat.com/archive1/026roland.html