Media has been the core origin of entertainment, information and craze of many people living in a conformity-induced society. Here in the Philippines, we are no exception. Apart from the dismal past that many countries had colonized us, there is still that mark of gullibility and nonchalance. It is the existing phenomenon that continues to dispel ethics, morality and control of our supraliminal self. It is necessary to break the ice that has been forming in the nearly frozen gray matter of the people today-- especially the youth. With the fastidious monopoly of media, many people have already overlooked the power of one's self to have a say or at least concern for its aftereffect.

We are unconsciously and terribly bombarded with random movies (especially, Hollywood movies) that we tend to forget the essence of a film, we fail to acknowledge the purpose of filmmaking and we reject our responsibility as movie-goers and underrated critics.

Have we really become indifferent? Piracy is one thing. Even the wealthy ones desire to perpetuate the huge mark down of VCD/DVD prices. For as long as they have watched the film, people care less about the story. They just need to conform to be able to go along with the stream of people who watched let's say, "KingKong" or  "Harry Potter". It will be the talk of the school so no one feels like getting left out.

Then comes the great struggle of whether a film should entertain or lecture? I know the safest answer would be to balance the two. But do filmmakers aspire that? Do people demand that kind of movies?

I'll take Guns & Talk (see my full-length review) as my example. I mean, the movie is great! The comic, the drama and the action, I can't say anything bad about them. But some people would forthwith complain about the absence of morality in the movie.

I remember my mom saying, "I hate this movie. All of them are killers and they didn't even get punished" Even in this cruel strange world we all live in, people still aspire to have justice even in the slightest sense. I know justice is scarcely employed but in simple ways and medium such as the big screen, people would be expecting payback scenes as I did. As a fervent Catholic, I anticipate a movie to be morally and religiously good. The typical bad guys are sent to prison (even if the police comes in really really late in the end), the killers are killed, the liars are betrayed, the ruthless will suffer. Just mostly, the whole concept of Karma.

But not in this movie. There was a scene when the assassin voluntarily turns himself in the police station. But the officer didn't want to handcuff and arrest him. One point of view would be a mockery on the advocates of justice. Another targets human psyche. The police officer explained that the reason why he can't arrest the assassin is that he knows that he can't kill unless he is paid to do so. The desire to kill someone roots out and emanates from the people who genuinely desire to kill. The narrator even emphasized in the story the question, "What's the reason why people want to kill?"

It bounces back to us. A simple metaphor. it is up to us to propagate and support piracy in our country. It is up to use, the majority if we would watch totally futile and morally degenerating movies. We should know ourselves. We should be aware of the line that draws reel from real. We should know our ability to be judicious, prudent and conscious of the film and its take on society towards the betterment of every member of it.

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