Aicelle Santos as Elsa and Neomi Gonzales as Chayong in a scene from 'Isang Himala' 

“Isang Himala” is a first of its kind in Philippine cinema: it is the film adaptation of a stage musical, “Himala: Isang Musical”, which in itself was an adaptation of the 1982 Ishmael Bernal-directed and Nora Aunor-starring film, “Himala.” It is unique also in its cast, which features the entire cast of the Sandbox Collective full production that most recently ran in 2019 reprising their roles. If you’re a theater enthusiast, then you know this sort of thing almost never happens; not even Broadway stars get to see their roles through to the big screen.

Director Jose Lorenzo Diokno, off the heels of his triumphant “GomBurZa,” is at the helm of this undertaking, which is also premiering for the same Metro Manila Film Festival that “GomBurZa” premiered in (and incidentally where the Bernal version also premiered 42 years ago). 

For a title with such cultural importance for both Philippine cinema and Philippine theater, this adaptation of an adaptation has mammoth shoes to fill.

Similar ‘miracle’

This "Himala," like Bernal’s film, is similarly written for the screen by Ricky Lee. It follows the folks of provincial town Cupang, at the center of which is Elsa (Aicelle Santos) who one day as the town witnesses a total eclipse, declares that the Virgin Mary has revealed herself to her and bestowed upon her the gift of healing.

This sends the town in a tizzy, the townsfolk divided between believers and skeptics. Elsa’s purported powers bolsters the impoverished Cupang’s economy for believers and non-believers alike. Tourists are arriving. Enterprising characters like Mrs. Alba (Sweet Plantado-Tiongson) are selling religious ephemera blessed by Elsa, while Elsa’s former friend, Nimia (Kakki Teodoro), opened up her own cabaret. Elsa is no longer the scatterbrained adoptee of spinster Aling Saling (Bituin Escalante) but treated as Cupang’s very own living saint.

Elsa’s gift is a double-edged sword, bringing just as much trouble with the influx of good fortune. This comes to a head with a series of unfortunate events including Elsa and her friend Chayong (Neomi Gonzales) getting attacked in the same place the Virgin Mary purportedly showed herself to Elsa and a child dying because of his mother’s blind faith in Elsa’s healing powers instead of medicine.

Plot-wise, this new film is close enough to the original but there ends the similarities.

From stage to screen

As a truly creative and unique offering that showcases the gamut of talent routinely seen on local theater stages, “Isang Himala” is triumphant. Having seen the stage production myself, the performances you’ll see on screen is as potent and as visceral as they were on stage.

Like Bernal’s classic, the women here are the films most interesting and complex characters. Escalante captures the internal struggle of a mother's unconditional love while harboring skepticism about her daughter's proclaimed divine gift. Gonzales brings a haunting depth to Chayong. Her unwavering faith in Elsa, makes her character's tragic descent all the more devastating. When her faith is shattered during their violent assault, Gonzales makes Chayong's choices at the end feel like the inevitable apotheosis to her crisis of faith.

Teodoro’s performance here elevates Nimia beyond the typical "whore with a heart of gold" trope, creating a compelling counterpoint to Elsa's sanctified place in the town as well as Elsa’s own mind. She masterfully conveys the complex history she has with Elsa and Chayong while serving as a thematic mirror to Elsa's own journey. Teodoro brings remarkable depth to this multifaceted character, making her one of the film's strongest elements.

While Santos superbly performs the songs and gives off a saintly and even incorruptible aura, in her hands, the ambiguity of Elsa’s belief or disbelief in her own purported gifts sometimes came across as vague, lacking the mysterious quality that made the original interpretation compelling.

The heart of this version is Vincent DeJesus's music and lyrics. His rock musical score adds a contemporary grit to the film. His talent for transforming dialogue from the original into memorable musical numbers is particularly evident in songs like "Gawin Mo Akong Sining."

Up close and personal

This adaptation can stand entirely on its own. You won’t need to watch the original nor have seen the stage productions to appreciate what you’ll find on screen. What’s curious in Diokno’s take is that this film is far closer to the characters and more personal than either previous takes on "Himala." In place of showing Cupang as a collective with an identity that informs the mass hysteria and blind belief in Elsa, what the characters go through feels more dramatic, emotional, and individual.

While music contributes to heightening the emotions of characters that otherwise might not have been amplified, Diokno’s Cupang doesn’t much look like it’s a real place. It looks so much like a set that there were times that the film felt like a professional recording of a stage production than a film in its own right. Musicals already demand suspension of disbelief from audiences, especially in films with serious subject matters, the location’s artifice only adds to the distance that the screen provides.

The film also feels removed from the bigger themes it is trying to convey. The original film had been a commentary on the surge of faith healing, cults, and sects that were the consequences of the counterculture and New Age movement of the '70s and '80s. This time around, these themes feel secondary to the interpersonal conflict happening amongst the characters.

Ultimately, “Isang Himala” is its most remarkable as a showcase of the talent on stage that made “Himala: Isang Musical” a stunning piece of theater. That they were able to perform the masterful interpretations of their characters for the big screen is its own kind of miracle.