Date of Publication

11-2024

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Language and Literature Major in Literature

Subject Categories

Film and Media Studies

College

College of Liberal Arts

Department/Unit

Literature, Department of

Thesis Advisor

Kathrine Domingo Ojano

Defense Panel Chair

Anne Frances N. Sangil

Defense Panel Member

Vijae Orquia Alquisola
Allan Alberto Derain

Abstract/Summary

The manananggal, characterized as a beautiful woman by day and then a self-segmenting flying monster at night, is one of the most popular creatures of Philippine lower mythology. The stories about the manananggal have been told in different forms, and Philippine horror films have imagined and re-imagined this creature situated in rural and urban spaces.

As such, this research compares how the manananggal is portrayed in the rural and urban settings in Philippine horror films from 1984 to 2023. Anchored on the production of social space as theorized by Henri Lefebvre and the analysis of the aswang in the Filipino horror film cycle by Bliss Cua Lim, this study employs a thematic analysis of twelve films, starting from 1984’s Shake Rattle and Roll 1: Manananggal to 2023’s Mallari.

This study finds that while there is no significant progress in the portrayal of the rural manananggal with the unchanged perspective on the female manananggal as a monster, Philippine horror films have depicted the urban manananggal in different images as forms of adapting in its social status and space. Ultimately, this study reveals that throughout the different periods, the manananggal is and remains a representation of evil, whether situated in the rural or urban community.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Horror films--Philippines--History and criticism; Folklore in motion pictures

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Embargo Period

12-13-2024

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