Tumbang Preso is a film that makes a stand against human trafficking. Sure, this is the correct position, but it does feel strange that the film operates as if it needs to convince people that human trafficking is wrong. The film’s position is bulletproof, and this keeps it from being interesting. Combined with occasionally clunky filmmaking, the film’s penchant for preaching the obvious makes it feel empty, if completely well intentioned.
Carlo (Kokoy de Santos) and his younger cousin Jea (Teri Malvar) work inside a sardine factory. They spend their days under inhumane conditions stuffing sardines into cans, tearing up their hands on the sharp edges of the containers, and sleeping every night in a tiny locked room with all the other workers. They were recruited into this line of work under false pretenses, tricked into joining the work force with promise of a scholarship in Manila. While the rest of the workers in the factory are resigned to this life, Carlo dreams of escape.
There is no question that the subject of the movie is an important issue. Human trafficking is a terrible thing that should be eradicated. The question lies in what the film adds to the conversation. And the answer: not a whole lot. Its most interesting segments dive the cognitive dissonance required to do such work, how these modern day slavers convince themselves that they aren't horrible people. But the film doesn't go nearly far enough, since it keeps these characters as villains that exist only on the edges of the story.
The plot isn’t particularly compelling. The movie mainly sticks to scenes that expound on terrible conditions of the kids working in that factory. It lingers on their work on the production line, with a ruthless taskmaster constantly berating them for not working hard enough. There is clearly merit to this depiction, but it just gets repetitive after a while. The only forward momentum in the film is found in the development of Carlo’s escape plan, but this part of the plot is done a little clumsily, relying a bit too much on the villains tolerating strange behavior.
The direction emphasizes the claustrophobic trappings of the situation. Tight, suffocating frames serve as a constant visual reminder of the utter lack of freedom afforded to these characters. The movie mostly has a solid treatment, but it kind of falls apart in the end with a rushed finale composed of scenes that feel awkwardly stitched together. The acting is more or less fine. Kokoy de Santos doesn’t quite fully sell the sharpness of his character, but that may be more the fault of the writing, which sometimes offers up clunky pieces of dialogue. Teri Malvar suffers an underdeveloped character arc, but she manages. Star Orjaliza stands out for portraying the most complex character in the movie, but that role also suffers from the messiness of the climax.
Tumbang Preso just doesn’t go far enough. It most certainly means well– the goodness of its intentions is never in doubt. But there isn’t a whole lot to it beyond depiction. There are only hints of the other more interesting paths it could have taken. It could have gone in more surreal directions, embracing the more artful staging present in its dream sequences. It could have delved deeper into the minds of its villains, challenging itself to attack the problem from a different perspective. It could have looked at this issue from a more macro perspective, tracking down the systemic problems that make the scenes of suffering in this movie happen. The film settles for what’s obvious and what’s righteous. While that makes the movie correct, it doesn’t make it compelling.
My Rating:
