Bambanti is set in a small town in Isabela. It is small enough that almost everyone seems to be related to each other. Belyn (Alessandra de Rossi) is poor, and is having a rough go at keeping her family afloat ever since her husband died. She does get some help from her sister-in-law Martha (Shamaine Buencamino), who hires her to do the laundry and is more than happy to give Belyn the occasional gift. But their relationship is strained when Martha accuses Belyn's son Popoy (Micko Laurente) of stealing a gold watch from her home.
Bambanti is a very small film about very small matters. But in its examination of the limits of trust within community and family, it touches on some major ideas. It kind of falters in the end by providing clear cut answers about who was wrong in this particular case. But for the most part, the movie is exceptionally smart about its portrayal of small town offenses. From one small incident, it extrapolates profound ideas about the injustices inherent in our society.
The film takes its time before diving into the main plot. It establishes the relationships between the characters, the genuine yet conditional desire of Martha to help out the struggling Belyn. On the other side, the film is smart enough to not make a saint out of Belyn and her son. They are living on the fringes, and though they are not bad people, they aren't exactly paragons of virtue. Belyn hides from debt collectors. Popoy might jump on a delivery truck and nab a couple of bottles of soda.
The film is most interesting when it leaves room for the tantalizing possibility that Popoy actually did take the watch. It plays on the easy prejudice against the destitute. Of course Popoy took it. He is a poor kid given access of a world that could never be his. Of course he takes advantage of the kindness of others. The film then details the absurdity of the process wherein Belyn and her son are condemned as thieves, with small town values, class prejudices and superstition creating a perfect storm of guilt to surround the unwitting family.
The film fumbles it a bit in the end by providing a definite answer to the question, shifting most of the blame on a single individual whose choices aren’t explored nearly enough for it to matter. But even here, the film finds an interesting narrative thread that says intriguing things about these small town relationships. The film doesn’t cop out by providing redemption. It instead revels in the status quo, where co-existence is the primary directive. Great acting from Alessandra de Rossi, Shamaine Buencamino, and young Micko Laurente gives plenty of life to these ideas.
Bambanti is a testament to the power of specificity in storytelling. It is a very simple tale of a watch that goes missing. But it turns this simple premise into a profound meditation on the limits of goodwill by exploring the details of life in this one particular small town. It goes beyond the crime and takes a hard look at the issues of class that make it so hard to find justice. People are kind only up to a point. The only crimes that are important are the ones perpetrated against those who have something to lose.
My Rating:
