'Ang Panday' and Its Timeless Action
No one knew who Ronwaldo Reyes was until the 19th Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) awards night in 1971 when his screenwriting debut, Mga Anghel na Walang Langit (1970), won the outstanding achievement for story. That prestigious night was the first time Fernando Poe Jr. revealed himself as the man behind the pseudonym. Since then, he had been using the alias for his writing and directorial credits including the iconic action saga, Ang Panday.
Following the fall of the studios in the 1960s came the rise of small-time production companies including FPJ Productions of Fernando Poe Jr. During this period, the formulaic storylines and popular genres of the previous decades persist to dominate the industry. Ang Panday, under FPJ Productions, the first installment of the adapted comic series, introduced the story of Flavio, the blacksmith who mingled his own blood with molten ingot to craft the metal that would emancipate him and his people from the oppressive hands of Don Lizardo. This good-versus-evil plotline was common to action movies during and even before this period. The hero is usually born impoverished or circumstances would push him to live among the low ranks where he learns the struggles of the masses. He is also compassionate toward the oppressed. This was manifested in the movie when Flavio finally refused to follow the order of Pilo to brand children, when he saved the woman from those guards harassing her, and above all, his desire to destroy the medallion that would free them from Lizardo’s bondage. With this goal, some mythical figure or legend of the past would reward him with an object and power that he will then use to overcome the evils.
In the movie, Tata Temio found the Black Codex that guided Flavio to make the powerful balaraw; in the movie Haring Kobra (1951), the twin brother had a snake-summoning magic ring; and in Prinsipe Teñoso (1954), a sorcerer gave the prince the power to change his appearance. Furthermore, Ang Panday shows how an ordinary man rises to fight those who oppresses them. These oppressors (i.e. Pilo, the guards, the sorcerer) cooperate with yet a more cruel superior (Lizardo) who the hero must battle with before the movie concludes with the former’s victory. This narrative of the action genre is reflective of the status quo—class oppression and capitalists who are in cahoots with corrupt state agents.
Flavio does not only possess the physical skills that enable him to defeat his foes, but he also manifests qualities typical of action heroes, at least during that time. The action hero is a righteous person, compassionate and protective of the weak, and has a long reserve for patience. Flavio’s goodness allows him to defend those who are victimized to a point where he’d take justice into his own hands. This is evidenced in the movie when Flavio captured and branded Pilo and the guards. However, I find this problematic because it shows the irony of Flavio’s justice. Although I see the intent for punishment, changing the branding iron’s mark from X to P (signifying Panday) seemed to be an impactful statement but is actually unnecessary.
It’s also worth noting the balance between the hero’s calmness, bravado, and tendency to become violent. Notice in the movie how minimal FPJ’s lines are. Instead, he speaks with his face and stunts. I think this is part of the reason why action movies are popular among male audiences because they identify themselves with the action heroes. The stereotypical image of the masculine man accounts for their tolerance and preference for violence over discourse. Not surprisingly, this trademark of the male action figure is the opposite of the melodramatic women most favored by female audiences.
Understanding the storylines and the characteristics of the protagonist of the action category explains its patronage among the lower classes. While the anachronisms, and illogicalities of the mainstream action movies pushed the upper classes to abandon the commercial filmmaking and instead patronize the alternative and foreign, the lower classes remained loyal to these conventions. The obvious reason is they do not share the same privilege of the local intelligentsia. Suffering from poverty, crimes, and oppression, while being under the dictatorship of Martial Law, the underprivileged Filipinos, like the victimized masses depicted in action movies, also hope for a hero who will defend, protect, and save them from the state and society’s cruelties. The action movies were a sympathetic familiarity to the status quo of the so-called “bakya crowd.” Ang Panday may not be as aesthetically competent as other movies, but its nationalist quality remains to be remarkable not only in Philippine cinema but more so in the Filipino people’s long history of taking action.