CommTheories for Finals

1. POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
STA. MESA, MANILA
CINEMA ONE ORIGINALS
TERM PAPER
Submitted by:
Katanyag, Melody S.
BACR 2-1

2. KABISERA
Kabisera is a story of a simple fisherman named Andres who at some time dreamt about a
happy and harmonious family. When he woke up from his dream, he set up himself to go to the
ocean. Unexpectedly, he found out two boxes that are filled with meth. He hides those under
their house and told her wife Dindin about the meth and how it will make their lives well if they
sell it to the users. As the movie progresses, Andres asked for help to his longtime friend named
Jose who he considers as his brother and idol because of his great courage and braveness to go
through many problems no matter how hard it is. And because they were friends for a long time,
Andres decided to have partnership with Jose and entrusted him as the manager on the
production and selling of the meth. Uncertainty Reduction Theory (Axiom 3) appeared when
Andres and Dindin talked with Jose with doubt about the meth, that’s why they kept on asking
information and instructions or processes that will be done during the selling and producing of
meth. And as the production goes on well under Jose’s management, they become at ease and
trusted Jose more, which explains the said theory wherein the uncertainty of Andres and Dindin
caused them in information seeking behavior. But when they saw the progress of production and
selling of the meth, the level of their uncertainty turn down and their information seeking
behavior reduces.
Also, an Interpersonal Deception Theory was observed on a scene where Jose went to
Andres’ wife and harassed, kissed, and told her that he loves her and that she should leave
Andres alone. The moment of deception was exposed when Andres was told of what happened,
then approach and ask Jose if it is true. But unfortunately, Jose denied everything and even tried
to manipulate and touch again Andres’ heart and mind through his wonderful words.
As the story goes on, another theory came nearly at the end of the film. Because of so much
money in hands and power that he has, Andres wants nothing but for his family to come back
and live together with him. Without any second thought and consideration of what his family,
especially his daughter would feel, he asked someone to kill his daughter’s husband who is
currently living in Manila. He mainly used his peripheral route that provides quick decision
making without deep consideration. When his whole family came back to him, nobody’s glad
and happy but him alone.

3. SHIFT
Shift is one of the movies that I’ve waited in which the story relates to some situation or
experiences of youth today. The movie is starred by Yeng Constantino who portrayed the
character of Estela, the boyish one and Felix Rocco who acted as Trevor, a gay friend and partner
of Estela. These guys are both in the call center industry and fortunately met by fate as they
become partners in their team. Trevor needs to stand as Estela’s mentor, and because of that, they
spend more time together and later become closer to each other. This part of the movie shows
Social Penetration Theory because as Estela and Trevor do things together, they become
comfortable and soon become able to disclose information about their selves and their feelings.
As their relationship become intact, Estela gradually developed her feelings for her
mentor. It could be seen on how she reacts whenever she talk and hang-out with Trevor. At some
point, she expects that Trevor has the same feeling like hers because of his response on their
communication or conversation. But the expectation was soon turned down when Trevor got in
loved again and had another foreign guy lover, which explains the theory of Expectancy
Violation Theory. The theory says that every day, we expect things that are about to happen, but
because of different and connected circumstances, those become violated that could somehow
lead us to worst or to the best.
However, at the very beginning of the story, we could notice how Estela do her duty.
She’s always coming to their office late and with lazy mind and body. She explained to Trevor
that it’s because she really doesn’t want to be in that profession. It’s just that to earn money is
what made her enter to that industry. What she really wanted is to be a singer-songwriter or a
photojournalist. In this scenario, Attribution Theory was portrayed because Estela attributes her
practice to how she feels about her present job. She doesn’t really love what she’s doing that’s
why she cannot do her best or even excels on it.
As the movie ended, it all fell down to an open-ended conclusion story with Estela,
applying for the same profession again in a different company, with confused mind and heart.

4. WOMAN OF THE RUINS
Woman of the Ruins is one of the most exciting and worth watching for movies. The
setting of the story was kind of an unhappy and hopeless island with people who keep on
aligning their lives on old beliefs. A maiden woman named Sabel has an attraction with Pasyon,
a widow and lonely man who misses his wife, Maria and also one of the devoted residents of the
island. One day, sable saw Pasyon’s wife on a picture placed on the altar of his house. When she
went back home to their own house, Sabel asked her mother named Olga, about why does
Pasyon’s wife seems so unhappy which can be seen on her lame eyes on the picture. Olga said
that it’s because Maria indeed knew that she was cursed and that she was the reason of wars in
the island. This scene explains the Attribution Theory wherein Sabel’s mother answered her
question by reasoning that Maria is under a curse.
One day, a woman was washed ashore on the island, which has the same features with Pasyon’s
wife. With that, Pasyon took and bring her to his house with this strong belief that the woman is
Maria, his long lost wife. But the woman is so confused, and she cannot remember anything
about her past with Pasyon and with the community. Because of that, her uncertainty increases
about herself being Pasyon’s wife which leads her to ask more information about the past. As the
story goes on, Maria learned to accept what everybody in the community believes. Also, she
accepted being the wife of Pasyon because of his authority where he says that she must fulfill her
owe in terms of marital and sexual issues. These scenes mainly explain Uncertainty Reduction
Theory wherein Maria’s information-seeking behavior decreases as she learns the story of the
past and as she starts to accept everything. Another is the Elaboration Likelihood Model that falls
under the category of Authority, wherein appeared when Maria took and accepts the pressure
given by the people around her, especially by Pasyon. This theory says that because of the
pressure given by those persons that are ahead of us, we tend to make decision to just accept
what they are telling us to do. Because Pasyon is the head of the house, he used his power to
make Maria be under him---to be his wife and to be with him whether she likes it or not through
inhuman way.

5. GANITO KAMI NOON, PAANO KAYO NGAYON?
Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? is a story of an uneducated and arrogant young
man named Kulas who is searching and keep on asking to every people he will talk with of who
or what is a “Filipino”. A pure Spanish and pure Chinese friend of him told him that they were
Filipinos because they were born on the country (Philippines). It seems like being born in the
country is the main criteria. The movie wanted to portray and to present the true meaning of
being a Filipino. As the story proceed, we could see and realize that being a “Filipino” does not
matter only or does not have a meaning of just being born in the country, because it’s the heart
for the land that counts. We could see in the movie those revolutionaries who have that strong
courage to go and fight the foreigners who keep on ruling the country under their unjust system
and authority. See? True Filipinos do not just sit and allowing themselves to be a slave of
strangers in their own land. As much as they could, with all their might and heart, they would
fight to save and to get back their rights and their lives as well.
The movie also presents how our country faces its struggles in establishing its cultural
identity. It shows how cheap a life of an individual costs to a colonizer before, how rude and how
easy it is for the aliens of the land to shot, punch and imprison Filipino people. It tries to awaken
our love for our country and to strengthen our nationalism.
The movie evidently depicts Interpersonal Deception Theory. It showed how Diding (a
woman who wants nothing but fame and wealth and she’s the love interest of Kulas) and Don
Tibor (a greedy Visayan Lawyer of Kulas, who also has an interest with Diding), made Kulas be
fooled and be manipulated in their own ways. They used Kulas’ innocence for them to enjoy and
abuse his kindness and their part on Kulas’ wealth as well. It is the time when his Chinese friend,
Lim, who helped him in many circumstances and in many ways that made Kulas’ vision and
maturity awaken towards his life and the present situation of his country.