This summary provides an overview of three key scenes from four different films analyzed using communication theories: 1) The film Kabisera analyzes scenes using Reinforcement Theory, Elaboration Likelihood Model, and Interpersonal Deception Theory. 2) The film Woman of the Ruins analyzes scenes using Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Social Penetration Theory, and Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory. 3) The film Shift analyzes scenes using Social Penetration Theory, Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory, and Expectancy Violation Theory. 4) The film Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon presents the lives of Filipinos during Spanish colon

1. Polytechnic University of the Philippines
College of Communication
Bachelor of Arts in communication Research
Sta. Mesa, Manila
Final Paper in Communication Theories and Models
Methuselah L. Chua
Bachelor of Arts in Communication Research 2-1
Prof. Kriztine Rosales- Viray
Communication Theories and Models
October 2014

2. Kabisera
Kabisera, one of the 2013 Cinemaone Originals entries, was awarded as Best Picture. It
was directed by Alfonso “Borgy” Torre III and starred by Joel Torre, Art Acuna, Bernard Planca
and Bing Pimentel. The story was about a fisherman named Andres (Joel Torre) whom catch two
big Styrofoam boxes containing meth that’s floating in the sea. His life became more
complicated when he chose to be persuaded by his best friend Jose (Art Acuna) to sell and
distribute the illegal drugs.
On the scene when Jose was persuading Andres to sell and distribute the meth’, which
was originally from the Muslims, we can attribute the 1967 Reinforcement Theory of Jairus and
Kelly wherein in this theory it states that attitudes, attention, comprehension and acceptance
changes depends on the adopted or accepted opinion of the audience. Advertising is one good
example. In the movie, Jose states the possible “good” outcomes of being involved in selling the
meth such as easy money, less hardships and a prominent life, to convince Andres.
The next scene where Andres’ son AJ (Jomari Umpa) had n accident enters the theory of
Elaboration Likelihood of Petty and Cacioppo in 1986. The theory states that there are two routes
to persuasion- the central route where you had the liberty of time to think deeply. You can
analyze the possible consequences of your doings while the peripheral route is the quick
acception or rejection, decision without deep consideration or what we call the quick thinking. It
has six cues: reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. In the
movie, after, selling meth, Andres was attacked by his conscience so he stopped giving meth to
Jose. Days later, when his son was involved in an accident and hospitalized, he wasn’t able to
pay the huge amount of hospital bill, so Jose lends him one. After that, Jose then convinced again
Andres to continue the illegal activity. Andres on the other hand made a quick decision to
continue selling illegal drugs. In line with this, he chose the peripheral route of persuasion
wherein he’s in the reciprocation cue because Jose did him a favor of lending money to pay for
the hospital bill, he need to return the favor to him.
The third scene where the confrontation between Andres and his wife Din (Bing
Pimentel) happen to be under in the 1996 Interpersonal Deception Theory of Buller and
Burgoon. It states that communication senders attempt to manipulate messages so as to be
untruthful, which may cause them apprehension concerning their false communication being
detected. In the movie, because of the tangled situation Andres was in, he decided to send his
family to Manila together with his daughter there but Din refused and it starts a serious
confrontation between them. As their arguments heat up, Andres revealed that din and Jose, his
best friend, had an affair. Din countered back and denied what he had said. But Andres said that
he knew their affair even though he’s inside the jail that time. In this scene, we can see that
although Andres knows and the truth is obvious, Din still try to manipulate and deceived Andres
from the truth.

3. Woman of the Ruins
This movie was awarded as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor and
Best Supporting Actor. It was directed by Keith Sicat starring Alessandra de Rossi, Art Acuna,
Chanel Latore, and Peque Gallega. The story was about a woman named Maria (Alessandra de
Rossi) who was unbelievably returned home to an isolated island after seven years of being
believed to be washed away from the sea.
The first selected scene was when Sabel (Chanel Latore) accompanied Maria, the former
asked different questions while the latter on the other hand, politely answered each of Sabel’s
questions. Because Maria was miraculously gone seven years ago, there are things she wants to
be enlighten with like who is she really. Through inquiring Sabel, her uncertainty on different
things reduced and vice versa. It appears that the most appropriate and applicable theory for this
scene was the 1975 Berger and Calabrex’s Uncertainty Reduction Theory wherein people
attempt to seek information to reduced their uncertainty. The uncertainty on Sabel’s part reduced
whenever Maria answered her questions and vice versa. At the same time, their shared
communication increases which leads them to Social Penetration Theory of Altman ad Taylor in
1973. As seen on the movie, there are few people on the island which leads Sabel and Maria get
closer. As days passed by, they develop a deep communication which leads them to self
disclosed and share their intimate thoughts and details of their lives which is similar to what the
theory states. Their shallow relationship turns into deeper one.
The third scene where Elizabeth Oropesa told Chanel Latorre that Maria (Alessandra de
Rossi) was a cursed woman and the whole island was surrounded and covered by the black aura
is the 1980 Pearce and Cronen’s Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory. By saying those
things and words, she put and assigned meanings to the things that happen to their place. On the
other hand we can use or relate also the Attribution Theory of Heider where it attempts to
explain causes of behavior. In the movie, Elizabeth Oropesa tends to explain and give reasons
on how and why Maria behave the way she does and relate the current status of their place to
Marias’ return. She also attributes religious reasons on what they are experiencing.

4. Shift
Shift was a movie directed by Siege Ledesma starring Yeng Constantino, Felix Rocco,
Matthew Valena and Alex Medina. The movie was awarded as Best screenplay, Best Music,
Best Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best in Production Design. The story revolves around
the call center agent named Estela (Yeng Constantino). As she was shifted to a night schedule,
she met and was tandem to Trevor (Felix Rocco), a gay CSR agent. As the story goes, they
became very close and she fell in love with him but immediately get hurt and heart broken when
Trevor cannot return the same feeling she feels towards him.
On the first selected scene, Estela and Trevor became partners in an office competition
where this serves as the starting line for their closeness. In this scene, we can attribute the Social
Penetration Theory of Altman and Taylor wherein it states that as the relationship develops,
communication moves from relatively shallow to a moredeeper one. The more time we spend
with others, the more likely we are to self disclosed information, intimate thoughts and details of
our lives. In the case of Estela, because she spend more time with Trevor, their relationship
develops and get more deeper that leads her to self-disclosed some private information like why
she resigned o her previous work and other happenings in her life.
The second selected scene was Estela start to put meaning on Trevor’s little sweet doings.
We can incorporate the Coordinated Management of Meaning theory in this scene. As seen on
the movie, Trevor acted like a sweet “boyfriend” to Estela and they even had an endearment
even though that endearment was for their secret investigation in the office anomalities. This
action leads Estela to put meanings on Trevor’s actions. She assumed that Trevor and she shared
the same feelings.
And as she assumed, she expect that Trevor will turn its back on being a gay and
confessed to her his feelings towards her when the former and his boyfriend broke up. Trevor did
confess to her but not the words she was expecting rather Trevor tell her having another love boy
interest. The third scene only implies that that is an Expectancy Reduction theory. From CMM-where
she assumes that Trevor liked her, to ERT- where her expectation was violated when she
thought that Trevor will confess to her finally.

5. Ganito Kami Noon… Paano Kayo Ngayon
The 1976 film Ganito Kami Noon… Paano Kayo Ngayon viewed by the Polytechnic
University of the Philippines students was a restored version of the film by the ABS-CBN
Archives and Central Digital Lab. Directed by the honored artist Eddie Romero starring
Christopher de Leon, Gloria Diaz, Eddie Garcia, Jaime Fabregas, Rosemarie Gil, Dranreb
Belleza, E.A. Rocha and Tsing Tong Tsai. The movie was awarded as Best Film, Best Director,
Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.
The story revolves around the character of Nicolas “Kulas” Ocampo (Christopher de
Leon), a Batangeno who recently lost his mother. After encountering, saving Padre Gil and
Deliver the fathers son to him, he was rewarded by the priest fortune. From being a lowly
Filipino, Kulas soon became rich and prominent in their region. The story complicates more
when Kulas met the gorgeous but ambitious Diding (Gloria Diaz) and find himself entangled in a
love triangle with Don Tibur (Eddie Garcia).
The movie set in the Spanish colonization era try to present the lives of the Filipino
people during those times. Filipino people during Spanish colonization are weak. Some of them
are wrongly accused of crimes they not committed. They think that they are the superior ones
and we are the slaves- for them we are Indios. It appears also in the film that Filipinos are
ambitious- in good and bad sides. In the lighter side, people work hard to reach the top and for
them to be equally treated by the Spaniards while the bad side- due to the hardships they
encounter they stick to government officials or middle class ones and betrayed their own race
just to get to the peak.
One of the theories that can be attributed to this movie is the Attribution Theory of
Heider where it states that we attempt to explain the causes of behavior and explain or attribute
reasons as to why people behave the way they do. In the movie, at first Kulas was a naïve and
innocent man but as the story goes, through all the hardship, sufferings, pain, and brokenness
that he encounters and experience he change. From that innocent and naïve boy to a eyed opened
and matured one.