Tinimbang Ka Ngunit
Kulang (You Were Weighed and Found Wanting, 1974) was a seminal work in
contemporary Philippine cinema: one of the rare quality films of the '70s to
enjoy commercial success, and Lino Brocka's declaration to the industry that a
skilled commercial director has become a major Filipino artist. A privileged
teenager, disillusioned with the hypocrisy he witnesses in his small town,
forms a bond with a lonely leper and a mentally unstable homeless woman.
Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (Weighed But Found Wanting) — at a glance
·
Year:
1974.
·
Director:
Lino Brocka. Wikipedia
·
Writers:
Lino Brocka and Mario O’Hara (screenplay credits). Wikipedia+1
·
Principal cast:
Lolita Rodriguez (Kuala), Christopher de Leon (Junior — his breakout/debut
role), Mario O’Hara (Berto), Eddie Garcia (Cesar), Lilia Dizon, Hilda Koronel
(Evangeline), Laurice Guillen (supporting). IMDb+1
·
Music:
Score credited to Lutgardo Labad; the film’s songs/choral/folk textures are
noted in credits and festival notes. Wikipedia+1
·
Runtime / Format:
About 128 minutes, 35mm,
Eastmancolor in most records. Wikipedia+1
Brief synopsis / plot (concise)
A young man from a privileged family (Junior) grows disillusioned with the
shallow, hypocritical values of his small town. He befriends two social
outcasts — a leper (Berto) and Kuala (a traumatized woman played by Lolita
Rodriguez) — and through their lives witnesses the cruelty, silence, and moral
failures hidden beneath the town’s respectable surface. The film traces
prejudice, gossip, a back-alley abortion and its aftermath, and the town’s
reactions, ultimately exploring guilt, compassion, and moral awakening. Web Publishing+1
(If you’d like a scene-by-scene breakdown I can expand this from the film
analyses and reviews cited below.)
Themes & significance
·
Social hypocrisy &
moral judgment: The film exposes the cruelty and double
standards of a seemingly respectable community.
·
Outcasts & empathy:
Brocka centres society’s neglected people to force viewers to reconsider who is
“weighed” and who is “found wanting.”
·
A major work of
Philippine cinema: It’s widely regarded as a landmark film in
the Philippines and in Brocka’s career — often taught in film programs and
shown at retrospectives. Les Chroniques
de Cinéma+1
Production & release
·
Production company /
distributor: Commonly listed under CineManila / Cinemanila;
released 1974 (some listings give May/June 1974 theatrical windows). Wikipedia+1
·
Cinematography &
editing: Cinematography credited to José Batac; editing to
Augusto Salvador in several film archives/festival notes. Wikipedia+1
Awards & recognitions
·
FAMAS (1975):
The film received multiple FAMAS nominations and won several major awards
(including Best Picture and Best Director in many listings). It’s regularly
cited among Brocka’s essential films. Wikipedia+1
Poster, stills & visual materials
·
Vintage posters and black-and-white publicity
stills are widely archived on film-collector blogs and poster sites. I found
several poster and still images (useful for a one-pager or scrapbook). Examples
from the image search include classic poster artwork and production stills.
Soundtrack / music notes
·
The original score credit appears as Lutgardo
Labad in authoritative listings; the film’s soundtrack is not
commonly available as a commercial OST, but music credits and the film’s use of
folk/choral elements are noted in festival program notes. Specific song titles
beyond credited score pieces are rarely listed in commercial discographies
online. Wikipedia+1
Where it’s discussed / useful reference pages
·
Wikipedia (detailed credits & summary). Wikipedia
·
IMDb (cast, credits, user info). IMDb
·
Film festival/retrospective program notes
(Viennale, TCM, university film series) — good for curator synopses and
context. Viennale+1
·
Film essays and reviews (blog analyses and
retrospectives) which provide deeper readings and scene-level commentary. Les Chroniques
de Cinéma+1
Gaps / what’s harder to confirm online
·
A full commercially released original soundtrack
album (track list) — not readily found.
·
A verbatim, scene-by-scene shooting script
available online.
·
Some production minutiae (shoot locations,
day-by-day shoot dates) without digging into film-archive holdings or print-era
press kits.
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