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Jaguar

Fred Hawson

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758709996127549151665_802380832313583_2454046863274194638_n.jpg" style="width:750px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Poldo Miranda (Philip Salvador) worked as a security guard for a comic book publishing outfit managed by his immediate boss Sonny Gaston (Menggie Cobarrubias). One day, Poldo saved Sonny by fighting off an assault from film director &quot;Direk&quot; San Pedro (Johnny Delgado) borne out of a jealous rage. Sonny invited Poldo to join him and his friends Edmon (Roi Vinzon) and Jing (Tonio Gutierrez) when they go out, as a bodyguard of sorts. </div>Not learning his lesson from the last time, Sonny went after Direk&#x27;s newest girlfriend, a sexy go-go dancer at his nightclub named Cristy Montes (Amy Austria). Sonny seduced Cristy by giving her a magazine cover pictorial, introduced her to a number of movie directors, and gave her a townhouse of her own. Even as things soon turned violent between Sonny and Direk again, Poldo succumbed to Cristy&#x27;s irresistible feminine wiles.  In 1980, National Artist for Film Lino Brocka’s crime classic, “Jaguar” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it became the first Filipino film to nominated for the Palme D&#x27;Or. This 4K version restored in 2023 had its international premiere at the 16th Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France last year. This year, it makes its Asian premiere as the opening film of the 7th Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival, which runs from September 24 to 30. Watching this today had nostalgia feels, as it was fun to see familiar actors all so young. The story and screenplay by Jose F. Lacaba and Ricardo Lee was based on a Nick Joaquin article &quot;The Boy Who Wanted to be Society&quot; about the 1960 Brown Derby shooting incident. The protagonist is a young man living in abject poverty but who also got to taste the high life as a rich man&#x27;s security guard (&quot;jaguar&quot; was &quot;gwardiya&quot; with syllables reversed as typical of 70&#x27;s Pinoy slang). For the great need for money for his family, he let himself be used and abused by his master until he gets trapped between a rock and hard place.Lino Brocka&#x27;s signature realistic depictions of societal issues was fully on display here. Poldo lived with a single mother (Anita Linda) and three younger siblings in a hovel in a Tondo slum. When Poldo went to the house where Cristy was staying, Brocka transported his audience deep into Smokey Mountain, where people actually lived among giant piles of garbage. Brocka also inserted his tongue-in-cheek commentary on local showbiz at that time, with Cloyd Robinson in a funny cameo, playing an enthusiastic director.  This was Phillip Salvador&#x27;s star-making vehicle. It was fascinating how his Poldo was bossy in his house, but subservient at his place of work. He had scenes of violence to show off his mano-a-mano fighting skills. He had love scenes to show off his tender, vulnerable side as romantic leading man. (One memorable scene was Poldo&#x27;s sex scene with Cristy which was very tightly shot with extreme closeups, very stark with no music.) Of course, there was tearful melodrama, but Salvador played it remarkably restrained in riveting effect.<div> </div>This review was originally published in the author&#x27;s blog, “<a href="https://fredsaidarchives.blogspot.com/2025/09/review-of-jaguar-1979-grooming-guard.html">Fred Said</a>.”

Restored in stunning 4K, Lino Brocka’s ‘Jaguar' (1980) returns to the big screen with its unflinching portrait of power, poverty, and desire and anchored by Philip Salvador’s breakout performance.

Restored in stunning 4K, Lino Brocka’s ‘Jaguar' (1980) returns to the big screen with its unflinching portrait of power, poverty, and desire and anchored by Philip Salvador’s breakout performance.

‘Jaguar’ review: Lino Brocka’s restored classic still cuts deep

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‘Jaguar’ review: Lino Brocka’s restored classic still cuts deep

Fred Hawson

Published Sep 24, 2025 06:42 PM PHT

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movie review

Jaguar

Philip Salvador

Lino Brocka

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