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My Immortal Beloved

Author: Alwin M. Ignacio, Contributor
Column: Life

The love stories that most people remember are those that end up tragically. Why the love did not flourish is what makes these pairings legendary. One fine example of this doomed yet unforgettable pairing is that of Heathcliff and Catherine, from Emily Brontes romance classic Wuthering Heights.

It is the classic case of rich girl falling for poor boy. Her family is aghast at the turn of events and pushes her to marry another rich boy. Poor boy exacts revenge by becoming successful and destroying the people who stood between him and his beloved. In the end, all his efforts are for naught as the death of his dearly beloved torments him.

Heathcliff and Catherine have been given life by the likes of Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier, Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall, and Juliet Binoche and Ralph Fiennes. These memorable literary characters became closer to Filipino hearts when they were incarnated as Gabriel and Carmina in Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit, portrayed by former sweethearts Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta. With its lush cinematography, breathtaking location (the film was partly shot in Batanes), a powerhouse cast, and the passion of Gomez and Zulueta transcending the silver screen, the premiere film offering of Reyna Films brought back melodrama and romance in Philippine movies. It was a box-office winner and awards night favorite in 1991.

Sixteen years have passed and GMA Films and Regal Films tie up anew in bringing The Promise, starring Richard Gutierrez and Angel Locsin, portraying Daniel and Andrea. It is Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit redux, and as the latest Heathcliff and Katherine, Gutierrez and Locsin show off a darker and more mature side.

Raquel Villavicencio and Mike Tuviera on The Promise

One of the biggest differences between The Promise and Hihintayin is the age of the characters, explains Raquel Villavicencio, scriptwriter of the two films. Because of this age difference, there were a lot of adjustments on the premise of the story. I know that Hihintayin was also from Wuthering Heights, but Carlito (Siguion Reyna, the films director) and I took a lot of artistic liberties in plotting its story. Thats why it came out that way. We have incorporated more scenes from the book in this movie. The characterization of Angel Locsin is also very dissimilar from what Dawn (Zulueta) portrayed. Here, she comes from a poor working family unlike Dawns, whose character came from a rich family who became poor. The dissimilarity is already very apparent. I would like to add that we have a different ending. Hihintayin had a very good ending, but it was very depressing. We hope that we are able to tone down the sadness.

Villavicencio also says that the movie signals a fresh facet in Richard and Angels career as they show some skin and engage in love scenes plus audiences will see how terrific are the duo acting-wise.

Director Mike Tuviera agrees wholeheartedly. I can safely say that this is Richard and Angels best performances to date. They were able to give justice to their respective roles and believe me, the physical and emotional demands needed as Andrea and Daniel is rather daunting and I am very happy that they really gave life to the characters.

As for the inevitable comparison with Hihintayin, he says, A lot of people dont know this but prior to the shoot, I had dinner with direk Carlitos, to pay my respects to him since he is one of my idols. I do not want him to think that I am short-changing or ripping off his movie that is already considered a Pinoy classic. My apprehensions faded when he told me that he is quite excited to view my film for he wants to know what Wuthering Heights would look like if the characters and its story revolved around people in their early 20s. He is very intrigued to see the difference in terms of how the passion, betrayal, jealousy and vengeance will manifest on the big screen.

Source: The Daily Tribune