At first, Jules Katanyag's Si Magdalola at ang mga Gago is about a group of drug dealing thugs who find their way into a quiet, forested village to deal drugs and maybe even guns. But they run into the local mangkukulam Magda (Peewee O Hara) and his granddaughter. As a mangkukulam, Magda is able to commune with spirits and do otherworldly things through her myriad concoctions. Magda's granddaughter (Rhen Escano) on the other hand, is rebellious and wants nothing more than to escape the village for the wider world. She's also beginning to discover her sexuality, which proves to be a problem.
Then
things
get
crazy.
I think it goes without saying that Si Magdalola at ang mga Gago is weird. It plays with narrative in many different ways. It uses subtitles that act as both translation and commentary that adds another layer of crazy. It doesn't even leave its own credits immune to its weirdness. This is easily Seijun Suzuki's Pistol Opera (2001) levels of insanity. There are guns, drugs and a samurai sword (which I am almost certain is a reverse edged sword replica from Rurouni Kenshin).
And yet, the film serves as a strange fairy tale about women, and how indulging in one's sexuality, curiosity or womanhood in a world like this only leads to violence, death and destruction. While the granddaughter's curiosity towards sexuality should be natural, it's punished. A young girl, told not to peek at an impending execution, decides to take a peek anyway.
The movie is hindered by a setup that takes up 75% of the film's running time. It's way too long and reduces the impact of the last 25% of the film. While its weirdness is the biggest part of its charm, it doesn't always completely pay off in satisfying ways.
Si Magdalola at ang mga Gago is like a film high on drugs. It needs the viewer to be engaged and ready to partake in its weirdness. If one's not in the mood, this can prove to be a problem. But personally I'd say stick with it and let the movie take you on a ride.
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