SEXUALITY AND THE SUPERSTAR

For the most part of Nora Aunor's career no one has ever dared to write about sexuality in her films. Unlike archrival Vilma Santos, the Superstar has never dared to venture in movies that dealt primarily with sex. Upon watching some of her films, I came across a select few that openly showed her character's sexualtity. Case in point, while I was watching the complete version of Ishmael Bernal's Ikaw Ay Akin (Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions, 1978), I suddenly realized that in every intimate scene she performs in any of her movies there's this sensuality that she generates on screen. Sexy doesn't necessarily mean naked, she barely was in the scene. In the back of my mind, I've always thought that maybe the Superstar's hesitation to do such scenes is just plain awkwardness. There's a possibilty that she might feel uncomfortable undressing in front of the camera.

In that one tender moment between Tere and Rex (Christopher de Leon), their sexual tension exploded on screen. It was one long take and the camera was positioned in such a way where the viewers weren't mere voyuers. The scene had the two of them in close-ups during this act of lovemaking. They were consenting adults who, after five years of being together finally consumated their relationship. It was sensual but nevertheless affecting. Much thought was put into the filming of this sequence. With Bernal's guiding hand, he was able to create one of the most sexually charged scenes in Philippine Cinema which required no nudity.