Locating Mike de Leon in Philippine Cinema

Mike de Leon, whose films helped define the ‘second golden age’ (roughly from 1975 to 1984) of Philippine cinema, has been hailed as ‘local cinema’s only living film master.’ This essay analyses how the discourse of the golden age came about by interpreting the meaning of De Leon’s location in this discourse. Tracing the director’s career in chronological fashion, it discusses how his films contributed to a progressive nationalist cinema during the period of martial law under Marcos but also how they increasingly and reflexively interrogated the significance of the golden age in the post-Marcos era. Finally, it evaluates the conceptual boundaries of the golden age through an appreciation of the trajectory of his cinema from 1985 to 1999.