City After Dark (Manila by Night) poster & wallpaper
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Charito Solis, Johnny Wilson, Orestes Ojeda, Gina Alajar, Alma Moreno ... see more see more... , Bernardo Bernardo , Cherie Gil , Lorna Tolentino , Mitch Valdez , Rio Locsin , William Martinez

This film was originally titled Manila by Night until, it is rumored, Imelda Marcos asked that the title be changed so as not to specifically malign "her city." The action in the film takes place in M... read more read more...anila, and involves various protagonists -- including the city itself -- in the lowest of human entrapments: drugs and vice. Homosexual sequences highlight an alternative lifestyle, and as the nightlife functions as an alter-ego for the busy, daytime streets. At the time of this movie's release, many Filipino viewers felt that this was one of the best movies their nation had produced. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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61% liked it

611 ratings

Unrated, 2 hr. 20 min.

Directed by: Ishmael Bernal

Release Date: January 1, 1980

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DVD Release Date: August 29, 2006

Stats: 25 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (25)

  • Ivan6655321
    September 29, 2010
    Ivan6655321
    Before our film industry has turned into the mainstream disappointment that it has been today, masters like Ishmael Bernal strengthen the industry's foundations, not by big-budget films that boasts of colorful, shallow nationalism, but supported its pillars with critical bravery,... read more exploring the themes, subjects, and immoralities in a time of modernistic bondage of expressive sovereignty(Marcos era). I've always conditioned my mind that "Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag"is the best film to ever portray the eponymous capital of the Philippines. But witnessing this work for the first time, it has altered my perception of the Lino Brocka classic, and at the same time, "City After Dark", for me, has immediately entered the realms of being one of the "definitive" Filipino films at its highest auteuristic control. But do not get me wrong, "Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag" offered an unforgettably painful look of the city from the eyes of, putting it bluntly, an alienated 'promdi'. It's a film that steers raw emotions, and at times slipping into melodrama, but "City After Dark" may have been the opposite; it explores apathy in the midst of moral decadence. There's moments in this film where the characters asks each other artificial questions like "Do you really love me?", or "Will you really marry me?". they're not honest queries, but merely asked so to pass the time. And though same questions may have come from sincere hearts, it's beyond their grasp. Manila's too busy a city to provide secure answers.

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Critic Reviews

Jeremy Heilman
September 2, 2010
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com

A histrionic melodrama that plays out on an epic scale, it genuinely warrants comparisons to the great works of the Italian neorealists and Altman's Nashville. Full Review

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