Lualhati Bautista's Dekada '70 (as directed by Chito Rono) is a film executed masterfully. The film captures every aspect of the seventies from the wardrobe, the music and even the atrocious hairstyles. Even the overall look of the film evokes some age; it was as if the movie was actually shot in the 1970s. For a person who has yet to read the novel, Chito Rono's film is a good-enough version. It tells the narrative of the novel and is, perhaps, better than the novel since it is able to draw emotions from the audience. The problem lies once the person has read the novel; in the novel, the focus is on Amanda Bartolome (Vilma Santos). Her husband, Julian Bartolome (Christopher De Leon), is practically non-existent. Bu introducing the husband, the impact of Amanda Bartolome is lessened since as Julian declares in the film, "It's a man's world." Thus, at the start of the film, Amanda appears to be a pushover, a doormat to her domineering husband. It is only at the end that she manages to redeem herself. But despite that, the film successfully conveys the raw emotions and turmoil that were surging throughout the seventies, a time when the rights of every individual was threatened.
