Ang Larawan (2017)

[There are SPOILERS in this. And this is the warning.] Symbolisms

 Originally from Nick Joaquin's A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.

 What is the TLDR version? okay TLDW: It is essentially about two sisters and a painting. Their dad made them a painting either to test them or to leave him alone. Zooming out a bit, it is about a dysfunctional contemporary Filipino family around the 1940's.

 The painting is described as an old man carrying a young man in his back, while the background is a city in flames. One character tells of it as being Troy. 

The painting as the artist's conscience. 

 It is a story line implied when a senator drops by, and the two sisters respond to the senator about him leaving behind poetry for prosperity. But does the artist have to trade his art for better prospects? Must it be two extremes of a starving artist and a regretful old man? Nevertheless the senator, a bit shocked, realizes he did let the artist in him die.

 The painting as a gift or a curse.

In the opening scenes, it is stated that the painting has garnered world-wide attention being the last work of Juan Luna's friend and rival, a sought-after masterpiece; highly valuable. The household where it lies however is a brewing pot of unsettled family issues. Around what seems to be the second act, the two sisters reveal to elder siblings that the painting was made by their father when they confronted him about being poor. The father must have felt ashamed at what life he's led them to, so he makes the painting as a sort of "making up for things". But finishing it does not give him peace, the two sisters reveal that the father wants to die and has not left his room for a year. It has now become a curse, the father makes a tool for the two sisters to prosper but it would tear them apart. With one sister over burdened, she cuts it up and burns the painting. And then finally felt free.

 The house as a past self.

 Two older siblings has left the household, leaving behind the care of the house and their father to the two sisters. In the last scenes, the two sisters confront the two older siblings, on why they want to sell the house so much. And that it wasn't about the money because they were already rich. In reality, they wanted to sell the house because it is a reminder of their past, one that is only an inconvenience to them. (It reminds me of Tokyo Story | 1953. This is me trying to make patterns where they might not really be any, but that was out around the time when Nick Joaquin wrote the book). 

Anyway, Go see it. Aside from it being written by Nick Joaquin. It is nice seeing what a household in 1940's Intramuros looks like

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