Esprit De Corps Movie Review: Intense Acting From The Three Male Leads

‘ESPRIT DE CORPS’ is based on a one-act play written by writer-director Auraeus Solito (now known as Kanakan Balintagos) when he was 17-year old. This is easy to see in its main setting, the interrogation room where most of the action takes place and which sometimes gives you the feeling that it’s a filmed play.

Set in an all boys Catholic school during martial law, the film is about two ROTC cadets, Abel (Sandino Martin) and Cain (Lharby Policarpio), who are rivals for the position currently held by Major Mac Favila (JC Santos). Favila turns out to be gay, himself a victim of the sexual advances of their commandant (Garry Lim). He interrogates Abel first then seduces him, but Abel rebuffs him. He then interrogates Cain then seduces him, and Cain is more receptive. So this is not just power play, but also a case of seduction by someone in authority. In a pool sequence, Abel also reveals that he was also seduced and molested by a priest when he was ten years old.

The gay element may put off some viewers but we have to give it to the director that he is able to construct his movie in a most engaging way. The camera work, especially in the interrogation scenes, often taken in long sustained takes or tuhog is quite astonishing. This is intricately blocked and the actors have to memorize all their long lines. The action required from them during the extended takes are very strenuous as they are also required to do situps and various kinds of push ups like clapping while doing the push ups and doing push ups on one hand. You can see they’re really so exhausted and sweating profusely. They are all also required to disrobe before the camera.

All three main actors are superb, most especially JC and Sandino. The sheer intensity of their performances leap out of the screen. Major networks should sign them up as their acting will put most of today’s actors in their stables to shame. Sandino has no inhibition and is shown swimming stark naked. In one long scene, he converses with Lharby while shamelessly displaying his manhood on cam.

But the nudity is not limited to the men. In one scene, Sue Prado playing the diwata Abel refers to, shows up dancing in full frontal nakedness. It’s a wordless scene for her but Sue does create a lot of impact.