Depicting reality: A content analysis on the film “Masahista”

Abstract

This is a descriptive study designed specifically to determine themes in the independent film “Masahista”, also known as “Masseur”, by award-winning director Brillante Mendoza specifically to identify the real life situations presented in the scenes. The data in this study were gathered through watching the film “Masahista” and focused on the plot to extract the themes and the real-life situations from the scenes of the film. The research study used film analysis as its method to determine the themes of the independent film and used the scenes to identify the real life situations. The analysis described the scenes and revealed the themes presented in the movie “Masahista”. These themes are “prostitution”, “rural to urban migration”, “lack o f education” and “LGBT acceptance. From the analysis of the themes of the independent film, it was determined that the film presented situations that are currently happening in the society today. The real life situations which are depicted in the film are due from the unsolved problems of our society.