![BANGAW REVIEW [WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS ARE TAGGED]written by Robyn Dionisio (Filarc Creatives Commerical Officer) Bangaw...](https://img3.interiors10.com/782/474/918386347824740.jpg)
04/03/2026
BANGAW REVIEW [WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS ARE TAGGED]
written by Robyn Dionisio (Filarc Creatives Commerical Officer)
Bangaw is not a one-to-one adaptation of the William Golding novel. That is not my critique of the stageplay adaptation by director Dudz Terana and writer Gold Villar-Lim; however, it is a necessary consideration that has to be mentioned whenever an adaptation of any type of narrative media is done.
Lord of the Flies itself was technically a reimagining of a popular story trope during the time about children getting stranded on a deserted island, learning how to survive together, and forming a hopeful community that awaits rescue. It was written because William Golding, a philosophy teacher turned WWII Royal Navy lieutenant, questioned the premise of kids treating getting stranded as a fun island adventure and coming-of-age story. It should be noted that Golding had just endured World War II and the Cold War.
* * * MINOR SPOILERS * * *
Off the rip, Bangaw follows the same staging as Lord of the Flies gives: As wars rage, a plane that holds children who are the hope of their countries falls out of the sky and crash lands on a deserted island. If it were Lord of the Flies, an air of despair and desperation would soon befall our strangers in a strange new setting; if it were Coral Island, one of the inspirations for Lord of the Flies, the children would huddle together and pray as they learn how to survive together. In Bangaw, you have an Atenista englishero converse in innuendo with a zesty stranger that will eventually become their closest friend.
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We depart from the source material as soon as our characters are given a chance to interact between each other. In my viewing of Bangaw, I found the use of language to be one of the most pivotal tools in reimagining this narrative to the Philippine context. They speak just like how we speak, whether you grew up playing and arguing with your friends while you play Lutsong Baka on the streets or roamed the halls of some prestigious school like Ateneo or even in the trashtalk you hear while playing DOTA and Crossfire in your local computer shop. I found myself in these conversations. Well, not me as I currently am. I found myself back when I watched and listened to my friends play off each other while they played Patintero. They sound like children from the time when I was still a child.
And yet, I found myself thinking the same thing whenever something sent the narrative down a slippery slope of cruelty and depravity: even in the middle of nowhere, away from the reach of all the conflict and wars that their parents had sought to save them from, war has not left the hearts and minds of these children. The staging of the play was a measly few minutes but the children were not able to escape it. The cruel actions that happened on this island were not done by cruel natives or even nature–it was done by these children to each other. The hands that rocked the cradle were weary and callused by the fog of war. The actors’ portrayal of children desperate for survival was spot on because they still tried to be kids and not miniature adults.
There is one part of the play that I want to tread and talk about because it struck me the moment I sat there. Intentionally or not, the ending is, for me, the manifestation of the mythological Pandora’s Box. Pandora’s Box or Jar is an artefact that holds all the curses and disasters that plague mankind. The jar breaks and all these curses pour out and escape into the world. Upon inspection of the broken pieces, you would only find one thing remaining in the remnants of the jar: hope.
Without spoiling what happens, all the madness and chaos that plagued the minds of these children are let out. And, in my interpretation of both Pandora’s Box and Bangaw, hope remains. There are indeed a few interpretations of Pandora’s Box. Some say that it would tell the tale of the indomitable spirit of humanity to hope even when the world is against you. Others would argue the opposite.
My favorite interpretation comes from Nietzsche: “Zeus did not want man to throw his life away, no matter how much the other evils might torment him, but rather to go on letting himself be tormented anew. To that end, he gives man hope. In truth, it is the most evil of evils because it prolongs man's torment.”
In a cruel way, the only thing left on the island is hope and it is terrifying to consider the repercussions. Rescue may come eventually but, when they arrive, will they find the children who held the hope of the future or whatever is left of them?
Bangaw is a fantastic interpretation that pins the timeless story to the Philippine setting, whether as a cautionary tale or a lesson learned. See it for yourself.
And thank you to the lovely FTG team for inviting us to preview Bangaw!
