Bona

Bona is a middle-class schoolgirl who leaves home to work as a kind of slave to the man she loves, an aging feckless gigolo who treats her appallingly and eventually dumps her. The meek little Bona, however, exacts a terrible revenge.

Brocka is a master at sketching social hierarchies, and Bona contains fine examples of his skill. This film is a masterpiece of acting, psychology, self-revelation, realist cinema; we study it for its subtleties (of which I think there are many), but finally we experience it as a cathartic drama, an occasion for identification and reflection. Viewing the film, we see uncomfortable reminders of ourselves, by turns exploring and exploiting, seducing and betraying, adoring and abusing. Viewing the film, we realize that we are our own martyrs and monsters. (Noel Vera)