“RAINBOW”S SUNSET”

Rainbow’s Sunset follows the story of an 84-year-old former senator, Ramon Estrella, who decided to
move in with his cancer-stricken lover, Fredo, to take care of him on his concluding days which led to the
disclosure of their long-hidden relationship from Ramon’s children then further drawn the untoward
public attention. With the spiraling worries that the situation may affect their mother and the public
detestations of homosexuality wedded to their family’s name, the Estrella siblings, Emman, Georgina
and Marife attempted to convince their father to come home but later on failed to persuade his
compliance. Ramon admitted his secret relationship for decades with Fredo and insisted to stay with
him as the latter’s terminal illness puts their relationship at the nightfall of their journey. The film tailors
a narrative of romance between two gay men, coming out at the dusk of their lives. It also catered to
different subplots involving the Estrella children who may have disagreed on their father’s affair yet
covertly had their own respective clandestine entanglements. Directed by Joel Lamangan, Rainbow’s
Sunset elevates the concepts of challenges that the LGBTQ couple, advanced in years, has to face in a
series of collective judgments, familial pressure, and societal coercion. Being one of the unconventional
films to shed more narratives on the topic of homosexuality, its common themes resonate on the
unusual portrayal of love challenged in gender, age and familial concerns. It also relays distinctive
subplots which summons themes of unfaithfulness, political motivations, unusual romantic connections
and the prejudice directed to one’s gender preference.

Although the film is considered to be imbued with the elements of drama and expected to nail a
cliffhanger of downcast emotions, it still hinted comedic undertones which effectively capture the
sanguine sentiments of the viewers, stripping the aura of the possible melodramatic plot. In line with
the acting, as the movie is actuated with a strong cast and veteran actors in the film industry, the
characters were portrayed in a natural monotone, effectively playing their respective plots and
motivations. It could be concluded that among the other elements of the film, it is the acting that is
most commendable due to the fit rendering of the cast to its characters – from the calm scenarios to the
upbeat confrontations which needed a variety of volumes and physical gestures. One evident utilization
in the film is the presence of narration. Primarily to extend the concept of exposition, the narration of
the story was enacted by two of the main characters, Ramon and his wife, Sylvia Estrella. The narration
compels easier understanding and anticipation of the forthcoming scenes as it summarizes the key ideas
of the story and relates them to another part of the plot. Another apparent technique that can be
observed in Rainbow’s Sunset is the utilization of flashbacks to paint previous events jointed to the
current situation of the characters. The few memorialized scenes through flashbacks include the
childhood recollection of Fredo and Ramon and the start of their romantic relationship. It was also
shown how Sylvia found out about his husband’s illicit affair yet proceeded on tolerating his infidelity.
Personally, these flashbacks could have been omitted as there is no strong discombobulation in the plot
that needed to be cemented though the showing of previous events. Directly speaking, the narration
already made a clear upbeat picture of the plot that the flashbacks could be rendered unnecessary. To
the technical aspects, the film was accompanied by mellow music and calm instrumentals which
forwards and strengthens the core of the movie as a drama feature film: It also effectively utilized over-
the-shoulder and wide camera angles to reinforce the importance of certain scenes and sincere
dialogues. Though the film may have not surfaced strong evident metaphors that could be distinguished
at first sight, there are few symbolisms that can be perceived throughout the almost two-hour running
time of the movie. This includes the antique house which Fredo lives in, the house mirrors the passing of
seasons and time, tested in years, just how like his relationship with Ramon was concealed from the
public’s heed for decades. Another symbolism that could be concluded is the script of speech Ramon has
penned for Georgina’s birthday. It is a taste of irony how the dialogue for his daughter’s celebration was
permeated with anticipation but later on failed to be delivered due to arousal of conflict. In contrast,
Ramon’s sudden death was never foreshadowed and happened without so much anticipation. The plot
may not have ended in a heavy note felt by the audience but one idea that can be culminated from this
film is the absolute absence of character development. Ramon took his last breath with his children,
particularly Emman and Georgina, still reluctant about their father’s decision on moving in with Fredo. In
spite of his lewd scandal which led to the deterioration of his family, Emman still remained persistent in
pursuing illegal activities allied with Georgina’s husband. Marife, on the other hand, failed to secure her
relationship with a guy who’s younger than her for years – this absence opened rooms for variabilities
instead of a definite conclusion.

Relating it to the concept of today’s perception of the individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, the
film would relevantly mirror the preconceptions and the similar treatment the characters may have
faced to the same level of jeopardy the society induces to what they deem to be unusual. The film may
fail to enforce a detailed ending on the character’s fate and character progression but it certainly
accentuates the elements of acting and production. Most importantly, the objective for the creation of
the film is met through the powerful storytelling of the societal pressure, gender typecasting and the
pivotal awareness correlated to the uncommon ideas we entail to the concept of love, family,
relationships, and personal motivations.