Each new generation finds itself facing issues that seem new but are actually cyclical. Addressing these issues with a fresh perspective will undoubtedly unlock new societal growth. To that end, it is worth thinking about the challenges students are facing during the often tumultuous transition between learning to adulthood.
Filipino culture seems to repress children to an extent that is uncommon elsewhere, to the point where some argue it is unhealthy. To paraphrase, some argue that the repression experienced by children, to the extent commonly experienced by children in the Philippines, borders borderline abusive. As such, it should not come as a surprise that many children come to view themselves negatively by the time they reach adulthood.
While students are trained to appreciate the fine trade-offs between personal expression and the expectations of the wider, and often more rigid, world, many children still emerge with a conflicted self-image. They often see change as not only a necessity, but also a moral obligation. As a result of these issues, it is common to see students crossing personal boundaries that, to change so readily, one wonders if they ever existed in the first place.
As trait theorists of personality often argue, every human being has a set of inehrenlt dispositions that accountfor the various sides of one’s behavioral patterns, regardless of the chosen style of disposition one has. In a bid to highlight the clinical manifestation of change as a moral principle, it is common to hear students addressing one another in a moralistic manner as if every gesture that is self-assertive, is to be condemned.
They share the same class and argue that they are best friends because of the same goals and the same help they offer each other. But after some time and with the change of their characters, stronger feelings start to emerge. The movie shows the evolution of the bond they share, from a mere friendship to something far more intricate in the psychological and emotional realms.
Rica and Athena in the beginning have to guess the nature of their bond. Is there something more than friendship and love? More importantly, are they prepared to accept what that means? are questions that silence and low whispers may have the answers to.
Through each other and themselves, the pair do not just battle their insecurities, but also face opposition from their friends and families. Rather than outward conflict, the emotional experience the pair face is one of self-exploration. Since the feelings that are being dealt with are perplexing, the pair have to come to terms with them.
Undergrads resolves certain questions, which is more than appreciated. The movie does not end with a bang, but has a powerful ending. The characters have an understanding that means they have to learn how to deal with unresolved emotions. The characters need to learn that not every question that is unresolved needs to be solved in order for a conclusion to be reached.
Protagonists
Rica. Although she has been described as a “quiet” student, she demonstrates a level of ambition and ability to focus on work that allows her to skip socializing and head straight to the library. Questions about the self and the future along with the emotional and identity construction a person chooses to go through is the intrigue she hides behind the calm demeanor.
Athena. Self expression is a huge part of what drives Athena. While enjoying being social and full of vigor, there is room to experience self-doubt. Athena has come to care very much for Rica, fulfilling as part of their relationship the role of the emotional friend. Finding the balance between being open and being exposed is the part of the journey she has to go through.
Rica and Athena are the main focus on the story but there are other important characters as well. Classmates, teachers, and family for instance, provide the outlines for reflections and expectations from the rest of the society. They provide the emotional identity and evolution responses that are different from each other.
Moral Messages
- Self-Identified
As every person gains the ability to come up with solutions, Undergrads teaches a very important lesson on self discovery. It is the little moments of growth, as opposed to grand moments that the film focuses on. It also tackles the tough emotions along with light realizations and profound breakthroughs.
- Friendship and Transition
The relationship between Rica and Athena is balanced and depicted softly. The movie illustrates the nature of friendships and the accompanying changes that come with them during the early adult period. There is a sense of elevation some of them provide, while they can also be difficult and perplexing as more emotions get intertwined with already existing ties.
- Identity and Acceptance
The movie tackles the issue of the ease of self-discovery and the time required for it. Rica and Athena both struggle with unsounded thoughts. The film argues that identity, within itself, is not a single definition, but rather, a perpetual process of knowing and unknowing.
- Emotional Maturity
Instead of magnifying the characters’ emotional journeys, Undergrads chooses a more pragmatic route. It displays the process of the development of emotional maturity as prolonged, and brought about through conversation, contemplation, and, at times, the absence of sound. The film suggests that emotional strength is often the result of the recognition of uncertainty, as opposed to the evasion of it, which is more commonly the case.
- Social Pressure and Expectations
Undergrads, through family sequences and in the dialogues with the classroom peers, quietly emphasizes the ways of how the world and culture can shape one’s self-direction. The film does not vilify these expectations; rather, it illustrates them as forces which have to be encountered and addressed by the youth.
Tone, Style, and Direction
In ‘Undergrads’, director Sigrid Polon shows she can be sensitive and also exercise a degree of restraint in ‘Undergrads.’ The film’s everyday realism is conveyed in the unadorned and naturalistic set design, with much of the action taking place in university classrooms, dorms, cafes, and outdoors.
The use of light and color is controlled, with the warm tones preferred supporting the film’s contemplative nature, the lighting embodying the emotive aspects of the scene. The camera work is particularly effective in Polon’s films, as it shows her trademark style. She often focuses on the characters’ faces and captures the fleeting nuances of small emotions codified in unspoken articulations.
The film’s dialogues may be sparse, but they are of high value. The audience is able to resonate with the characters which is the reason the absence of dialogues is crucial. Polon refrains from the use of emphatic music as well as rapid editing, instead, she adopts a tranquil pace that embodies the characters’ inner shifts.
Performance Highlights
Rica Gonzales’s performance as Rica is sophisticated and masterful. The internal battle that she faces is embedded in the character’s deep expressive silence, which is the result of Gonzales’s long and thoughtful portrayal of her. His performance is truthful and controlled.
Athena Red, as Athena, brings warmth and character to the role. The character’s frankness provides a pleasant counterpoint to Rica’s deep withdrawal, while the intimacy of the relationship is genuine and unforced, a testimony to the actors’ easy rapport.
The two leads in this case bear the emotional load of the movie and their acting is crucial to the success of the film. They communicate the essence of the bond with which the relationship is imbued and transform the connection with elegance, perplexity, and authenticity.
Conclusion
Undergrads (2024) is an insightful, and in their own way-harrowing, film unlocks the emotional reality of the period in life that is called young adulthood. It has no need for elaborate visuals and therefore, does not rely on brazen displays of showmanship, but instead, an economy of emotion and earnestness which paradoxically, is an emotional balm.
The film touches on identity, friendship and self-discovery and in doing so, will resonate with anyone who has pondered over the fundamental questions of personal existence or the way in which they are perceived by others. It unambiguously states that growing up is not the same as acquiring all the necessary information, but more so, learning to exist with an unadulterated existence which means being gentle and courageous, even when the hows and whys are yet to be crystallised.
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