★★★★

Sinaunang pelikula na nagpapakita na kailangang dumepende ng mga kababaihan sa kalalakihan. Perfectly captures the tragedy and events during the administration of the dictator Marcos. More than a social commentary, it is a mirror of the reality under Martial Law.

★★★★★

I loved how the film was able to send its message to the viewers through the use of its setting. Instead of creating a complicated storyline for the characters, the director emphasized the day to day corruption in Manila through different symbolisms that exhibited what it was like living in the big city during the period of Martial Law. It was an excellent movie created by brilliant filmmakers. One that I will never forget.

★★★★★

The film used Manila not just as setting but as its protagonist. Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag manifested cinematic realism about Manila being a real city with real issues. It is the story of Manila during its busy days and treacherous nights, the side which was not shown during martial law due to the media censorship implemented by the dictator.

★★★★★

A gripping story of a man confronting the utter reality of a Marcos-driven Philippine society and shedding away all naivety and innocence from his provincial upbringing. A story of searching for a woman's lost soul in her unbecoming of the happy, beautiful, and carefree spirit she once was. A sociopolitical commentary, Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975) confronts its audiences of the realities of the Marcos dictatorship, which are hidden under the limelight, like filth underneath one's nails.