Red Bananas with Heart in the Jungle: Notes About a Staple Fruit in Filipino Movies

If you watched Pinoy movies in the late 80s or 90s, you probably know Starzan: The Shouting Star of the Jungle. What stuck with me was the detail that the red banana gave him extraordinary strength. So I was shocked when I saw at the market that red bananas actually exist. 

I used to think the red banana was just a fictional fruit from the imagination of Joey De Leon (actor and co-writer) and Tony Y. Reyes (director and co-writer).

Starzan poster

Photo Credit: Regal Films

Going back to the real-life red banana, I immediately bought two pieces at 12 pesos each. The taste was unusual — almost with a hint of strawberry. Maybe it was just my imagination, since I already associate the color red with strawberries. The vendor said it is seldom availale in the market, so the next time I see it, I will buy again.

As the taste of the red banana lingered in my tongue, I was pushed to think about the connection between bananas and Pinoy movies. 

In Efren 'Loging' Jarlego's Og Must Be Crazy (Dolphy as Og), the setting was also the jungle. 

Og Must Be Crazy poster 

Photo Credit: RVQ Productions / Video 48

There is a tribal wedding scene at the start, and bananas were used as the sacramental food -- akin to the Christian host. Og officiated the wedding, feeding banana pieces to the groom Et (played by Babalu) and his bride.

Interesting trivia: ZsaZsa Padilla was the leading lady in both Starzan and Og Must Be Crazy. In both films, Panchito played her character's father. Just to be clear, ZsaZsa Padilla was not the bride who ate the banana in Og Must Be Crazy.

Let's now discuss Apoy sa Dibdib ng Samar (Tagalog: Fire in the Bosom of Samar) Bananas were used in a different guise as a plot device in this film by Jose 'Kaka' Balagtas. Who could forget the iconic line delivered by Mark Lapid as the policeman Daniel Giron: 

"Oo, inaamin ko, saging lang kami. Pero maghanap ka ng puno sa buong Pilipinas, saging lang ang may puso!" 

("Yes, I admit, we are just bananas. But search all the trees in the Philippines, only bananas have hearts!")

Apoy sa Dibdib ng Samar DVD cover

Photo Credit: North East Films / Regal Entertainment

The jungle became the battleground against illegal logging, with a policeman from the city returning to his province to defend the environment.

Looking closely, there is a pattern: Starzan and Og moved from jungle to city, then back to the jungle. Daniel Giron, on the other hand, went from city back to the jungle. 

Through the comedy and action-drama genres, bananas are depicted as symbols of extraordinary strength, made-up ethnic ritual, and eco-activist heart.

If you are curious, you can find these movies on YouTube. As for me, I’ll stop overthinking for now and just eat the remaining red banana.