Obviously influenced by meditative Western films such as Woody Allen's Interiors, Bernal uses an almost esoteric intellectual approach in his episode. There is little background music or even noise. All the viewer hears for most of the film are the voices of Christopher de Leon and Nora Aunor. There is little movement; de Leon and Aunor in one sequence, for example, sit on separate chairs and simply declaim.
The viewer is thus forced to listen to the dialogue. Arago's dialogue, however, though witty in places, does not deserve the attention the viewer is forced to give it. Instead of concrete language pregnant with wit and meaning, what the viewer gets is abstract language barren of transitions, naturalness and sense.
Because Bernal is betrayed by his screenwriter, his best sequences are those without words. In one such sequence, de Leon rapes Aunor; the rape, however, is a pure act of power rather than of lust. The verbal battles which rage earlier in the film are made meaningful by this one nonverbal act of violence. In another sequence, de Leon dreams of killing his psychiatrist-father, but finds himself mocked by a religious statue. In a third nonverbal sequence, de Leon cleans up an old house, removing the santos which symbolizes his mother's hypocritical religiosity.
If Bernal's episode is intellectual, Castillo's episode is highly visual. Alona Alegre lives in an old tenement; cinematographer Romeo Vitug explores the visual possibilities of what, to the unaided eye, is merely a whitewashed box. Romeo Vasquez has a motor home; the vehicle gives Castillo an excuse to set some of the scenes in Baguio. Alegre and Vasquez first meet each other at the Ati-Atihan in Aklan; Castillo and Vitug incorporate a little documentary on the festival.
Bernal allows his scenes to last forever, or what seems like forever; Castillo cuts and intercuts so frequently that, if the bed scenes were not so bold, the viewer would miss them. The only time Castillo allows a scene to drag is during Bert Nievera's first song, a song that is not necessary to the story anyway. (Not cutting music is one of Castillo's recurring mistakes; in Burlesk Queen, he also overextended the climactic song-dance.)
Castillo's main strength lies in his ability to use real people and real events in his films. The tenement dwellers as well as the Ati-Atihan revelers are as important to the film as the extras who merely dress up the party scene or the beer-drinking scene. Castillo's films have an improvisational quality, diametrically opposed to the studied, almost theatrical design of Bernal's works.
With actors other than Aunor and de Leon, Bernal's episode would be a minor classic (minor only because it is barely an hour long). Despite their considerable acting talents, the two superstars do not have the depth and sophistication demanded by the roles. In contrast, the roles of Alegre and Vasquez are badly-written. Vasquez botches up his fairly simple role. Alegre, on the other hand, manages to inject complexity into a flat role; she should be nominated, if not actually given, an acting award for this film.
Ironically, the film does not start on a promising note. The opening credits are not appropriate to the film. The animation of the growing heart is not well done (with the highest cost of of local animation, however, such a flaw is perhaps best forgiven). Bernal's episode, moreover, opens with an unnecessary sequence between de Leon and his mother. But the film quickly takes shape once de Leon and Aunor meet at the door of the old house. (This is, in fact, where the film should begin.)
The conflict between the sexes which starts in Bernal's episode carries through to Castillo's. Man will forever be at odds with Woman, not just physically, but psychologically (as in the Castillo episode) and spiritually (as in the Bernal episode). But, as the film's title suggests, there is that little thing called love. Man cannot live wtih Woman, but because of love, Man and Woman cannot live without each other.
(TV TIMES, June 24-30, 1979, p.8) - Isagani Cruz /YouTube video clip from Yeahudid2004