Weighed But Found Wanting

Weighed But Found Wanting

Year: 1974

Runtime: 128 mins

Language: Tagalog

Director: Lino Brocka

Drama

A privileged teenager, disillusioned with the hypocrisy he witnesses in his small town, forms a bond with a lonely leper and a mentally unstable homeless woman.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Weighed But Found Wanting (1974)

Trace every key event in Weighed But Found Wanting (1974) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Kuala's troubled past revealed

The film opens with a vivid flashback revealing Kuala's troubled past. She undergoes an abortion performed by a herbolario while César watches. Seeing the aborted fetus unsettles Kuala deeply and seeds the trauma that haunts her.

Flashback
2

Madness set in by the heat

In the glow of a scorching grassy plain, Kuala drifts, her grip on reality slipping as the heat bears down. The oppressive sun and isolation push her toward madness. The memory foreshadows the social collapse she will face in the town.

Shortly after the abortion (flashback) Scorching grassy plain
3

Kuala returns to the town in ruin

In present day, Kuala roams the Nueva Ecija town in tattered clothes, shunned by locals. A cruel shove into a watering hole nearly drowns her, exposing how the town treats the vulnerable. The humiliation marks her fall from forgotten outcast to spectacle.

Present day Nueva Ecija town; watering hole
4

Bertong Ketong's cemetery refuge

Bertong Ketong, a leper, entices Kuala with a rattle and leads her to his ramshackle home in the cemetery. This secluded refuge becomes her tentative haven away from the crowd. The cemetery shack anchors Kuala's precarious safety.

Present day Bertong Ketong's shack, cemetery
5

Junior befriends them and seeks counsel

Junior befriends Kuala and Berto, seeking guidance about his eccentric teacher, Mr. Del Mundo, who flirts with him, and about his jealous girlfriend Evangeline. The trio forms a fragile bond under the town's watchful eyes.

Present day Berto's shack
6

Milagros stirs jealousy amid Santacruzan

Consumed by jealousy, Junior withdraws from Evangeline while Milagros tries to seduce him. The Santacruzan procession magnifies hidden desires and personal tensions in the hometown.

During Santacruzan Santacruzan procession
7

Pregnancy scandal leads to Lola Jacoba

The Asociación de las Damas Cristianas learns Kuala is pregnant, triggering a community-driven response. Kuala is placed in the devout Lola Jacoba's custody, separating her from the safety of Berto's shack.

Present day Lola Jacoba's house
8

Secret talks prompt a rescue plan

In a secret visit, Kuala confides in Berto about her unhappiness, and Berto shares this with Junior. Junior vows to help Kuala escape Lola Jacoba's house and return her to Berto's shack.

Present day (secret visit) Berto's shack
9

Berto reclaims hope and returns Kuala

Aware of the danger, Berto reluctantly returns Kuala to Lola Jacoba, promising to rescue her after she gives birth. The plan stays fragile, sustained by a glimmer of hope amid looming risk.

Present day Lola Jacoba's custody home
10

Labor and the hostage ordeal

A few nights later Kuala goes into labor and heads toward Berto's shack. When the doctor refuses to help, Berto seizes him as a hostage, determined not to abandon Kuala. The chase erupts as the doctor's wife screams for help.

A few nights later On the way to Berto's shack
11

Berto is shot; Junior witnesses

The doctor escapes, police arrive, and Berto is shot down. Junior witnesses the tragedy, sinking into grief while cradling Berto's lifeless body amid the gathering crowd.

Moments after the chase Near Berto's shack
12

Birth, revelation, and Kuala's death

Junior enters the shack where Kuala has given birth to a son. Kuala regains some lucidity, recognizes Junior, and accuses César of killing their child by his secret. With her last strength, she hands the baby to Junior and dies.

Immediately after birth Berto's shack
13

A new path beyond the shadows

Junior leaves the cemetery with Kuala's son and Berto's corpse in his care. He fixes his gaze on the crowd, then departs to forge a new path, carrying the weight of loss and a vow to rebuild.

Aftermath Cemetery

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 10:52

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Weighed But Found Wanting

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