Maria(Nancy Kwan) is an idealistic, American-educated woman who is
returning home to her father's hacienda in the Phillipines. Her
father(Fred Galang) is a cruel tyrant of a landowner, who drives his
workers to the point of exhaustion and beats them when they falter.
Much to the disappointment of her father, she reaches out to the
peasant laborers, teaching their children and caring for their sick
and injured. When her father goes too far, and his repression sparks
rebellion, Maria must choose between her father and her affection for
the peasant leader, an undercover lawman by the name of Tony(Tony
Ferrer). Of the Phillipines productions Nancy Kwan starred in during
the 1970's, Fortress in the Sun is one of the better ones.
The film has colorful local photography, good fight scenes, and a
decent plot. Nancy Kwan's leading role as the independent-minded
Maria is a sympathetic and likeable one.
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