Rizal

Kim Caroll P. Remedio
The movie “Jose Rizal” is all about our National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal – Hislife and works, his struggles in order to free his countrymen from abuse, until his death under the hands of the Spaniards who occupied our country for a very longtime. Most of the scenes of the film took place during Rizal’s imprisonment at Dapitan wherein he meets Taviel, a Spanish officer, who will eventually defend him on his trial in court. During their meeting, Taviel asks Rizal everything about him and his works through various questions. Every answer that Rizal brought out from his mouth made Taviel realize that Rizal was indeed an innocent man. On the course of their conversation, Rizal talks about the making of his Two Novels “Noli Me Tangere” and its sequel “El Filibusterismo” which are both anti-Spanish Novels that depicts how the Spaniards rule the Philippines and how the rights of the Filipinos were abolished. Rizal portrayed himself on the said Novels – as Crisostomo Ibarra on “Noli Me Tangere” and as Simeon on “El Filibusterismo.”Going through with the movie, while Rizal is telling his story to Taviel, the scene on the movie switches from his life story then to his portrayal on his Novels. Sometimes the scene gets very difficult to follow because of the sudden switches during the scenes on the movie most especially during the time that his first novel was on the process of writing. Rizal, a brave and a man of his word, was never afraid whatever theconsequences he may suffer because of his writings that are against the friars and also to Spaniards. His goal was to free the Philippines from the unjust government of Spanish colony. In summary, the movie talks mostly of Rizal’s life until his death and the creation of his great novels. The actors and actresses who acted on the movie did a great job presenting how it was during Rizal’s time even though the said events in Rizal’s life were just written in books.

REACTION PAPER IN THE MOVIE JOSE RIZAL
The movie tells the life story of Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. A three-hour epic on the life and struggles of his poet and patriotisms. It covers his life from his childhood to his execution at the hands of the Spanish forces occupying thePhilippines in the late 19th century. We are also thrown into the world of Rizal's novels(filmed in black and white), so we get a glimpse of how he viewed Filipino society under the Spanish heal.The film also through a series of flashback showing Rizal as a genius, a writer, adoctor, an artist, a lover, a friend, a brother and a son, thus giving a rich texture of Rizal’scharacter.The movie introduces us to the life of subjugation of the Filipino people under therule of the Spanish friars. From the execution of three Filipino priests in 1872 for allegedsubversion to the harsh and unequal treatment of Filipino students in the schools, this film is a stinging indictment of Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines.I also commend the film for its bravery in showing the evil tyranny of theCatholic Church during that time. Considering that the Philippines is a Catholic nationthat is like butchering a sacred cow but alas, Abaya works her magic in depicting thesuffering of the Filipinos because of the friars.This is by far the best Filipino movie that I have seen so far. I would urge anyonereading this who likes movies, to either rent it or buy it.I particularly love the last scene of the film when Rizal fell in the ground facingthe sky, having his last breath looking at a beautiful sunrise- a metaphor depicting thatRizal did not die in vain. He did not die for nothing. He did not die defeated. Rather hedied victorious because his death is the torch that lights Philippine independence, thatignites Philippine Revolution.