Juliefer May F.

Pleos

1B-PH Jose Rizal

December 10, 2012

The Philippines was under the rule of Spain for 333 years. For more than three centuries did the Filipinos suffer, their children killed, their women abused. The Filipinos were treated like beasts, like animals being deprived of their identities and dignity. For 333 years, the Filipinos were able to tolerate the hypocrisy and greed of the Spanish rule, to cripple under the corrupt Spanish government, to be undermined in the different fields of knowledge. They were constantly pushed to the brink of their tolerance until they could endure no more. After so many years, the Filipinos were awakened by the truth. The truth that gave them hope and muster enough strength to stand against the Spaniards. The Filipinos finally saw the truth which were revealed in the novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. They were written by a man of intellect, courage, and pure Filipino blood, by a man who believed that the power of a pen is mightier than of a sword; they were written by Jos Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda. Consummatum est! these were the last words uttered by Jose Rizal in the movie before gunned down by the firing squad and landing on the vast expanse facing the Manila Bay under the morning sun of December 30, 1986. This was one of the many moving scenes from the film based on the life of Jose Rizal. The actors, settings, and cinematography were all exceptional and contributed in my understanding and appreciating of his life story. The film vividly recreated the life of Jose Rizal beginning with his childhood when Pepe was learning to speak Espaol from his mother and listening to her tell the story of the moth and was consistently intricate in revealing every facet of Rizals life. The movie also flashed scenes from Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo to see how Dr. Jose Rizal assimilated the events of his own life to those of his characters. The time when Rizal studied in Ateneo Municipal was the most critical aspect of his life, since it was in this school where he saw how the friars regarded the Filipinos and it was in this school where he first experienced the drive to overcome the Spaniards and prove that Filipinos have the ability to excel, too. On the other hand, his exile in Dapitan was the trivial part of his life since he was unable to write anything, though he still contributed to society by teaching the children and treating the ill. The different aspects of Rizals life depicted in the movie showed how bright, courageous, and strong-willed Rizal was but it also showed that Rizal was also human, that he had weaknesses, shortcomings, and regrets in his life, too. The choice of actors and actresses for the film was outstanding. Everyone was committed to their character and had intensity and depth in showing their emotions and reactions in the different scenes of the movie. The actors and actresses were excellent in delivering their lines for they uttered every word with vigor and expressed them with empathy. The best actor in the film was Cesar Montano, not only was he convincing in his fluency for speaking the different languages in the film but he also gave justice in enacting as Jose Rizal, for he captured the very essence of Rizal: passion and humor.

The life of Jose Rizal was made of sufferings, sacrifices, and smiles, with sacrifices predominating. He sacrificed the love of his life, Leonor Rivera, when he agreed to Pacianos plan for him to study abroad. He left his family for him to travel overseas and expose the stench of the Spanish rule. He sacrificed every fragment of his life for our country to be liberated from the unjust hands of the Spaniards. It was showed in the film that the Mercado family was constantly maltreated by civil guards and politicians. The scenes where Paciano was tortured, Doa Lolay was arrested, and the family hacienda was taken showed how much Jose Rizals family suffered along with him. These scenes showed how barbaric the Spaniards could be and how cruel they could become to stop a man from exposing their acts of disgrace. Though the Spanish government exerted much effort in concealing these acts, they were negligent and once again showed their true colors in Rizals mock trial. It was a prejudiced trial. It was not based on the facts and the testimonies of the accused were not acknowledged. The trial only made the Filipinos hope that their hero could still be declared innocent, that the Spaniards finally had the humanity to execute a trial of honesty and justice. It was upsetting how Rizal testified for his life, his works, and his nationality and it still resulted to a fraudulent death trial. His death trial was one of the most dramatic scenes in the movie especially the part where he uttered his last words. After Rizals mercy shot I could see the contrasting reactions of the people: the roars of victory of the Spaniards and the silent sobs of the Filipinos. This part was heart aching for I felt how crushed the Filipinos were when they saw their hero was gunned-down by civil guards. Though Rizals life was predominated by suffering, his life also contained happiness and tranquility. His life in Dapitan blossomed with tenderness since he spent his time with Josephine Bracken in the solitude of their little paradise and I was glad for Rizal because he deserved every ounce of happiness he experienced in that place. It was nice that he found someone to love and to be happy with in all the chaos that filled his life. Though deprived of happiness, Rizal was bountiful with the Filipinos respects and admirations. The people listened to his objections to the Spanish rule and joined him in protesting against the government. After the execution of Rizal, the Filipinos were so hungry for justice, for freedom that the Katipuneros could no longer hold their anger and fought the Spaniards. The revolution proved the strength and unity of the Filipinos and expressed the intensity of the Filipinos love for their country. After so many years of affliction under the Spanish rule, the Filipinos were awakened by the truth. The truth that gave them hope and muster enough strength to stand against the Spaniards. The truth revealed in the novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, written by a man of intellect, courage, and pure Filipino blood, by a man who believed that the power of a pen is mightier than of a sword; by a man who lived a life of sufferings, sacrifices, and smiles, with sacrifices predominating; they were written by Jos Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda.