This was the Filipino movie I have been waiting for, for a long time.

Most of the Filipino movies that I've seen are cheap imitations of
Hollywood movies with forgettable characters and forgettable plots.
But I won't be forgetting !ose "i#al anytime soon.
$ith impeccable production values and a truly great performance by the
lead actor, %esar Montano, !ose "i#al is the e&ual of anything that
Hollywood can produce 'and better than most of the crap that Hollywood
routinely puts out on the street(.
The movie tells the life story of !ose "i#al, the national hero of the
)hilippines. It covers his life from his childhood to his e*ecution
at the hands of the +panish forces occupying the )hilippines in the
late ,-th century. $e are also thrown into the world of "i#al's
novels 'filmed in blac. and white(, so we get a glimpse of how he
viewed Filipino society under the +panish heal.
/ne note, this movie is not for the faint of heart. There are graphic
depictions of violence and even torture. The opening few scenes
depict some episodes from "i#al's novels. In one a %atholic priest
rapes a Filipina. I guess I now .now where the Mesti#o 'i.e., mi*ed
blood( class came from in the )hilippines. In the other scene a
%atholic priest beats a child for alleged stealing. +trong stuff, and
it made me wonder how the %atholic %hurch could possibly retain any
power in the country, if this is what the national hero thought about
it.
The movie introduces us to the life of sub0ugation of the Filipino
people under the rule of the +panish friars. From the e*ecution of
three Filipino priests in ,123 for alleged subversion to the harsh and
une&ual treatment of Filipino students in the schools, this film is a
stinging indictment of +panish colonial rule in the )hilippines. $e
see scenes both from "i#al's actual life but also from his imagination
'via his novels(.
4s a young man, !ose is sent to study in +pain. This is a plan
hatched by his brother )aciano. !ose will write and do everything in
his power to bring to the attention of the world the abuses of +panish
power in the )hilippines, while )aciano will protect the "i#al family
at home and .eep up the struggle against +panish rule. !ose e*cels in
his studies as a medical student at Madrid 5niversity and eventually
earns a degree as an ophthalmic surgeon. Meantime, he becomes
involved with a group of radical Filipino students who also see. to
end the +panish abuses in their country. He eventually has a falling
out with the student group as he reali#es that the real struggle is
ta.ing place bac. home. He decides to return to the )hilippines.
He is arrested by the +panish authorities upon his return to the
)hilippines in ,1-3. He is sent to 6apitan in Mindanao where the
+panish authorities can .eep a watchful eye on him. It is there that
he meets the love of his life, !osephine Brac.en, although the movie
does not devote much attention to this love affair. $hen a rebellion
brea.s out in ,1-7 the +panish governor orders that "i#al be moved to
the prison in Manila.
It is here that "i#al is introduced to 8uis Taviel 'played by !aime
Fabregas( who has been appointed to defend him at his trial. Taviel
is a +panish officer who at first mistrusts "i#al and views him as a
dangerous revolutionary. Most of the movie ta.es place in "i#al's
prison cell and involves Taviel confronting him about his life. There
are fre&uent flashbac.s but some of them are flashbac.s to his novels,
so it is sometimes hard to .eep the order clear. 9ventually Taviel
learns to respect "i#al and he decides to do his best 0ob in defending
him.
But it is to no avail. The evil head of the Franciscan order in
Manila arranges for a new governor to ta.e over control of the
)hilippines. The new governor promptly orders a show trial where the
outcome has already been decided. "i#al must die. 6espite his best
efforts, Taviel cannot save "i#al from his fate. The verdict is
reached and the e*ecution date is set for 6ecember :;, ,1-7. Taviel
admits to "i#al that he is ashamed to be a +paniard.
In what is the most bi#arre scene of the movie, on the night before
his e*ecution, "i#al is confronted by his own character +imoun from
his novel. +imoun urges "i#al to rewrite him so that his mission can
be for a higher purpose. 4nd so in his final wor., "i#al pens Mi
5ltimo 4dios .nowing full well that his death will light the torch of
the Filipino "evolution.
The final few scenes show "i#al being led out to the e*ecution
ground. He re&uests to face the firing s&uad but he is denied. The
+panish want to shoot him in the bac. as a traitor. But as he is shot
full of bullets he manages to turn as he falls so that he lands facing
the s.y. I must tell you that my wife was crying li.e a baby during
this scene and she's seen the movie twice. I must also admit that I
had some moisture in my eyes too. I was also muttering to myself
+panish Bastards< +panish Bastards<. +trong +tuff.
"i#al Movie "eaction )aper
+ubmitted By= >impee M. 9nri&ue# B+%?I+?@B
+ubmitted To= )rof. !onathan 5A "i#alBs 8ife, $or.s and $ritings
February ,2, 3;,;