Camasura, Carla L.

TTh 6:00-7:30 pm

October 6, 2015

Film Showing Activity: Amigo

1. Rafael Dacanay is presented as a caring and responsible village mayor but he is
faced with conflicting loyalties. What do you think the first loyalty should be
religion, family, country or personal code of ethics? Explain.
I think that in an ideal world, the first loyalty should be towards religion. I
subscribe to the belief that there is only one God and that is Jesus Christ. And in
the Christian Bible, God said that we should love Him above all others, more than
our parents, our husband or wife, our friends or even ourselves. We should place
Him as our first priority and that our lives should be centered around Him; ergo
when the different aspects of our life conflict with each other, our religious priority
should prevail. However, this kind of stand is very subjective. Since the Bible is the
supreme source of the Word of God for Christians, it is subject to varying
interpretations. What one may perceive to be what the Bible means may be different
for another person. What the Catholic Church dictates may not be necessarily right,
for they, too, are humans, and thus their opinions are also subject to fallibility.
Thus, we must turn to our inner moral compass to guide us to the right decision. A
recent and relevant issue connected with this religious ambiguity is the acceptance
of homosexuals and homosexual relationships. On one hand, most of the clergy
disapprove of the aforementioned issue while citing excerpts from the Scriptures
that forbid this kind of relationship. On the other, homosexuals are humans too
and they deserve equal rights and responsibilities as the rest of the heterosexuals.
Whatever stand a person takes on this issue is likely to be influenced by his religious
beliefs, his grasp on morality, and his personal relationships. Whatever that may
be, I believe that the stand chosen should be the one that truly reflects what it means
to be a Christian. Because in the end, after this life, we will have to let go of all our
ties to this world; we will forget our country and even our family. In heaven, there
is only one being that matters and that is God.
2. Why does a revolution, if it is doomed to failure, only destructive? How are the
ideals of freedom kept alive when armed rebellion becomes impossible?
Its because in a battle between two opposing forces, there will always be casualties.
Even the winning side experiences loss, how much more the losing one? It is
inevitable that innocents, even against their choice, become somehow involved in
the struggle. Their way of living, their jobs, their safety and comfort, and even their
lives, are put at stake in the process. This is why a revolution, if seen to have
reasonably no chance of winning, would only bring about greater loss and a worse
way of life after it. Bringing about change despite strong opposing forces takes more
than just bravery and courage. It also needs cunning calculation and strategy.
Sometimes the greatest form of bravery is not in fighting but in knowing when to

retreat when its practically impossible to win. It is in seeing more than just the
goal but everything that will have to be sacrificed to get it. Of course, this does not
mean in any way that we should just submit to our fates and let the wind blow
us wherever it fancies. In the face of odds such as the ones in the film, a nonviolent
revolution for the peoples freedom is always possible. History would even prove
that a nonviolent movement achieves its goals more effectively and efficiently than
revolutions utilizing violence. Remember that Rizal fought with his pen and today
he is called the countrys national hero. Two corrupt presidencies were taken down
by a united mass of people in prayer and their revolution was successful within a
span of days. There are so many ways to acquire freedom without tainting it with
the dirt and blood of violence. And besides, isnt freedom much purer and sweeter
when obtained sans destruction?
3. What character in the movie do you identify with? Why?
As expected, the character I identify with the most in the film is Rafael Dacanay,
the protagonist. This is because his struggles, both internal and external, were so
life-like that it resonated within me. In life, we are faced with so many problems
and so many choices at the same time. Unlike in other movies where only one aspect
of life is focused on and the rest are just merely secondary, i.e. romantic movies, the
film portrays the different aspects of Dacanays life and shows that every single one
matters just as much to him as the next one. He was a hereditary head man of San
Isidro, a doting father, a loving husband and a figure of reasonable, if sometimes
exasperated, authority. He cared about his constituents as much as he cared about
his family. He was also quick to perceive that the arrival of the American soldiers
was going to bring him and his subjects a host of new headaches. His character is
so nuanced and beautifully portrayed, which is rare in cinematic endeavors
nowadays; that is why he is also the character that I admire the most.