APOSTOL, Joanna Marie C.

October 22, 2019

BA ELS2 ( BA Comm 2B) HIST 101 TF 5:30-7:30

Reaction Paper on the film “Jose Rizal”

1. Describe the life of Rizal as represented in the movie.

The movie is a mixture of flashbacks and real-time representation of Rizal’s life when his case
against the Spanish government and church was under investigation. Although his life in jail were
mostly the highlights being presented in the film, there are also some relevant flashbacks of his
life that were shown throughout the film. Rizal’s life in jail seemed to be his days of contemplating
and reflecting what has happened to his life, works, and battles. It can be seen in his flashbacks
that his family is indeed in the principalia; there were servants shown, their big house, horse-
drawn carriage, library and all the other description of the families belonging to the middle-class
of the social and economic hierarchy during the time of the Spaniards. The joy of his childhood
days were also shown in the film, along with the happy Mercado family that nourished Rizal.

Rizal’s life in the schools that he attended were also shown in the film, although small
important details were omitted to give the general message and emphasis on Rizal’s “survival”
in the educational institutions, racist Spanish classmates in the Philippines, and Spanish friars who
were his teachers. The instance where he was not immediately accepted in Ateneo was not
included in the movie, so were his literary works and sculpture. The essence of Rizal exceling in
his education and his classmates where the highlights of his life at school; this was evidently
shown during the scene where he was continuing his studies in ophthalmology in Spain and he
was able to answer all the questions of the professor, verbally and even with the physical
demonstration of the muscles of the eye. His earlier education with his mother was also show,
but the highlight of it was the story of “The Moth and the Flame”, although it was shown when
Rizal was to leave with Paciano to Clamba, he was persistent to stay under his mother’s tutoring
and teachings. One of the significant scenes shown during his earlier educations as well was
when he was already in Calamba where the punishments for students were not encouraging
them to study harder, but only imposes fear and culture of silence to the youth.

Rizal’s life in abroad was also shown in the film, although not much of it, just the relevant
scenes to showcase Rizal’s struggle in fighting for the freedom of the Philippines. In Rizal’s very
first travel outside of the country where he was to continue his study in medicine and conduct
his “secret mission”; it was shown in the film that Rizal opposed the idea but his brother Paciano
insisted on it, and in the end Rizal obeyed. Rizal’s life abroad, as shown in the film, is something
more revolutionary because his intention was to observe and learn from the enemy through its
origin. The makings of Rizal’s famous novels were highlighted as they were made in Europe,
alongside the struggles in making his novels and the triumphant feeling after finishing it, the
hardships of Rizal being in a foreign country without financial stability was showcased, his darkest
winter was the confirmation. In abroad Rizal also did not only had an encounter with the foreign
enemies, but also, and most heart-breaking, with the other Filipinos and elites who Rizal thought
to be with him in fighting for the freedom of the country, but were actually enjoying the privilege
of having to be in Spain.
2. Based on your reading and class discussion, what can you say about the film’s
representation of Rizal?

I want to say the film’s representation of Rizal was justified and acceptable. Books and films
are both different kinds of arts and mediums of information that seek to deliver messages in their
own creative ways. Books were expected to provide almost all the data of events or
happenings in history in text form; films, on the other hand and as I would like to say specially
the films about history, are made for the purpose of a less boring distribution or discussion of
history, merely for entertainment purpose. The contents of books and films will always differ even
if the film is based on a literary work or a life event because there is the entertainment function
of films that would override the real and true happenings to add drama or anything for the
entertainment factor. Nevertheless, the film about Jose Rizal had his representations justified,
although not everything, but those that were given emphasis were reasonable.

In all of the readings for the class and in the class discussions, Rizal is always and, if no one
would oppose or petition in the future, will always be the Philippine national hero. Although
selected by the Americans in majority, the majority of Filipinos also agreed on Rizal being the
national hero, as the other candidates, even in the absence or presence of Bonifacio, were all
inferior in terms of education and nationalistic writings. As represented in the movie, Rizal was
also the very inspiration of Bonifacio; evident from the scene where Rizal was giving a speech
about his homecoming despite the threats for his life, Rizal announced that his enemies are not
abroad but in the Philippines, he then added ideas, information and encouragements on how
to free the country and the people from the abusive maltreatments of Spain. Bonifcaio,
enthusiastically listening and, as shown in the movie, the only one hopefully and devotedly
responding to Rizal portrayed the image or idea that Jose Rizal indeed was the eye opener for
Bonifacio to start the Katipunan and influence and wake up the Filipino masses, which comprise
of the poor and weak individuals, to revolt violently, physically, till death. Hence the film’s
representation of Rizal as a national hero was not only justified but proven, for his influence,
according to the film, is what sparked the Father of the Katipunan to establish the Kataas-
taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan.

Aside from being the national hero, I think the film also made a representation of Rizal with
respect to his professions and specialties. In the field of medicine, we saw how dedicated Rizal
was in helping the Filipinos by establishing a clinic despite his exile in Dapitan; his specialty in
ophthalmology was also showcased in a scene where he was about to operate his mother’s
eyes, she was originally the reason why Rizal took up ophthalmology. There are lots of Rizal’s
profession, but him being a writer was given the most highlight because if not for his skills in
writing, he would have fought the enemies in a different battle, we all know that Rizal took it to
his novels his anger and cries justice with the abusive Spanish government that reigned the
Philippines in his times. The film showed Rizal’s struggles in pursuing his novels like the financial
instability, being far from home, the prohibition of his books with a joined punishment for those
who were caught in possession of it, and mixed emotions, sometimes blaming his works,
because of the bad news he received from home. Despite all the disturbances, he still managed
to turn his fears, worries, and pain into the fuel that resulted in him finishing his novels.
3. What is the main question that the film seeks to answer?

The film is about Jose Rizal, which is obvious with the title. In the movie, we saw his fights and
struggles, which were all stressed throughout the film. Now to the request, what is the main
question that the film seeks to answer? I am considering a lot, actually, but I wouldn’t like to
consider the information given or provided by the film as the film makers might have altered the
real information to make the film more interesting. Before I draw in to conclusion the ‘main’
question, I would like to share my sentiments with the other question that I have pondered on.

These questions formulated in my mind were all based on the film’s delivery of the events
that happened in history, if ever the events were given or deducted details, I am not aware so
please pardon my arrogance. The questions that the film seeks to answer, that I have
contemplated on are as follows: 1) how or what is the life of the Filipinos and the state of the
Philippines during the reign of the Spaniards? 2) What were the challenges that Rizal had to face
in his fight with the Spaniards for the freedom of the Philippines? And last but not the least 3)
what made Rizal the national hero?

The first 2 questions were already discussed in class so these questions were just like
clarifications that the film had put into action in a more dramatized way that a reader can
imagine. We have discussed the life of Filipinos in the earlier part of the semester, and during the
group reports the second question was or have already been answered. These two questions
were just formulated in my mind, although already answered because in my opinion, these
questions would be relevant to people who will receive information about the Spanish regime
and about Jose Rizal first-hand from the film. The nature of the two questions were based on
how the film made significant attention on the manipulation and mishandling of the Spanish
government to the Philippines. I have also considered the highlights of Rizal’s novels being
merged with the realities and flashbacks of the film wherein it was all similar with the reality on
Rizal’s life; the violent and evil regime of the Spaniards.

The last question is the one that I would like to consider as my answer, what made Rizal the
national hero? In the first discussions about Rizal in line to the lesson about the selection of the
national hero, we were given comparison of Bonifacio and Rizal, and then a question after that
which, if I can remember clearly, goes something like this “who do you prefer to be the national
hero, Rizal or Bonifacio?” My answer remains the same, I do not and I will not choose for them
both fought and died for the same purpose, as how the other unnamed Katipuneros and
General Antonio Luna have offered their life for the liberty of the country. However, with the
magic of the film industry, I was able to see how Rizal emerged to be the national hero that the
Filipinos acknowledge; it was because of his novels and his genius. Rizal’s way of fighting the
Spaniards through educating the Filipino people is something that is game-changing; although
he was knowledgeable that majority of the Filipinos belong to the lowest class and they are not
and will not be given proper and correct education, those who were fortunate like Rizal were
blinded by the safety that they enjoy, thus having to leave the knowledge of revolt to the poor
Filipino masses and interpreting it a s a bloody revolution.
4. What is your own reflection based on the film and your understanding?

Life during the Spanish colonization is really harsh. There are some people who still
believe that the revolution against the Spaniards and Rizal are all a myth, and I would
gladly argue with them to prove them wrong. I do not have any information about the life
during the Spanish era, my late grandmother was alive by the time of the Japanese era so
that was the only part of history I get to know from a first-hand source. Regardless if the
information would come from the film or book, people still need to do research on the real
happenings in history. There would always be conflicts in the facts, but reading and further
enhancement of knowledge about something would always be an advantage.

Nationalism is something that Filipinos lack today, I would like to blame globalization for
that, but if Filipinos were responsible and disciplined enough they will remain loyal to their
own nationality. There is still education that can blind us so we have to always be skeptical
and seek for the truth. The enemies may still be from foreign land but in today’s generation,
those who you share the same culture with can also be a far greater enemy. Only a few
will continue the fight of the national heroes for the freedom of the Filipino people,
regardless if it is from the foreign enemies or with the own Filipino government. Fewer will be
the nationalist fighters for the government are eliminating them at all cost.

I fear greatly for the identity and culture of the Philippines. We have been colonized by
a lot of conquerors, and our own culture and identity only rests in the few population and
communities that were being endangered by the threat of globalization. The Spaniards
have chained us for more or less than 200 years and their culture is greatly embedded on
ours. The original Filipino culture lies within our indigenous people who were diminishing and
the original culture is being tampered by the adjustment to modernizations. We do not
know our origins anymore.

Furthermore, there are a lot to learn from the film. Not all battles are fought physically
and harshly, but sometimes when the peaceful revolt can no longer work, the bloody
revolution will always take place. Enemies from your own land are the hardest to conquer,
for in them you also get the inspiration or drive to fight, but instead of joining your battle,
they would scrutinize and bring you down. Most of the time you would have to sacrifice
your own happiness for the well-being of the masses. The last and the most painful, what
you have started can and might progress in a good or bad way.