JOSE RIZAL

1998
(REACTION PAPER)

Submitted to:

Mrs. Roselle Jocame

 Submitted by:

Ronaliza D. Gayatin

BSOA 4-B

INTRODUCTION

Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, popularly known as Jose Rizal, the
Philippine national hero. Jose Rizal strengthened a growing national consciousness to oppose
the cruel conquest of the Spaniards and aspired to attain the democratic rights of the Filipino.
He was an author, political leader, polymath, ophthalmologist, activist, and many more.  There is
no doubt Jose Rizal is a Filipino who had shown great love to his country.  His desire to free the
country from Spanish colony was always in his heart, thought, works, and dreams and that’s
what makes him a true hero.

Jose Rizal. A noted popular National Hero of the Philippines. He was well known in
neighboring countries and even called the “The Great Malayan Hero” for standing up against
colonialism and fighting for the dignity of the Malay people. Jose Rizal (1998) is a three-hour
movie showing the life and struggles of poet and patriot Jose Rizal, the national hero and martyr
of the Philippines, played by Cesar Montano.

The movie started with a series of flashbacks in life of Jose Rizal. Rizal as a genius, a
writer, a doctor, an artist, a lover, a friend, a brother and a son, thus giving a rich texture of
Rizal’s character. In the execution jail of Fort Santiago, Manila he meets with his chosen
council Luis Taviel de Andrade where he narrated his love from childhood and being a man that
he is in the present. It introduces us to the life of the Filipino people under the rule of the
Spanish friars. From the execution of three Filipino priests in 1872 for alleged unequal treatment
of Filipino students in the schools, this film awakens the Filipino of how Spanish colonial rule in
the Philippines. It also shows the evil tyranny of the Catholic Church during that time.
 When the mock trial unreels, Taviel is all set to act as the prime advocate for his
client as Rizal himself is about to give an earth-moving speech to defend his honor and
address his countrymen. Meanwhile, the Spanish authorities have worked out the
enormous political machinery to ensure a guilty verdict until Jose Rizal was executed in
Bagumbayan. This triggered the revolution, and a blood was shed when Andres
Bonifacio, A leader of revolutionary group, attacked the Spaniards and Father
Rodriguez who ordered the execution of Jose Rizal.

One of the strengths of Jose Rizal is the incorporation of the characters of Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in the life of Rizal and of the Filipinos in general. This
only shows that the two books are reflections of the lives of the Filipinos during the
Spanish regime.

MAIN SCENE

Luis Taviel de Andrade and Jose Rizal’s conversation in prison. That’s the best
part in the movie that I love a lot. This part shows a wider picture of the history and
perspective of Rizal in the revolution. The talked and discourse on how to deal the case
of Rizal on how they need to prepare for the questions of the Governor General and the
Judge of the court.

How Rizal proves that he is innocent and ordinary concerned citizen of his
country. Rizal also explains he only gives enlightenment for his countrymen on how the
worst “Fraile” rules the Philippines. Using his novels, he wants to stop the Racial
Racisms against the ‘‘Mestizo’’ and “Idio” or Spanish and Filipinos.

SUB SCENES

 The introduction of Rizal’s life when he’s younger and how he experience during
the Spanish regime
 The process and ruling of fraile and how they treat the Indios or Filipinos when
he was young.
 The experiences of Rizal with his Spanish classmate. When they treat them
lower class of the society because of his height and skin tone.
 The narration of El Filibustirismo when the same perspective of Rizal in his
writing. When taviel compares Rizal and Crisostomo Ibarra in terms of fighting
and wanting a reform in government.
 The narration of Rizal that Ibarra is waiting for the right tie to fight. According to
Ibarra in El Fili he said that ‘Filipinos are not ready for the revolution’.
 The love interest of Maria Clara. Son of the deceased Don Rafael Ibarra;
Crisostomo changed his surname from Eibarramendia to Ibarra, from his
ancestor's surname.
 The short clips of Noli me Tangere and how Ibarra became Simun, a Filipino
who studied in Europe for 7 years,
 Taviel compares Rizal and Simoun of Noli me Tangere, because that tmeSimoun
wanting a bloody revolution.
 Simoun plans to make a big explosion by planting it a candle light in a candle
holder in a big event with the big officials of Spanish on it. Specially the Governor
General and Fraile’s
 He fails because someone knows his plan and interrupted it and throw in a lake
and it explode. The Guardia Civil discovers it and they kill Simoun.
 Tavel’s says that he idolizes and salutesCrisostomo Ibarra for fighting and it’s
bravery with his pen and paper rather than Simoun who fights and will kill people
for the revolution.
 Taviel also ask Rizal if he wants to be Ibarra or Simoun in that time. Taviel’s says
that ‘Do you want to be a monster like Simoun or fight for the people with your
paper and pen”’
 Then Rizal realize that he don’t want a bloody revolution so he continue his life
writing and writing for people and wake them p. What the world with the fraile is.
Personal Reaction

The movie tells the life story of Jose Rizal, the national hero of thePhilippines. It
Spanish forces occupying the Philippines in the late 19th century. We are also thrown
into the world of Rizal'snovels (filmed in black and white), so we get a glimpse of how
heviewed Filipino society under the Spanish heal.One note, this movie is not for the
faint of heart. There are graphicdepictions of violence and even torture.

The opening few scenes depict some episodes from Rizal's novels. In one a Catholic
priestrapes a Filipina. I guess I now know where the Mestizo (i.e., mixedblood) class
came from in the Philippines. In the other scene aCatholic priest beats a child for
alleged stealing. Strong stuff, andit made me wonder how the Catholic Church could
possibly retain anypower in the country, if this is what the national hero thought aboutit.

The problem in the movie is that it concentrates on historical and lesser the focus
in artistic contribution. The film, as mentioned, is basically a history book adapted to
film. My problem with this Rizal film is that the depth of this film's Rizal is as much as the
depth of Rizal you'd get from a high scholar’s Filipino textbook. Compare that to Mike
de Leon's Bayaning Third World, all of which have their own historical inaccuracies, but
the Rizals there are definitely deeper, probably less a hero, but more a human.
Nonetheless, it is a splendid film that deserves much praise and acclaim.

An important movie to watch for all of Filipino who wants to study Rizal. if you
want to learn about Rizal in 3 hours’ time. This is the movie to see. The film was
released during the Centennial Celebration of our Philippine freedom and it made us
appreciate more on the sacrifices made by our heroes. It also served as a reminder for
all of us on the significance of freedom and the importance of keeping it.