Film Evaluation Report

On the movie

“Jose Rizal”

In partial fulfillment of the

Requirements in the subject

JPRizal

Submitted to:

Mrs. Bing Amahan

Submitted by:

Juvill Cariño

May 2011

Characters of the Movie

Cesar Montano ------------------------------------------------------------------ Jose Rizal

Joel Torre --------------------------------------------Crisostomo Ibarra / Simoun

Jaime Fabregas ------------------------------------------------- Luis Taviel de Andrade

Gloria Diaz ----------------------------------------------------------- Teodora

Alonzo

Gardo Versoza ----------------------------------------------------------Andres Bonifacio

Monique Wilson -----------------------------------------------------------------Maria Clara

Chin Chin Gutierrez -------------------------------------------------------Josephine Bracken

Mickey Ferriols ------------------------------------------------------------- Leonor Rivera

Pen Medina ----------------------------------------------------------------------Paciano

Peque Gallaga ---------------------------------Archbishop Bernardo Nozaleda, OP

Bon Vibar -------------------------------------------------------------Ramon Blanco

Subas Herrero -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Alcocer

Tony Mabesa ------------------------------------------------------Camilo de Polavieja

Alexis Santaren --------------------------------------------------------------------------Olive

Chiqui Xerxes-Burgos ---------------------------------------------------Father Villaclara, SJ

Archie Adamos ------------------------------------------------------------------Olive’s Aid

Fritz Ynfante --------------------------------------------Professor – Anatomy Class

Jhong Hilario ----------------------------------------------------------Prisoner Servant

Gina Alajar --------------------------------------------------------------------Saturnina

Tanya Gomez ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Narcisa

Tess Dumpit -------------------------------------------------------------------------Maria

Irma Adlawan -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucia

Angie Castrence ------------------------------------------------------------------------Josefa

Rowena Basco ----------------------------------------------------------------------Trinidad

Kaye Marie June Congmon -----------------------------------------------------------

Soledad

Ronnie Lazaro -------------------------------------------------------Francisco Mercado

Dominic Guinto ----------------------------------------------------------------Young Rizal

Ping Medina ------------------------------------------------------------Young Paciano

Shelby Payne ---------------------------------------------------------------Father March

Dennis Marasigan ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Gregg De Guzman ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Mon Confiado ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Eddie Aquino ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Manolo Barrientos ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Rolando Inocencio -------------------------------------------------------- The Propagandist

Gilbert Onida ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Jim Pebanco ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Troy Martino ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Kokoy Palma ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Richard Merck ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Jess Evardone ---------------------------------------------------------The Propagandist

Marco Sison -------------------------------------------------------------Pio

Valenzuela

Joel Lamangan ------------------------------------------------------------

Gobernadocillo

Tony Carreon ----------------------------------------------------------- Dominican

Friar

Noni Buencamino --------------------------------------------------------------------------Elias

Roeder ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Basilio

Richard Quan -----------------------------------------------------------------------Isagani

Cristobal Gomez -------------------------------------------------------------Pader

Damaso

Nanding Josef -------------------------------------------------------------Antonio Rivera

Ryan Eigenmann ------------------------------------------------------------------- Fernando

Jon Achaval ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Fraile 1

Cloyd Robinson ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Fraile 2

Marco Zabaleta -----------------------------------------------------------------------Fraile

3

Ogie Juliano --------------------------------------------------------- Padre Rodriguez

Minco Fabregas ------------------------------------------------------------Padre Sanchez

Pocholo Montes ------------------------------------------------------- Maestro

Justiniano

Jesus Diaz ----------------------------------------------------------Madrid Instructor

Karl Meyer -------------------------------------------------------------Belgian Printer

LJ Moreno ------------------------------------Companion of Josephine

Bracken

Bey Vito ----------------------------------------------------Don Dorolco Onjunco

Kidlat Tahimik --------------------------------------------------- La Liga Filipina Guest

Toto Natividad ---------------------------------------------------------- KKK Benefactor

Summary of the movie

The movie tells the life story of Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. It

shows his life and works, his struggles in order to free his countrymen from

abuse, until his death under the hands of the Spaniards who occupied our country in the

late 19th century.  We are also thrown into the world of Rizal's novels (filmed in

black and white), so we get a glimpse of how he viewed Filipino society under the

Spanish heal.

The movie introduces us to the life of subjugation of the Filipino people under the

rule of the Spanish friars.  From the execution of three Filipino priests in 1872 for

alleged subversion to the harsh and unequal treatment of Filipino students in the

schools, this film is a stinging indictment of Spanish colonial rule in the

Philippines.  We see scenes both from Rizal's actual life but also from his

imagination (via his novels).

As a young man, Jose is sent to study in Spain.  This is a plan hatched by his

brother Paciano.  Jose will write and do everything in his power to bring to the

attention of the world the abuses of Spanish power in the Philippines, while

Paciano will protect the Rizal family at home and keep up the struggle against

Spanish rule.  Jose excels in his studies as a medical student at Madrid

University and eventually earns a degree as an ophthalmic surgeon.  Meantime,

he becomes involved with a group of radical Filipino students who also seek to

end the Spanish abuses in their country.  He eventually has a falling out with the

student group as he realizes that the real struggle is taking place back home.  He

decides to return to the Philippines.

He is arrested by the Spanish authorities upon his return to the Philippines in

1892.  He is sent to Dapitan in Mindanao where the Spanish authorities can keep

a watchful eye on him.  It is there that he meets the love of his life, Josephine

Bracken, although the movie does not devote much attention to this love affair. 

When a rebellion breaks out in 1896 the Spanish governor orders that Rizal be

moved to the prison in Manila.

It is here that Rizal is introduced to Luis Taviel (played by Jaime Fabregas) who

has been appointed to defend him at his trial.  Taviel is a Spanish officer who at

first mistrusts Rizal and views him as a dangerous revolutionary.  Most of the

movie takes place in Rizal's prison cell and involves Taviel confronting him about

his life.  There are frequent flashbacks but some of them are flashbacks to his

novels, so it is sometimes hard to keep the order clear.  Eventually Taviel learns

to respect Rizal and he decides to do his best job in defending him.

But it is to no avail.  The evil head of the Franciscan order in Manila arranges for

a new governor to take over control of the Philippines.  The new governor

promptly orders a show trial where the outcome has already been decided.  Rizal

must die.  Despite his best efforts, Taviel cannot save Rizal from his fate.  The

verdict is reached and the execution date is set for December 30, 1896. Taviel

admits to Rizal that he is ashamed to be a Spaniard.

In what is the most bizarre scene of the movie, on the night before his execution,

Rizal is confronted by his own character Simoun from his novel.  Simoun urges

Rizal to rewrite him so that his mission can be for a higher purpose.  And so in

his final work, Rizal pens "Mi Ultimo Adios" knowing full well that his death will

light the torch of the Filipino Revolution.

The final few scenes show Rizal being led out to the execution ground.  He

requests to face the firing squad but he is denied.  The Spanish want to shoot

him in the back as a traitor.  But as he is shot full of bullets he manages to turn

as he falls so that he lands facing the sky. 

Personal Assessment / Evaluation of the movie

A very devastating movie that shows how Rizal runs his life. Marilou Diaz-

Abaya, the director, made a very good choice of choosing Cesar Montano as

Jose Rizal and Joel Torre as his counterpart as the Crisostomo Ibarra and

afterward Simoun in his very proud novel, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

The movie Jose Rizal is a great enlightenment of the Philippine tragic

history. It shows patriotism and heroism in a nonviolent approach, though, there

were instances that the characters speak in Spanish and it’s hard to understand

unless I will read the subtitles. It’s amusing that Cesar Montano and other

characters weren’t having difficulties in reciting their Spanish lines.

The plot was full of twists and turns yet still not difficult to follow but it is so

confusing to watch because there were too many flashbacks and you won’t even

know if it is still in flashback or not. It seems that, some scenes are brutal, and

some scenes are unsuitable for young kids such as the bed scenes in the first

part wherein the Spanish priest with the used of his power tried to rape the

Filipino woman.

Nevertheless, it is a very good movie with the combination of a

professional movie director Marilou Diaz-Abaya and multi-awarded actor Cesar

Montano and matched with the good actor Jhong Hilario, played as his servant

and a great actor Jaime Fabregas as Rizal’s defense attorney, Lt. Taviel de

Andrade, they made the story of Rizal’s life easy to understand and with the help

of other actors and actresses that made the movie more pleasurable. After

watching the movie documenting Rizal’s life I couldn’t help but to feel the sense

of pride being him as the Philippine National Hero.

Recommendation

The amusing surprise was the dedication of Cesar Montano to his role which he

really portrays well and directed well by an outstanding director Marilou Diaz-

Abaya. It was an ideal blend of Philippine national hero’s life and his two proud

novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

Based from the assessment of the movie, I ended up of some alternative courses

of actions to it:

1. Lessen the series of flashbacks from h is l i f e s to ry then to h is

por t raya l on h is Novels.

2. Minimize graphic depictions of violence and even torture.

3. Speaking in Spanish which it’s hard to understand.

4. Censored the bed scene where a Catholic priest rapes a Filipina.

5. When young Rizal is answering his parents in the early part of the movie

which is not a good example for other young viewers of the movie.

Out of these 5 alternative actions, I highly recommend the numbers 1. Lessen

the series of flashbacks from his life story then to his portrayal on his novels and

2. Minimize the graphic depictions of violence and even torture because with

flashbacks sometimes the scene gets very difficult to follow because of the

sudden switches during the scenes on the movie you won’t even know if it is still

in flashback or not. Some flashbacks caused confusion when we are going to

watch the movie.  With the graphic depictions of violence and even torture, we

must consider the scenes that unsuitable for the very young audiences and it’s

not good to watch for those who have a pale heart even though we know that

during Spanish era our countrymen are being harass by the Spaniards.

Conclusion

After watching the movie “Jose Rizal” I concluded that it will surely invoke the

thoughts of our fellowmen to do the same good deeds of Rizal. Our minds will be

enlightened to give importance of freedom and doing something that will bring

wealth for the country.

I concluded also that “Pen is mightier than the Sword” which Rizal really depicts it

through out his life and reason for him to be our foremost National Hero. Some

may say that a pen cannot harm anyone, but a sword can actually kill someone.

However, what matters the most is not the pen itself, but the words that Rizal

wrote. Besides, a pen can hurt others eternally. However, for most of the time,

the wound, which is caused by words, cannot be healed simply. The power of a

pen can change a person's mind from inside out, while a sword can only hurt or

kill the body. The sword is powerful, but the pen is much more powerful and this

is one of the great contributions of Rizal in our history.

Our countrymen needs to know that it doesn’t need a bloody war just to give

justice of something instead use our knowledge to think for better solution. Let’s

avoid brutality to each other. If we are going to suffer from life of subjugation, we

must keep on our minds that we should be brave with courage to defeat our

opponents on the right track.

As a child, we should not answer in chorus when our parents are talking. We

should be polite in any manners, show respect to our parents and always obey

their rules because they are only thinking of what is good for us.

This movie is must-see for those who would like to know more about Philippine

history and to anybody especially Filipinos.