José Rizal

Jose Rizal is a lush, vivid, graphic portrait of the achievements of the National Hero of the Philippines. The direction and cinematography are first-rate, as is the acting. The picture strays from many "Hollywood" constructs in laying out the final days of Rizal, although flashbacks play a major role in depicting the development of Rizal's revolutionary pro-independence philisophy. I recommend this film for anybody interested in world history and anybody who wants to see a top-notch non-Hollywood production. I would *not*, however, recommend this film for anybody under the age of 16, as the subject matter is very disturbing and can be confusing to those lacking the maturity to process intense psychological drama.