Perspectival Rizal

Jose Rizal from Different Viewpoints Over the course of thirteen weeks, we have tackled all things related to our greatest national herothe person whose face has been the embodiment of Filipino nationalism. In class, we have done various activities and tests in order to nurture and assess the understanding we have achieved. One of these activities included watching the two films, Jos Rizal: Buhay ng Isang Bayani, and Bayaning 3rd World, which catalyzed higher learning and understanding in our KASPIL1 class.

Jose Rizal: Buhay ng Isang Bayani

In the film Jose Rizal: Buhay ng Isang Bayani, we traced back the life of our greatest national hero by dividing it into five significant chapters, namely: Ang Batang si Moy Mercado, Jose Rizal Mercado: Atenistang Probinsyano, Patungo sa Liwanag ng Dunong at Daigdig, Lakbayin Patungo sa Ligalig, and Dapithapon at Dilim. All these five chapters helped and guided me in understanding and visualizing the most important stages of Rizals life.

SUMMARY
Ang Batang si Moy Mercado The first chapter shown in the film was about the childhood of Jose Rizal. Here, in this chapter, all of the fascinations and interests of Rizal as a young boy were revealed. Also, all the hardships that he had experienced as a boy were also told, such as the slashes and spanks that he had received when he was studying under Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz, and the imprisonment of Doa Lolay caused by the wrong allegation of the wife of his brother Jose Alberto. Jose Rizal Mercado: Atenistang Probinsyano In this chapter, the life of Rizal as a student in Ateneo Municipal de Manila was discussed. All his triumphs in the Ateneo were clearly shown in the film, such as the numerous prizes and medals he won every semester. Also depicted in the film were Rizals award-winning literary pieces, as well as his translation of San Eustaquio Martir, a foreign play, which was performed in his graduation. On the other hand, all his hardships, such as his disadvantages against the Spanish mestizos, and his ineloquence in Spanish and Latin were also clearly shown in the movie. Aside from his life in the Ateneo, the news about Doa Lolay being freed from the prison cell in Calamba was also shown in the film. Also, here in this part, the love affairs Rizal had with different women such as Segunda Katigbak and Leonor Rivera were depicted briefly. This chapter ended in the life of Rizal as a student in the University of Santo Tomas. All his achievements, such as winning first place in a literary contest, as well as the insult and whipping he had received when he forgot to bow down to the guardia civil were shown.

Towards the end, it was revealed that Rizal was not satisfied with the quality of education UST was giving to him, because he thinks that the knowledge he was obtaining in the academe is not enough to cure the eyes of his mother. That is why he and his brother Paciano secretly planned of sending Rizal to study in Spain, without the knowledge of Don Kikoy and Doa Lolay. Patungo sa Liwanag ng Dunong at Daigdig Upon leaving Manila to study in Spain, Rizal bade goodbye to his fatherland by drawing a sketch of the Manila shores. Also, aboard Djemnah, he discussed all the remarkable places he had seen, such as Aden, Sicily, Naples and the famous Suez Canal. Finally, Rizal arrived in Marseilles, France and took a train to Barcelona, Spain, where he stayed for a month to wait for the summer break. Upon arriving, Rizal admitted that he lost his amor to Mother Spain, stating that the people here do not care about the other people. While waiting for the opening of classes, he exchanged letters with his friends and family members. One of the pivotal happenings in his life was also discussed in the moviehis presentation of the speech entitled Brindis. This which the speech he presented in order to congratulate Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo for winning first and second place in a painting contest. The speech he addressed created a lot of noise in the friars, which caused him to be observed keenly. Another biggest event that happened in his life was the writing and publication of Noli Me Tangere. In this stage, Rizal was able to publish the book with the help of his friend Maximo Viola. This happening agitated and stirred more anger to the friars. Also, in this chapter, his friend and soul mate, Ferdinand Blumentritt, was introduced. It was stated that both Ferdinand Blumentritt and Jose Rizal exchanged letters, and both became close due to their common interests in science and Filipiniana. Lakbayin Patungo sa Ligalig Because of the noise Noli Me Tangere had created, Rizal went back to the Philippines. When he went back, he experienced violence and unjust treatment from the friars. Also, his book Noli Me Tangere was banned by the Commission of Censure. That is why the Governor General and his family advised him to go to Hong Kong to put off the fire he had lit to the minds of the friars. From Hong Kong, he went around the world, travelling in various places such as Japan, San Francisco and New York in USA, and London in United Kingdom. He also was able to access the British Museum with the help of Dr. Reinhold Rost, where found a book related to the Filipinos. This book is Dr. Antonio de Morgas Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which clearly shows and depicts that there is civilization in the Philippines. Because he wanted to disprove these wrong claims of the Spanish colonizers about the civilization in our country, he patiently copied the entire book and listed his own comments and notes. Aside from the annotation of de Morgas book, he actively participated in La Solidaridad. In this time, he wrote essays and articles like the Sobre La Indolencia de los

Filipinos, which aimed to defend the Filipinos from the criticisms and insults being said by the Spanish writers. Also, he wrote a letter to the young women of Malolos to commend them for their bravery and courage to voice out their desire to study the Spanish language. Yet, Rizal faced more challenges in his life. First, his family was forced by the guardia civil to leave their house in Calamba. All their properties were taken by the guardia civil, and were forced to live in Mindoro. Next, an intrigue arose between Rizal and Marcelo Del Pilar about the latters management of the La Solidaridad. And lastly, his former fiance Leonor Rivera is getting married to an English engineer named Henry Charles Kipping. Amidst all the challenges he had faced, Rizal was able to finish as well as publish his second book, El Filibusterismo, with the help of his friend Valentin Ventura. Also, a friend of Jose Rizal named Jose Basa lent him money so he could meet and join his family again after a long time in Hong Kong. Dapithapon at Dilim Being the last chapter in the film, the most pivotal happenings in his life were discussed in this stagehis exile in Dapitan, and his execution in Bagumbayan. Celebrating the New Year in Hongkong in 1891, Rizal, even though he was finally with his family after a long time, was not truly happyfor he cannot endure seeing his countrymen suffering because of what he has done. That is why he decided to go back to Manila. When he was in Manila, he was exiled into Dapitan, where, at least, he was able to find a ray of sunshine. Here, he was able to teach kids, and cultivate crops and vegetables in his farm. Also, in Dapitan, he was able to examine insects, frogs, and lizards, which was, later on, named after him. Later on, Rizal was able to open a clinic. There he met Josephine Bracken, an Irish woman who accompanied his stepfather Engineer George Taufer to cure his blindness. He and Josephine, after their first acquaintance in the clinic, got to know each other, and soon enough, fell for one another. Although Mr. Taufer vehemently objected their relationship, Josephine was able to come back to Dapitan to join her lover Rizal. There, in Dapitan, they lived happily. Yet, they were not allowed to marry by the Church unless Rizal would retract all his written works. Rizal then, volunteered as a physician in Cuba. On the way to Spain, the Katipuneros tried to let Rizal escape but he refused. When he arrived, he was captured by the Spanish authorities and was immediately sent back to Manila. Here, he was tried and later on, was sentenced to death. In December 29, 1896, a day before his execution, Rizal met his mother Doa Lolay, his sister Trining and Josephine Bracken. There, he asked for his mothers forgiveness for bringing so much pain and unhappiness to her. He also asked forgiveness from Josephine Bracken because he will leave her an unhappy wife. Meanwhile, Rizal gave Trining a lamp given to him by the Pardo de Taveras, and told her in English: There is something inside. Hidden inside the lamp was the last poem of Rizal, entitled Mi Ultimo Adios. There, he wrote for his family and friends that he was not able to bid goodbye. He also wrote for his father, Don Kiko, who was not

able to visit because he was not allowed to do so, his friend and soul mate Ferdinand Blumentritt, who is residing in Europe, and his brother Paciano, who was already involved in the revolution. Then the day had come. In December 30, 1896, Rizal was executed in the Bagumbayan Field, now known as Luneta. The film ended with a still of Rizal after he was shot with two bullets, and left a note that the Rizal family was able to buy a coffin for Rizal, but was not able to get the body of Jose Rizal. Also, in the end, it was stated that the body of Rizal was buried in the Paco Cemetery without a marker and a name.

My Critique and Personal Insights

The movie, without a question, has depicted the life of Rizal perfectly. No doubt, it was able to completely explain and show to me the most important stages of his life, by dividing it into the five stages which I have mentioned above. Also, the way they used in order to present Rizals life was very effective, because I was able to know his story in a chronological order, which helped me to understand it more. Aside from the flow of the story, I want also to commend the high number of credible sources and facts they used in the movie. Because of that, I now believe that the film is truly based on Rizalfor it was very factual and reliable. In addition, I liked how they were able to show old photos and rare artifacts in the film, because by that, somehow, I was able to picture out and look back to the time where Rizal existed. I also want to give credit to the narrator of the film, Mr. Gamboa, for telling Rizals story very effectively. His voice truly complemented the way he narrated the story that is why many of the ideas he stated in the movie stayed in my memory. In addition, his rate of speaking was just enough for me to understand what he was saying on the film. On the other hand, the thing that the film should improve on is the lack of humor per se. There came moments where I got bored easily because the narration of the story was bookish. Also, I think they should also improve on the choice of language. In the film, there were Filipino words which I wasnt able to comprehend, not because Im not familiar with our language, but because the words they used were too deep. These instances therefore hindered me from gaining the maximum knowledge I could have achieved in watching the clip. To summarize, although the films had its own set of weaknesses, I still think that this film is effective in telling the life of Rizal, because of its credibility and the plethora of facts presented. That is why I personally recommend this to people who would want to know more about Rizal, because, they would truly learn from it.

Bayaning 3rd World

Contrary to the typical films related to Rizal like the first movie weve watched, Bayaning 3rd World has given another perspective in order to narrate and explain the life Jose Rizal had. They have given another color to the discussion of the man in the Philippine peso coin, which helped me to understand his life in a more inviting and interesting way. Also, they

tackled what are known as historical chismis, which are brought about by the intrigues and speculations in the life of our greatest national hero.

SUMMARY WITH PERSONAL INSIGHTS

The film Bayaning Third World started by defining our national hero, Jose Rizal I was impressed that it is not the one we typically see in most documentaries related to him. In the movie, he was introduced as The Great Malayan, The First Filipino and The National Hero, yet in the end they sarcastically said that he is the person that we know from our birth (as depicted by a match with the picture of Rizal in front of it and a shoe emporium named Rizal) and will continue to know until the day we die (as depicted by the Rizal Funeral Homes). As the film progressed in the debate on what should be topic per se. They have raised many ideas for it: Rizal vs Bonifacio, Rizal, Rizal vs. Flor Contemplacion, Retraction Controversybut later on concluded that the movie aims to investigate on the heroism of Jose Rizal. Also, it raised questions which, although funny, still had sense, like Was Rizal not in favor of the revolution because he was not the one who started it? or Did Josephine Bracken and Rizal had sex? which they aimed to be answered. Aside from that, many important happenings that happened in Rizals life were discussed contrary to the conventional way. First, was his execution in Bagumbayan. This part was introduced by the reenactment of the shooting of Edward Gross and Albert Yearsleys Rizal films. Here, it was clearly discussed that, because of the execution, Philippines was able to gain freedom from Spain. Honestly, I was impressed on how the director was able to use this epic scenario in order to engage the viewers, as well as to incorporate the thoughts that he wants to impart to us. Another thing that they talked about was Josephine Bracken. They described her as childish and sentimental, and even tried to portray her personality through her letter to Rizal in 1896. Also, they questioned her actions after the death of Rizal by saying, Tanga ba talaga o nagtatanga-tangahan lang? through her letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt in 1897. In addition, the narrators tackled about the case she filed against the Rizal family, due to the alleged Last Will and Testament Rizal left to his own family. According to her personal statement, I took them to be like my husband, but I see that I am deceived. Yet, the narrators again questioned her marriage to Rizal, and linked her case to another topic they exposed, which is Brackens marriage to our national hero. In this chapter of the film, actually, I was able to see another perspective of Josephine Bracken, which was depicted in other films as the beautiful and kind Irish lover of Rizal. Here in this film, I was able to see a negative side, which brought me more understanding of her life. After the intertwined J. BrackenMarriage to Rizal discussion they have conducted, they also questioned the reaction of one of Rizals sisters, Trinidad. Here, they tackled about her comments about the Retraction Letter before and after she heard about the letter. In an interview in 1922 about the retraction, she denied that Rizal will ever retract and said, Iyan lamang ay panlilinlang at paninira sa taong patay na. Yet, in an interview two years before her death, she said that no doubt, it is Rizal who wrote the Retraction Letter. This part of the movie helped me

to gain interest to know more about this issue. Also, their debate about the Retraction controversy aroused my interest in learning and understanding the truth behind this controversy. There were a wide variety of issues discussed in the movie. But apart from these controversies they have tackled, one thing that I also liked was their depiction of various characters such as Dona Lolay, and even Rizal himself. In the film, they even debated on how Dona Lolay must be portrayed and acted. On Rizal, they even questioned if the actor Joel Torre is fit for the role, because he is smoking and Rizal doesnt. These silly things, although can be deemed nonsense, still allowed me to gain interest to the movie. In the end, they had a commotion on whether Rizal had truly retracted his two novels. That is why they gave the movie the title Bayaning 3rd World because they think that, if the retraction is true, Rizal had somewhat removed his sense of being the national herobecause he disowned the two novels. Also, they dubbed him as fragile and weak, which added to the definition of the movie title. Yet, in the end, they used the tagline Kanya-Kanyang Rizal, because it is still up to us on what we choose to believe in the whole story of Rizal. To summarize my reaction towards the movie, I can say that, again, it has given another perspective from the usual Rizal that I knew. It has shown me the negative sides of Rizal and the people connected to him, which I dont usually see in the Rizal films. Although their discussion wasnt that clear, I can still say in the end that I have gained a lot of knowledge from the movie. Comparison of the Two Movies Obviously, the two movies, Jos Rizal: Buhay ng Isang Bayani, and Bayaning 3rd World , are binary opposite in terms of revealing the true story behind Rizalone was conventional while the other one was out-of-the-box. Yet, there is only one topic that they wanted to discuss Rizal and his heroism. Personally, I am grateful that these movies were used in our class in order to hasten learning and understanding in class. With their storytelling of Rizals life in two different perspectives, I can say that I am able to know both sides of the storythat I do not only know the story from the perspective of the pro-Rizal. Also, I was amazed that, although both are of different angles, still they were able to tell the whole story of Rizal. To sum all of these wonderful experiences up, I can finally say, that truly, Tayo nga ay may kanya-kanyang Rizal.