Roevan Keif C.

Intal
History A0A

“Reaction Paper”
“Baler”

The film is based on the historical event known as "The Siege of Baler,"
where 57 Spanish soldiers held fort in the town of Baler for almost one year
(October 1898 to June 1899) during the final moments of the Spanish occupation
in the Philippines. The film's story is actually a romance between a Filipino-
Spanish soldier (played by Jericho Rosales) and a Filipina Baler native (played
by Anne Curtis). The Romeo & Juliet-inspired love story is given a "romance in
the time of war" twist.

I can say that Baler is already the best movie in the film festival, the
craftsmanship is definitely there. There were nice shots of the Baler town in its
rural glory and the acting of Jericho Rosales and Anne Curtis is commendable.
Even the supporting cast of Philip Salvador, Carlo Aquino, Rio Locsin, Nikki
Bacolod and Mark Bautista had strong performances in the film.

However, I do have my scene picks: First and foremost is the flimsy

production of the Baler church where the Spanish soldiers held fort. It didn't look
authentic at all and you could see how unreal it was. Second is the miscast of Anne
Curtis as Feliza, the lead female character. I was wondering if there other actresses
with better Filipina physical features that were more appropriate for the role. And
finally, as the film wanted to be authentic to the historical events, the movie
dragged on from the middle towards the end as the film tried to show the boredom
and hopelessness of the Spanish soldiers as they were holed up for more than 300
days.

Baler is a good addition to the list of Philippine war epic films. And in a film
festival filled with movies that aim to be commercial successes, Baler looks to be a
critical and creative triumph.