HENERAL LUNA

Directed by: Jerold Tarog

The film "Heneral Luna" is one of the most engaging historical films ever

made, as well as one of the most expensive Filipino epic historical films ever

released in the Philippines. It was directed by Jerold Tarog and produced by Artikulo

Uno Production. It surpassed the Php 160 million mark to become the highest-

grossing Filipino historical film of all time, and it was nominated for Best Foreign

Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards. The film's nationwide general release
in the Philippines began on September 9, 2015. It is a historical, biopic, action film

that depicts Heneral Antonio Luna's leadership as he and his troops fight against the

Americans. Heneral Luna, played by John Arcilla, is a short-tempered but patriotic

man. Mon Confiado as Emilio Aguinaldo, Epi Quizon (Apolinario Mabini), Nonie

Buencamino (Felipe Buencamino), and Aaron Villaflor (Joven Hernandez). The

scenario, which took place during the Philippine-American War in 1898, depicts

General Antonio Luna's rise and fall as he fights for his country's freedom.

Heneral Antonio Luna, also known as Heneral Luna, was a European-

educated scientist-turned-soldier who was appointed as the commander of several

brigades in the Filipino army. The film began with Joven Hernando (Aaron Villaflor),

a fictitious newspaper journalist, requesting an interview with Heneral Luna, which

the Heneral granted. The film moved on to the war after that scene. An on-screen

text was flashed at the beginning of the film, stating that the larger truths about

Filipino societies can only be revealed by combining reality and fiction. It was in this

scene that the character said one of the most iconic lines in the Philippine industry —

“Malaking trabaho and pagkaisahin and bansang walk-walk… Mas madali mo pang

pagkasunduin ang langit at lupa kaysa dalawang Pilipino sa aligning bagay” which is

evident in the whole movie because it can be seen that he has struggled a lot to

keep all the Filipinos united against the Americans. Luna has been a terror general

throughout the film, using vulgar language to express his emotions, which is one of

the reasons why his fellow soldiers despise him. Luna's pride and "self-importance"

are the reasons why his fellow Filipinos murdered him.

It is with no doubt that Heneral Luna earned millions. The original script from

1998 was well-revised, allowing Filipino youth to easily relate to the plot. The pool of
artists who played in the film may not be as well-known as the other Filipino actors

we see in theaters, but we can say that the way they portrayed their respective roles

gave the film more life and meaning. It's amazing how Tarog used the film as a tool

to reveal larger truths about Filipinos, such as how their biggest enemy has been

their selves, and the "cycle of betrayal," rather than colonialization.

Heneral Antonio Luna, played by John Arcillas, has a zesty performance that

brings to life Luna's reputation for inspiring both undying loyalty and enduring enmity.

On the loyalty side of the equation, he is surrounded by a well-written and performed

portrait of supporters such as Gen. Jose Alejandrino (Alvin Alson), Col. Francisco

Romas (Joem Bascom), and Capt. Jose Bernal (Alex Medina). On the other hand,

Ketchup Eusebio nails his portrayal of Capt. Pedro Janolino, a smarmy young officer

whose refusal to obey Luna plays a critical role in the general's and the war's

fortunes. Despite having little screen time, Mylene Dizon (“Aparisyon”) shines as Red

Cross worker Isabel, a fictional amalgamation of several women Luna was known to

be involved with. We are impressed by the artist's characterization, the way they

portray, their style, and how their emotion is conveyed throughout their movements.

Furthermore, the film's realistic setting gave the audience the impression that it was

shot during the Philippine-American War. Some scenes in Heneral Luna use black

and white to draw attention to the main characters. They also used vintage colors,

giving viewers the impression that they are watching something from the past. It also

adds to the beauty of the film, in which some events can be compared to the era

when the events unfolded. We noticed some lightning effects such as in the battle

between America and the Filipino, the explosions and lights coming from the guns

the film a realistic to the viewers. Overall, the film was engaging its visual effects up

to the characterization and emotions the t movie is worth watching.

 The director and his team infused it with humor and war, keeping it interesting

rather than boring. The entire film's atmosphere was superbly portrayed; it depicts

political machinations and political infighting when the battle is not present, from the

perspective of General Luna and his collaborators. This film also captivates you with

its cinematography; some of the images on the big screen had such vibrant colors

and innovative camera angles. Different types of camera shots are used in the film to

emphasize the different scenes. In the scene where Heneral Luna rides the horse

and dash towards the Americans, they used a long shot there. It emphasized the

scene, Luna seemed so brave riding the horse amid bullets raining down on him.

Changing the types of camera shots several times at the same time provides a

different experience and emotion. When combined with the camera angles used, the

flow and drama of the film are very conveying. During the murder of Heneral Luna,

multiple camera angles are used at the same time to convey various emotions.

The editing and effects are very clean and meticulously planned; they

removed modern elements such as electric wires from houses and other

backgrounds shots on location, and they changed modern details such as shingles

on buildings to match the period. They used digital extensions, particularly the ships

in the scene of the Americans arriving in Manila, which were made digitally crafting

the specific effect to match the events in the film, making the film more realistic to

watch and capturing the attention of the viewers. The theme song of the film is in the

title "Hanggang Wala Nang Bukas" which is written and sang by Ebe Dancel, which

clearly illustrates the film's message of hope, courage, and passion. The melody of

the song that depicts the hopeful yet tragic story of Heneral Luna is presented. The

rest of the soundtracks was performed by Jerrold Tarog which gives intense
conveying emotions that are perfectly mixed with the scenes and momentum and

have its emphasis.

Although we can say that "Heneral Luna" is a fantastic film, we can't deny that

there are always things that could have been done better. We discovered some

historical inaccuracies in the film after reading some reviews and historical records.

First, President Aguinaldo is portrayed in the film as a clueless and dormant leader

who appears to be protecting the Americans. Second, there was a scene in the

movie where it showed that the Filipinos ‘won' the Battle of Santo Tomas, which

contradicted history because it was the Americans who won, with only two

casualties. And lastly, Luna was killed on June 05, 1899, during his funeral in the

movie, it is shown that Mabini is still holding a position of leadership. It opposes the

records because Mabini resigned from the government a month earlier. Luna was

killed on June 5, 1899, and during his funeral in the film, it is shown that Mabini is still

in charge. It is opposed to the records because Mabini resigned from the

government less than a month ago.

General Luna taught us to be brave, to never be afraid to fight for what is right

and just, and to keep our nationalist selves alive at all times. The excellent

performances of the actors, as well as the plot, are reason enough to see the film.

The film portrays its ability to emphasize history without sacrificing the human

aspects of emotions, and it also demonstrates that we require a leader like Gen.

Luna who is willing to give his/her life for the sake of his/her country; fighting for our

nation; fighting for our freedom. The film is highly recommended for young people to

raise their awareness and knowledge about what the hero did and how it inspired our

fellow citizens.
GROUP 9

Piad , Divine

Pineda , Mae Ann

Rimpos , Rolly

Roda , Merrie Joy

Sabaysabay , Mark Vincent