Reflection paper 

about the film

Guide Questions:
1. Describe the life of Jose Rizal as represented in the film.
2. What can you say about the film’s representation of Jose Rizal?
3. What is the main question that the film seeks to answer?
RIZAL IN DAPITAN 1997
(Reflection paper)
Rizal appears to be pleased to live a tranquil life in the province in the film. People in
Dapitan saw him as a hero, adoring and respecting him. The young were eager to follow him, to
learn what he had to teach them, and to follow what he had to say. Rizal has my admiration for
his medical abilities in that primitive period with limited instruments and medications, offering
free treatment to his patients despite the fact that the majority of them were poor. His communal
initiatives, such as the water system and lighting system, aided the town greatly. In Dapitan, he
worked as a farmer, a merchant, a scientist, and an inventor. For the most part, Rizal's life was
going well, though there were still some who wanted to hurt him.
Things became complex when a certain woman entered Rizal's life, Josephine Bracken,
who was bringing her blind, adoptive father to seek medical help from Rizal. Rizal and Bracken
immediately became friends, but Bracken's father intervened. The father and daughter returned to
Hong Kong, but Bracken returned later to pursue a relationship with Rizal. They married in their
own private ceremony without the permission of the Church, consummating their union, and
Bracken fell pregnant soon after. Maria, Rizal's sister, is wary of Josephine, accusing her of
being another Church operative. Rizal confronts Bracken about it, becomes enraged, and
punches her in the face. Bracken gives birth to a stillborn kid, which Rizal mournfully burys on
his property. Apart from his normal calm and bold manner, we could see his weakened status in
his interactions with Bracken.
Rizal's life in Dapitan was mostly boring, however there are a few brilliant sequences
sprinkled throughout the film. The plot has no real pull in the early sections because Rizal has no
issue to cope with. When Bracken entered the picture, things started to get intriguing, although
even that seems a little weak. Rizal also comes out as a little too flawless, capable of doing
everything he sets his mind to and fully adored by his peers. There were some fantastic
performances from the cast, but there were also some terrible ones. Amanda Page's delivery was
off-kilter. Albert Martinez was adequate, despite the fact that the role he played lacked depth.
Rizal's territory is vast. Much about Rizal's life in Dapitan and Josephine Bracken's life and
intentions are still unknown, but there is a sense that this film tried to get as close to the truth as
possible, enlisting a large team of researchers and writers to ensure that they got everything right,
and for that alone, the film deserves admiration and respect.