Noli Me Tangere

Reflection

The novel of Jose Rizal entitled Noli Me Tangere is an eye opener to Filipinos to
love our country and to fight for our freedom and for what is right for human rights. The
title means “Touch Me Not” which I believed to be about the oppression and tyranny
that Filipinos are experiencing during that time. As I went through the film, I was brought
back to the days were the Spaniards colonized the Philippines. Even though I was not
born yet that time but the essence of the movie made me present during those times.

Putting myself on the shoes of Crisostomo Ibarra, it was very hard times for him
because his enemies are powerful that it could influence everything around them. He
was educated and responsible man but he was put into a situation wherein his life was
ruined and his reputation was stained. He just wanted to help through building a school
to address the issue of poverty and education but he was not given a chance to fulfill it.
It was a very sad movie because there are a lot of people who suffered from injustices
in the hands of the powerful Spaniards even the Friars. The Filipinos were suffering
especially the poor ones because they are not given the chance to be educated, they
were also fooled.

This movie is a reminder for us Filipinos, about the lives of the people during the
colonization period. It is a reminder of the hardships of our heroes especially the writer
himself, Jose Rizal. The novel is a clear picture of what really happened back then. It
showed us a glimpse of the gap between the rich and the poor, and between the natives
and the Spaniards. There were a lot of suffering from our part; our natives were abused
in their own land. This is what Jose Rizal wanted us to see, wanted us to realize that
their lives were not that easy.

I was amazed by how this novel really captured my attention even before I
watched the movie. Hearing about others opinions and review of this movie is a
manifestation of how proud I am as a Filipino. I was able to see how our fellow
countrymen were able to fight for their freedom even at the expense of their lives. It was
fantastic as it is not just all about romance but is also about the love for our country and
for our fellow countrymen.