MENESE, DIANNA JOY M.

10 JULY 2022

INTERSEMESTER 2022 LIFE, WORKS, AND WRITINGS OF RIZAL

RIZAL IN DAPITAN (1997)

Rizal in Dapitan is a 1997 film depiction of the biography of Filipino national hero
Dr. Jose Rizal, starring Albert Martinez as Jose Rizal and Amanda Page as Josephine
Bracken, written by Pete Lacaba. Jose Rizal (Martinez) was exiled in Dapitan in 1892 and
began adapting to his new surroundings. From 1892 until 1896, Dr. Jose Rizal was exiled
in Dapitan. This was his final four years. Dapitan was his prison cell. He constantly
compared his confinement to "a wonderful cage”. This was Rizal's longest jail sentence.
He felt so disoriented at those moments, yet he did not lose his mind. Even while there,
he continued to research and learn new things. He maintained his communication with
his friends, scientists, and physicians outside the country. His existence there was as
simple as a simple guy could dream for, a house on the beach with everything you need
provided. Rizal is different, he would not want to be in a position where he could not help
his nation.

Rizal intended to use his abilities to better Dapitan and to raise social awareness
among the locals. He built the town's first water system, which takes its water from a small
mountain stream across the river from Dapitan and follows the slope for the entire
distance. Rizal desired for improvements and reforms, as well as assimilation. He desired
that Filipinos be granted the privileges that they deserved. He chose not to initiate a
revolution because he recognized that the Philippines was not yet able to stand on its
own during his time. He utilized his liberal beliefs to advocate for the reforms. Despite not
supporting the revolution, he did help to it in certain ways since his works and writings
were the foundation of the revolution; he was the inspiration for the Katipuneros at the
time. One day, he met George Taufer's adoptive daughter, Josephine Bracken.
Josephine traveled to the Philippines with his stepfather to consult with Rizal. Because
Rizal was unable to heal Bracken's father, she departed with the promise of returning to
the Philippines. Bracken kept her word. Rizal and Bracken agreed to marry. They
requested that the priest bless and marry them. They decide to marry but are denied a
Church wedding due to political reasons. The Priest was hesitant to give them what they
both desired unless Rizal reverted to the Catholic Church. They were married despite the
fact that they did not have the presence of a priest. Despite early objections from Rizal's
family, the couple settles for a common-law marriage and had a stillborn son named
Francisco. Josephine became a nice wife to Rizal by supporting him, and in exchange,
Rizal took excellent care of her and loved her. Their relationship was going well until Rizal
discovered Bracken's unfaithfulness, which triggered a conflict that resulted in her
miscarriage.
 The technological components will always play an important role. The
cinematography was excellent since the effects employed transported the audience back
in time. The movie as a whole was a beautiful combination of all its flaws that resulted to
a well-ordered product. The many components of the film have been an effective way in
educating the current generation about the past of our country and the contributions of
our national hero in bringing the Philippines to the Filipinos. The information about what
occurred to Rizal in Dapitan has been conveyed as accurately as possible, and this will
undoubtedly be an effective approach for viewers like students to comprehend the life of
Rizal during his exile in Dapitan.

The film's casting was also done greatly. Actors and actresses have been formed
to enhance a more realistic view. Albert Martinez's portrayal of Rizal was remarkable due
to his hardness in motions and formality that really looks like Rizal. In the film, Rizal
seemed to be a prominent thinker, as he is in real life. Amanda Page's performance as
Josephine Bracken was equally notable, especially given Josephine's nationality,
Amanda delivered her lines very well. Overall, the actors performed very well. These
important personalities have been supported by Teodora Alonso, Maria, Narcisa, and
many more supporting charcters who have contributed to Rizal's development.

There is a sense that this film attempted to get as near to the truth as possible,
recruiting a great team of researchers and writers to ensure that they got everything
correct, and for that reason alone. That is why the film deserves to be admired and
respected. The narrative was obvious throughout the film, and the actors brought their
roles to life. I felt like I was transported back in time. I realize that the lights and equipment
used at the time were not as good as the equipment used now, which is why some scenes
are not visible and the quality is low. I also noticed that the effects applied during editing
were not as clean as the editors of our time. The film is so vintage that you can tell it was
shot many years ago. My only suggestions for the film since this was a film in 1997, is to
make the lines clearer so that viewers may easily understand the characters' exchange
of lines. There are times that Albert’s words are not precise, maybe the microphone is not
good, but I recommend that they made Albert say the lines in a clearer way or they put
subtitles under the screen, so it is easier to comprehend the lines. But overall, the Rizal
in Dapitan was a great educational movie that should be watched Filipinos to be aware
about the life, sufferings, and sacrifices of our national hero.