ALABA, ABEGAIL JANE C.

ART APPRECIATION
BAPHS 2-1 SIR ELMER GARCIA
HENERAL LUNA
The General Luna film portrays our history; the plot revolves around General
Antonio Luna, one of the finest generals to lead the Philippines under American
occupation. The movie will provide insight into historical events. The film is great not
just because of the lessons it shares, but also because of its stunning cinematography,
lighting, script, and props/backdrop influenced by the historical period shown.
The film's cinematography is more engaging since it employs unusual camera
framing and perspectives that blend well with the film's backdrop. I noticed that they use
a lot of wide-angle shots throughout the film, as well as deep focus, to depict the scene
properly. Especially in general meetings to outdoor scenes, even while Luna is talking to
his troops, the focus is nearly always on the entire scene rather than just a few
individuals, except when just two people are conversing, in which case they receive a
close-up picture.
The script has truly been outstanding. Many sentences resonated with me, and I
grew to love our culture even more, hoping to find a way to grow together. The
discussions demonstrated that the word is powerful and can bring about change for
everyone, whether good or harmful. The director's production is brilliant since he was
able to experience the events that occurred throughout Antonio Luna's time. All of the
characters in this film are excellent and suit to characters' descriptions. Each character's
emotion has a significant role in the overall quality of this film.
They depend significantly on natural lighting rather than artificial lighting because
the majority of the sequences were shot in daylight. As we know candles were the only
source of their light back then. The lighting on the set simply enhances the chosen light
source, ensuring that the shot does not appear gloomy. We all realize how odd it is for a
candle to be this bright in a scenario, yet it seems normal to us since it is also what we see
in reality. Being a historical film, the objects and set must be as authentic as possible. I
didn't see a problem with that aspect of the film because it was well-crafted and executed.
The establishing shots provide a complete picture of the setting, highlighting the epoch of
American colonialism. I admire the attention to detail in constructing the set and props,
from their attire to the weapons of the time. It seems like you're in a time of our history.
The overall film was great as it shows how our heroes and ordinary Filipinos fight
for the freedom that we have now. I am impressed by how John Arcilla's “Heneral Luna”
will get carried away and experience goosebumps with the words and emotions he puts in
the scenarios. The film highlighted how cooperation between authorities and the people
plays an important role in our growth. They should be able to meet the requirements of
the public while dealing with societal issues. If politicians think solely about themselves,
the masses will continue to suffer.
ALABA, ABEGAIL JANE C. ART APPRECIATION
BAPHS 2-1 SIR ELMER GARCIA
DILIM
This is a horror film featuring Kylie Padilla. This is the story of Marites, a nursing
student who rents an apartment for college and meets Mia, who is dead but still appears
to her. Marites has a strong mind, and his anxiety starts when he hears crying sounds in
her apartment right after the landlord leaves her to go to the province and when she sees
Mia's friend, who is also dead. Marites became curious about what happened to Mia and
her companion, she asked the people near where he was renting to find clues on what
happened to Mia so that she could help Mia and her friend get to the so-called "Heaven"
Because this is a horror story, I believe the lighting is appropriate, as it is required
in these films to use dark light to increase the tension. However, it is not scary to me, and
I believe something is lacking that may scare the viewers more. Consider the backdrop of
this, such as the double decks in each room and the cubicle in the restroom since it is a
dormitory. Because Marites is in Manila, we will notice numerous individuals selling
items, such as vendors, and there are several cafeterias. It can be observed that Marites is
actually in the city.
In my overall watching of the film, I can state that something needs to be added,
particularly at the end of the movie, when the only thing that happened was that the two
ladies got the two men who killed them, and the film ended. It was not revealed whether
the two ladies who were killed received justice; did Marites give it to them? What
happened to Marites after what the two guys did to them? It is also shown here that her
friend was shot, but no proper ending was provided. A movie's finale raises many issues.
It seems like it was rushed and no work was done to make this ending beautiful.