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PI100-Section 13

Comparative Movie Review

Rizal Sa Dapitan and Jose Rizal

The life of our national hero during his 4-year exile in the isolated region of Dapitan is
depicted in the film "Rizal sa Dapitan" . Rizal was highlighted in the film by Tikoy Aquiluz as a
talented and well-educated guy rather than a heroic figure, including an engineer, doctor,
teacher, sculptor, scientist, and many more. Here, Rizal was depicted as leading a
straightforward existence as a person who was both normal and imprisoned and who had a
romantic relationship with an Irish woman named Josephine Bracken.

As most individuals only understood Rizal as a hero, this representation of his exile in
Dapitan was excellent and provided something different for the audience to witness. The
director wanted to give viewers a thorough grasp of Rizal; he wanted to put in Filipinos' minds
the idea that the national hero was also a man with a wide range of experiences and skills. With
a genuine "what if" premise, Rizal sa Dapitan is totally the product of the filmmaker and
scriptwriter's imagination. An authentically fascinating and educational look into the life of the
Filipino who is most well-known in the country.

The technical components are always crucial to the success of movies and screenplays.
The fundamental mechanics that are examined and reviewed include elements like casting,
writing, and music. The movie's casting was done with precision. A more realistic film has been
created by integrating the actors and actresses. Because of his formal movements and solid
posture, Albert Martinez did a fantastic job portraying Rizal. Throughout the movie, Rizal gave
the impression of being the eminent genius that he actually is.

Regarding Josephine's nationality, Amanda Page did a fantastic job portraying her role as
Josephine Bracken. Teodora Alonso, Maria, Narcisa, and a number of other personalities played
supporting roles to these main characters, helping to mold Rizal into the admirable person he is
today. Since the facts were presented in a formal manner, the script was superb. The music
selections were excellent since they enhanced the drama and realism of the moments.

One issue I had with the movie was that when Albert said his lines, some of it was unclear
and made me confused about the action. Another weakness is the scene with Pablo Mercado.
As we recall from the movie, he introduced himself to Rizal as a member of his nuclear family,
and got into a battle with him since he was supposed to be killed. Yet, the actual historical
context did not involve a conflict. According to books,, Rizal extends the customary Filipino
hospitality, giving Pablo Mercado a place to rest and a chance to talk in the moonlight. Then, at
dawn, he permitted Mercado to leave his home. He informed Captain Juan Sitges, who was then
serving as the district captain of Dapitan, of the incident after learning that Mercado was still in
Dapitan. He reported that he was suspicious of a man who was impersonating his relative
(Arcilla, 2001).

The captain finally took action and delegated Anastacio Adriatico to handle the inquiry.
They discovered that Mercado's real identity is Florencio Namanan, a spy for the Recollect friars
who was sent to read Rizal's letter to his Filipino compatriot. Namanan is then detained, but
Captain Sitges later releases the spy after a few days. Rizal, however, sent a letter to his family in
Manila to let them know. Manuel Hidalgo, the brother-in-law, talking about what happened to
him and the espionage. Rizal was not harmed by the impostor's threats of death or physical
conflict (Arcilla, 2001).

The usage of video production brought the movie back into the Century, therefore the
cinematography was excellent. The movie as a whole was a harmonious combination of all of its
flaws, which led to a meticulously planned result. The film's various elements have done a great
job of enlightening the current generation's naive thinking. The information regarding what
transpired to Rizal in Dapitan has. For viewers like me, this would be a useful method to
comprehend the backdrop of Rizal's exile in Dapitan because it would have been conveyed as
factually as possible.

Rizal is unique in that he would not want to live somewhere that would prevent him from
contributing to his country in any way. Even though living in exile, he was still able to construct a
home, a clinic that welcomed both the rich and the poor, and a school with 16 students. Rizal
met Josephine Bracken, the final woman of his life, at Dapitan. As a result of Rizal's refusal to
recant his views and everything he had spoken against the church, the church forbade him from
marrying her.

On the other hand, Jose Rizal is a three-hour epic film produced to commemorate the
100th anniversary of the nation's independence from Spanish colonial authority in 1998. Jose
Rizal, portrayed by Cesar Montano, is introduced in the film as a well-known writer and linguist
who is fluent in more than 20 languages in 1891. He commits to writing about the abuse
perpetrated by dishonest priests against the Filipino people while they were subject to the
tyranny of Spanish rule. The writings of Rizal inspire the Filipino people, but the Spanish
government scorns them and swears to put an end to the Filipino uprising.

Jose was first introduced in the film as Pepe when he was a little toddler. While he is a
young boy, his mother is wrongfully detained and sentenced to two years in prison for
attempted murder. Early on, instructors noticed him because of his intelligence and skill as a
writer. He challenges a college professor who said that Spanish are superior to Filipinos when he
was a young guy. Once Jose begins bringing up the subject of Filipino independence, Filipino
students begin fighting Spanish pupils. Rewinding to 1896, Jose is apprehended, tried, and his
publications are outlawed.

The movie then alternates between Jose's ascent to revolutionary fame and his subsequent
demise during his trial. Rizal spent a lot of time in Madrid while he was a student, but he soon
grew disillusioned with Spain's control of Filipino territory and its treatment of Filipino
nationals. The mayor of Madrid is detained and tarnished for possessing a book by Rizal. In
1896, there is a bloody uprising, which Jose opposes because he views it as a collective suicide.
Rewind to the trial, there is a lot of pressure on Jose's defense team because some accuse them
of betraying their client by defending the rebel.

The fact that Jose had fathered a kid who had passed away soon after birth is revealed in a
flashback, adding to his internal sorrow as he buried his only son. His writings are scrutinized
and critiqued during the trial for taking a pro-Filipino position against Spanish imperialists. He is
judged guilty of inciting a rebellion by his writing and speech, and as a result, he is given a firing
squad death sentence. The script is strong and Cesar Montano's acting is also extremely
impressive. The gentle tones of the cinematography serve to create an aura of magic fitting to
the story of a famous hero. Before being put to death, he slips a verse to his family and
exclaims, "It is done! " (Mañebog,2020). A full-fledged uprising is just getting started. The
Filipino flag was joyfully raised two years later, in 1898, as the populace commemorates its
freedom.

Sacrificing your own life while unsure of whether all of your other sacrifices will be
worthwhile was a very brave thing to do. According to the movie's conclusion, I may infer that
Rizal acted out of love—love for his family and countrymen—and that he did not regret
sacrificing things that were significant to him in order to support our nation. Regarding the life
and accomplishments of our national hero, I was personally uninterested. Yet, after seeing the
movie, I was able to appreciate his sacrifices for our nation even more. If I am to choose which
of the two is better, I would say it is the Jose Rizal (1998) movie as it has given me the whole
picture of the life and story of Rizal.

References:

Arcilla, J. (2001). Philippine Studies: Rizal and Poltergeists in Dapitan. Ateneo de Manila
University. http://www.philippinestudies.net/ojs/index.php/ps/article/download/402/406

Mañebog, J. (2020). Jose Rizal’s Last 25 Hours: Eventful, Dramatic, Historic.

https://myinfobasket.com/jose-rizals-last-25-hours/