Jose Rizal the movie

A. Characters
Cesar Montano ... Jose Rizal
Joel Torre ... Crisostomo Ibarra / Simoun
Jaime Fabregas ... Luis Taviel de Andrade
Gloria Diaz ... Teodora Alonzo
Gardo Versoza ... Andres Bonifacio
Monique Wilson ... Maria Clara
Chin Chin Gutierrez ... Josephine Bracken
Mickey Ferriols ... Leonor Rivera
Pen Medina ... Paciano
Peque Gallaga ... Archbishop Bernardo Nozaleda, OP
Bon Vibar ... Ramon Blanco
Subas Herrero ... Alcocer
Tony Mabesa ... Camilo de Polavieja
Alexis Santaren ... Olive
Chiqui Xerxes-Burgos ... Father Villaclara, SJ
Archie Adamos ... Olive's Aid
Fritz Ynfante ... Anatomy Class Professor
Jhong Hilario ... Prisoner Servant
Gina Alajar ... Saturnina Rizal
Tanya Gomez ... Narcisa Rizal
Tess Dumpit ... Maria Rizal
Irma Adlawan ... Lucia Rizal (as Irma Adlawan-Marasigan)
Angie Castrence ... Josefa Rizal
Rowena Basco ... Trinidad
Kaye Marie June Congmon ... Soledad
Ronnie Lazaro ... Don Francisco Mercado
Dominic Guinto ... Young Rizal
Ping Medina ... Young Paciano
Dennis Marasigan ... Marcelo del Pilar
Gregg de Guzman ... Propagandist
Mon Confiado ... Propagandist
Eddie Aquino ... Propagandist
Manolo Barrientos ... Propagandist
Rolando T. Inocencio ... Propagandist (as Roli Inocencio)
Gilbert Onida ... Propagandist
Jim Pebanco ... Propagandist
Troy Martino ... Propagandist
Kokoy Palma ... Propagandist
Richard Merck ... Propagandist
Jess Evardone ... Propagandist (as Jesusito 'Jess' Evardone)
Marco Sison ... Pio Valenzuela
Joel Lamangan ... Gobernadocillo
Tony Carreon
Noni Buencamino ... Elias
Roeder ... Basilio
Richard Quan ... Isagani
Cristobal Gomez ... Pader Damaso
Nanding Josef ... Antonio Rivera
Ryan Eigenmann ... Fernando
Jon Achaval ... Fraile 1
Cloyd Robinson ... Fraile 2
Marco Zabaleta ... Fraile 3
Ogie Juliano ... Padre Rodriguez
Minco Fabregas ... Padre Sanchez
Shelby Payne ... Fr. March
Pocholo Montes ... Maestro Justiniano
Jesus Diaz ... Madrid Instructor
Karl Meyer ... Belgian Printer
LJ Moreno ... Companion of Josephine Bracken
Bey Vito ... Don Dorolco Onjunco (as Bhey Vito)
Kidlat Tahimik ... La Liga Filipina Guest
Toto Natividad
Richard Guinto
Dominic Guintu ... Young Rizal
Roel Inocencio ... Propagandist
B. Setting

The setting of the movie jose rizal is in calamba laguna and in bagumbayan.

C. Summary

A three-hour epic on the life and struggles of poet and patriot Jose Rizal, the national
hero and martyr of the Philippines, this film was commissioned to mark the 1998
centennial of the country's independence from Spanish colonial rule. Rizal was a
remarkably educated man; not only was he a writer, but he was also a painter, sculptor,
doctor and surgeon, teacher, natural scientist, economist, engineer and theologian. He
was an excellent fencer and marksman; he studied at colleges in Europe, America and
Asia, traveled to many different nations and could speak twenty-two languages. He was a
champion of his country's independence, a Filipino Gandhi who faced the firing squad at
the age of thirty-five for inciting rebellion. He was the instigator of the Philippine
revolution of 1896-98, the first national uprising against a colonial power in Asia. He also
wrote two books, Noli me tangere and El Filibusterismo, which sought to increase his
people's political awareness. Director Marilou Diaz-Abaya deliberately avoids a historical
lesson. The Rizal of her story Cesar Montano is thinking back on his life and writings
from his prison cell in the fortress of Santiago; the characters that appear are a blend of
the real people, friends and enemies as well as those he created in his books. The script is
solid, with a contribution by Diaz-Abaya's long time collaborator, Ricky Lee; the soft
tones of the cinematography helps to create an atmosphere of magic appropriate to the
story of a legendary hero, and the acting by Cesar Montano is quite remarkable. Accused
of treason, Dr. Jose P. Rizal awaits trial and meets with his colonial government-
appointed counsel, Luis Taviel de Andrade. The two build the case and arguments for the
defense as significant events in the central figure's life prior to his incarceration unfold.
Upon hearing Rizal's life story, Taviel begins to realize that the accused is not only
innocent but exhibits in fact all the qualities of an extraordinary man. When the mock
trial unreels, Taviel is all set to act as the prime advocate for his client as Rizal himself is
about to give an earth-moving speech to defend his honor and address his countrymen.
Meanwhile, the Spanish authorities have worked out the vast political machinery to
ensure a guilty verdict. A revolution awaits in the wings.

D. Values Implication
The film is structured in a way that is uncharacteristic for a film that targets the
Philippine masses as its audience. Although narratively straightforward, Jose Rizal is
complexed by flashbacks, short allusions to Rizal's novels, fastforwards, and other
narrative conceits. The result is ultimately confusing and without any background on the
important events in Rizal's life, it would be very easy to get lost. The flashbacks are
initiated by Rizal's two confidantes: the first one is a young prison servant (Jhong
Hilario), to whom Rizal recounts his growing-up years; the more prominent one is Taviel
(Jaime Fabregas), Rizal's defense counsel who slowly befriends the hero while
postulating several questions regarding his motives.

Rizal is played by Cesar Montano with obvious reverence to the national hero. Lines are
delivered with gospel-like fervor. The more silent and contemplative moments will have
Montano daze thoughtfully into space, hoping to elicit some sort of solemn grandeur.
While Montano succeeds in depicting the hero as should be done in this type of biopic,
there is no question that he is upstaged by more seasoned thespians who are more
creative in maximizing the meager roles that are written for them. Fabregas transforms
his Taviel from mere attorney into a friend with believable ease and tenderness. Joel
Torre , who plays Chrisostomo Ibarra, the main character in Rizal's novel, is both tragic
and fearsome. Pen Medina plays Paciano, Rizal's elder brother, with adequate conviction.
Sadly, the film is inconsistent in the acting department: Gardo Verzosa's Andres
Bonifacio is an unconvincing romantic wreck, written as a cardboard cutout of blind
idolatry, although the brash hero is more independent-thinking in real life; Gloria Diaz's
Teodora Alonzo, Rizal's mother, falters with her miscarriage of melodramatic quips and
mannerisms.
Rizal in Dapitan

A. Characters

Albert Martinez - (Jose Rizal)

Amanda Page - (Josephine Bracken)

Roy Alvarez - (Capt. Ricardo Carnicero)

Jimmy Fabregas - (Father Sanchez)

Chris Micelena - (Father Antonio Obach)

Candy Pangilinan - (Maria Rizal)

Tess Dumpit - (Narcisa)

Rustica Carpio - (Teodora Alonzo Rizal)

Junell Hernando - (Joselito)

Paul Holmes - (George Taufer)

B. Setting

One hundred and two years after his death, national hero Jose Rizal - novelist, poet,
essayist, physician, linguist, sculptor and playboy - still casts a long shadow over the
district where he spent the last four years of his life in exile: Dapitan, the verdant, green-
laden Shrine City of Zamboanga del Norte.

C. Summary

The film shows that Rizal was exiled in Dapitan due to the decision of the
government. But despite of sending him out far away he still achieved significant things.
He is really amazing that he continued to practice medicine and even cure the sick people
especially those who have problems with their eyes. Rizal also engaged himself in
farming, agriculture and even building a school for boys, water system and discovering
new specimens. Although he made himself busy for so many things, still he keeps the
correspondence to the family and friends. Rizal can have a rest in Dapitan and can even
give no attention to his past activities but he kept in his heart the things that merely
interest him. Although his life in Dapitan was a bit contented, the problem of Rizal’s
turning back to the Catholic Church was a great issue to the friars. The authority in the
Church gave such conditions that can contribute on making Rizal be part on the Church
like before. The Jesuit even sent Fr. Sanchez to convince Rizal in changing the errors
defined by Rizal in the novel to the Catholic Church and its attack to the Spanish colony.
Even if Fr. Sanchez was his favorite teacher and even considered him as his father, he
really stands in his principle and changes nothing on what he had stated before. In spite
of Fr. Sanchez’s failure in convincing Rizal, this professor respect Rizal’s decision.
Based on this event, it really shows that Rizal is not attacking the Church itself because
there are some other good friars that are not hypocrites and even paid respect to people.
There is a scene in the film that really struck me, when the boys in Dapitan joined the
school of Rizal. If I try to evaluate the condition of Rizal as ex-communicated, the
parents of those boys really gave their trust to Rizal to make their sons be educated and
learn different lessons in life. Even the friars in the place warned the parents to get away
their sons to the sinful beings so that they may be guided in the right path and not the
path of this human evil that obviously referring to Rizal. I just realized that not all
Filipinos before were ignorant and servants of Spaniards because just like some parents
in Dapitan they were conscious of giving education to their children and entered them on
the free school of Rizal with some conditions. This kind of attitude represents courage
and willingness to learn many things not just intellectually but physically and mixed with
recreation. I give my salute to these boys and especially to the consent and trust of the
parents for the sake of their children to go beyond to the field of education and keeping
the sense of motivation despite of financial problem.

                        One of the vital events in Rizal’s life in the Dapitan was the presence of
Josephine Bracken in which they lived together without the matrimonial sacrament and
considered as a disgrace during their time. I’m still a little bit confused with the character
of Joshepine if she’s a spy or if she really loved Rizal. But the important lesson I get from
Rizal in this event of his life is the importance of living a good and peaceful life with the
partner despite of the lack in matrimonial sacrament and the critic of Rizal’s sister, the
friars and other people. For Rizal it is better to live without matrimony but having a
peaceful living rather having a matrimonial sacrament but the couple is always fighting
and the relationship is really chaotic.

                        In the later part of the film Dr. Valenzuela visited Dapitan and brought a
blind man to be cured but the reason for the visit is beyond curing but to solicit Rizal
regarding the plan of revolution under the leadership of Bonifacion. Rizal objected the
bloody revolution for the reasons of lack of arms and funds and the people are not yet
ready for the revolution. There are so many things to prepare for. Rizal is projecting the
consequences it they will pursue it. The Spaniards have better arms and battle equipments
and the soldiers were well trained unlike the members of Katipunan. I think Rizal is not
turning his back to his mission just because of his objection. It is just for him before
conducting a bloody revolution, there must be a plan a big preparation especially to each
member. Also he objected Dr. Valenzuela to rescue him from Dapitan because he gave
his word of honor and promise to the Spanish government and he didn’t want to break it.

D. Values Implication
A complex film within a film that attempts to explore the myth of Philippine national
hero Jose Rizal, director Mike De Leon's study in manufactured mythology attempts to
explore the life of Rizal while simultaneously investigating his influence on modern
Philippine society. It seems that the culture has embraced the idea of a nation icon rather
than the physical reality of the man behind the myth, and director De Leon begins to
study the historical accounts of Rizal's life while attempting to contact the family and
friends that were closest to him. Confounded by the controversial letter of retraction that
Rizal signed in his later days, the filmmakers attempt to uncover the motivation of the
legend in renouncing all he stood for and opting for and embracing the society that he so
vehemently denounced. Soon coming to the end of their search for facts and unable to
solve the mystery of the letter, the filmmakers, at odds with their belief of recorded
history, find that discovering the ultimate truth to the legend may be an unattainable goal.
 3rd World Hero

A. Characters

Joel Torre ... Jose Rizal

Ricky Davao ... Filmmaker 1

Cris Villanueva ... Filmmaker 2

Ed Rocha ... Padre Balaguer

Joonee Gamboa ... Paciano

Daria Ramirez ... Donya Lolay

Rio Locsin ... Trining

Cherry Pie Picache ... Narcisa

Lara Fabregas ... Josephine Bracken

B. Setting

C. Summary

A complex film within a film that attempts to explore the myth of Philippine national
hero Jose Rizal, director Mike De Leon's study in manufactured mythology attempts to
explore the life of Rizal while simultaneously investigating his influence on modern
Philippine society. It seems that the culture has embraced the idea of a nation icon rather
than the physical reality of the man behind the myth, and director De Leon begins to
study the historical accounts of Rizal's life while attempting to contact the family and
friends that were closest to him. Confounded by the controversial letter of retraction that
Rizal signed in his later days, the filmmakers attempt to uncover the motivation of the
legend in renouncing all he stood for and opting for and embracing the society that he so
vehemently denounced. Soon coming to the end of their search for facts and unable to
solve the mystery of the letter, the filmmakers, at odds with their belief of recorded
history, find that discovering the ultimate truth to the legend may be an unattainable goal.

We are a nation fascinated with Jose Rizal — not just his heroism but also his being a
womanizer, his classic hair style and many more. We devour two of his greatest literary
works in secondary schools. We celebrate his birth and execution dates. We have
countless movies relating to Rizal and his works. We even name our streets (Rizal
Avenue, Rizal Province), corporations (RCBC), schools (Rizal High School) and
products after him. There’s even a religion devoted to Rizal and his works. Even the most
well-known place in Laguna is Calamba (Rizal’s hometown), not Santa Cruz which is its
capital.

Despite being subjected to countless scrutinizes by various historians, how well do we

know Rizal? Is it really important to know him adequately since he’s our nation’s symbol
to our fight against four centuries of foreign colonialism?

Bayaning Third World, directed by Mike de Leon, is a mockumentary on making a film

about Rizal. Lots of questions were thrown around and dissected in this feature film that
concern Rizal. Have Rizal really written and signed a retraction letter signifying his
intention to turn back from his beliefs and re-join the Catholic Church? Did he marry
Josephine Bracken? Did he retract so that he can marry Josephine Bracken? (There was
no civil wedding back then.)

These were “discussed” in the film by interviewing various people connected to Rizal for
their points of view. Throughout the film, the filmmakers (Ricky Davao and Cris
Villanueva) asked lots of questions, examined evidences, analyzed various information
they have gotten from their “interviews” and still didn’t reach a conclusion about the
questions they want to clarify right from the start. The more they dug deeper, the more
questions left unanswered popped up. It’s one big loop that mocks the futility of digging
deep down Rizal’s personal life, his inner feelings and motivations.

Cris Villanueva always asks if it’s still relevant to discuss these issues a century after
Rizal’s death. Maybe it is still relevant so that we can have a hero who will not be
anymore subjected to doubts by many scholars — a “flawless” hero so to speak to
maintain Rizal’s legacy to our country.

But what is a hero really? Is there a perfect or flawless hero? Will there ever be an
unblemished hero?

A long time already went by since Rizal’s death. A lot of things have already happened
since 1896. Maybe knowing the complete story is not that important anymore. Rizal is an
image of Filipino intelligence and an inspiration to the youth of today and tomorrow.
Many look up to him. If the truth would tarnish everything that was built and preserved,
maybe it’s not worth pursuing anymore. So what if he retracted his statements and
beliefs? We are already influenced by Rizal in many ways… positively I believe. His
greatness would not be diminished by a mere renunciation since damage was already
inflicted to the colonizers by his works and statements. Nothing will ever change today.

On the technical aspect, this film is superior with its use of black and white (perfect for
the period of time covered by the film), mock commercials and re-creations and parodies
of historic events (e.g. execution of Rizal where he run away from his executors). One
interesting bit of information; the actors did not know they are filming a comedy. This
was done to preserve the authenticity of their acting since not knowing that they’re
filming a comedy, the actors would not force themselves trying to be funny. This strategy
worked excellently for this film as spontaneity and zest were preserved throughout the
film.

D. Values Implication

Explain the mysteries in the hero's life lead them to confront the past and its
characters. This Odyssey towards the elusive thruth shows us their face to face
encounters with Rizal's mother, brother, Josephine Bracken, Rizal sisters and Padre
Balaguet, the Jesuit who writes about Rizal's final hours.
The final segment of the film dubbed as “Kanya-Kanyang Rizal” conveyed that we
know Rizal in lots of different ways. Depending on who we ask, a different “version” of
Rizal will always be told. It’s like history in general, where even in the presence of
various pieces of evidences there would always be some room for a historian’s opinion to
enter his discussion. What would history become without discussions and debates? A
mere collection of information regarding and records of the past. It’s an endless cycle,
almost futile, but not entirely useless since it encourages us to think within our own
minds.