Cristel Mica I.

Bernardo 2-BSMT-1

Movie Analysis: Jose Rizal (1998)

Jose Rizal always has a remarkable impression in me ever since I was a child
because of the very prestige title associated with that name. It made me think of him as
a star that shines in the night sky, someone very known, shines with his own light,
remembered and adored by many, thus making him an exemplar that is very much
different from me, a typical teenager. As I was reading the book which narrates every
detail of Rizal’s life and upon watching the movie giving a more vivid picture of Rizal and
as well as the difficult life of every Filipinos during the Spanish regime, I realized that Rizal
is no different from us. He was once an ordinary young boy who made himself
extraordinary. His intelligence and his burning desire of freedom for his countrymen made
a really good combination which led to the freedom we are all enjoying now.
The movie not only narrates the life of Rizal alone, but his two famous novels: Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, in a series of clips relating fiction from reality. Rizal
believes in the importance of education which was shown in the movie. He pursued higher
education not to enjoy a glory for himself alone, but a shared glory with his countrymen
who were living in threats and oppressions. He used his intelligence as a weapon to
change the system in the Philippines for over 300 years. Some youth nowadays take
education for granted. They see education and learning as a burden, they kept on
complaining instead of enjoying the privilege that were given to them because not
everyone can afford to go to school. Rizal is a worthy example to the youth for his
dedication and perseverance to attain excellency in education despite of the struggles
along the way. Injustice also happen in the realm of Education just like what happened to
Rizal under the Dominican instructors. Rizal is an excellent and gifted student but he was
discriminated because of his race, they were also restricted to use equipment that could
help them grasp concepts better. A self-centered person would have enjoyed his
successful life alone as a career man but Rizal did not. He is a doctor, one profession
that is glorified by many people, but he ended up in a prison cell because of his intent to
liberate Filipinos and to be treated the same way as the Spaniards. He chose nothing
over a gold spoon, but that decision of him turned nothing into something, and that
something is the freedom we are enjoying right now. This is one realization that education
should not be seen only as an avenue for career development but an opportunity to learn
and to make valuable things out of one’s learning.
The movie made me furious because of the Spanish rulers who manipulate
Filipinos and made them suffer in their own land. Why do they have to pay taxes to the
Dominicans for using our own land? Why do they have to feel unsafe in their homes?
Why can’t they prosper and make the most of our own resources? They sleep with fear
and woke up with another fear of what possible injustices that could happen to them or
their fellow Filipinos under the rule of the Spaniards. Pepe, even as a young boy, had
realized the ruthless and the harsh realities every Filipinos experienced during the
Spanish regime. This fueled him to pursue higher education to liberate his countrymen
from the cruel Spaniards.
Rizal left a huge responsibility to the youth because he believes that we are the
hope of the fatherland. It gives us a sense of responsibility to be a worthwhile recipient of
the freedom all our heroes fought for. We should not let all those sacrifices and lives that
were lost in vain. Being a law abiding citizen who respects individualities and helps one
another is a little effort compared to what Filipinos did and risked before. Other than the
famous names that were written in every history books lies other Filipinos who willingly
risked their lives in order for the future generations to be free from oppressions and
discriminations. The movie Rizal proved to us that violence is not the only way to attain
one’s political advocacy. The Philippine Administration should enforce and execute laws
in accordance with Rizal’s peaceful political advocacy because laws are made to protect
the people and not to harm them.
Many centuries had passed but the message of Rizal’s works is still timely and
relevant up to this day. We may be free from colonizers but what enslaves us today is our
own mentality. We are blinded and being invaded by foreign influences and culture but
we are not doing anything about it. We should preserve our culture because those are
the marks of our liberty. The Philippines is now in threat for another foreign invader. May
the heroism of our national hero remind our honorable president on what we should focus
on, what we should fight for, and what we should protect. No more brutal killings and no
more bloody campaign because Filipinos should not fight fellow Filipinos. Let Rizal’s
peaceful political advocacy live on. Philippines is our home, made possible by our heroes,
and our fellow Filipinos are our family not a foe.