VARGAS, WESLEY MARCEL B.

2COM-4 LIWORIZ

I. ANG BAYANING THIRD WORLD

With its take on Dr. Jose Rizal intertwining with magic realism, “Ang Bayaning Third World”
takes a look into the life and world of Rizal with the writings left through his time. From letters to
his family, to his great novels that now is said to have struck the first strike to start the revolution,
two directors look into what makes, or made Rizal The Philippines’ National hero. The two
directors explored Rizal in the perspectives of the people close or associated with him, seemingly
having a conversation directly to the persons in interest as they read the primary sources while
research and debating about the who’s and what’s of Rizal. As the film starts with two directors
trying to create a film around Rizal yet don’t know how to approach or present Rizal in their film,
going back and fourth with Rizal with nationalism or Rizal with Bonifacio, They then settle with
questioning Rizal as a National hero. Now they start going into the life of Rizal and slowly start to
discover questions that further confuse their perception of Rizal and their story for their film.As
they figure out what Rizal is all about , there they start “interviewing” the people in the Life of
Rizal starting with his mother, Theodora Mercado. She talkings about Rizal’s spiritual status and
how his journey of truth has slowly clouded his judgment on reality. Next they speak with Rizal’s
brother, Paciano. He talks about Rizal’s drive for the freedom of the Filipinos from the spaniards
saying that Rizal was ready for the revolution however didn’t want for it to be violent. Then the
story goes to a lady that Rizal met at Dapitan, and that lady was Josephine Braken, Rizal’s most
famous lovers. The directions challenged the notion of if Josephine Braken really did marry Rizal
or if he really did love her. With more accounts open for the directors disposal, they now went into
Rizal’s retraction statement and also questioned its integrity and authenticity, if the text was honest
with the signatory was forged or fake by the church, or if the statement was fake altogether, They
get into a very heated argument about this before meeting with the two sisters of Rizal, Narcisa
and Trinidad. Narcisa was the only sibling of Rizal that sided with Josephine as Rizal’s lover, and
Narcisa also added to the conversation about Rizal retraction. Narcisa then talks about Rizal’s
place in the revolution and that Rizal became the flag barer of the uprising, without him even
knowing, or without him approving of the depiction of his image. Afterwards they talk to Trinidad,
and her confusing point of view about the retraction statement, at first clear and consistent then as
she ages her statements become more and more questionable, puzzling the filmmakers even more
about Rizal’s Retraction. The directors are coming up to a dead end and now is thinking about the
idea of Rizal ever wanting to be in the position of a National Hero, but in quest to get to the bottom
of the retraction statement they now converse with Padre Balaguer, A priest that was with Rizal
on his final days. He talks about Rizal going back to Christianity and his efforts to connect to God
before his last day on earth, however this perspective was clearly biased and the directors was not
convinced with anything this account, getting no new information about the retraction statement.
Then they are faced with the aftermath of Rizal’s death and the family trying to cope with the lose
of their Son and Brother, and for Josephine, A husband, or assumed husband as expressed by the
filmmakers. As they slowly start to gain traction with their topic, The director now meet with Rizal
himself and they bombard him with questions only to be met with not the actual Rizal, but an
image of Rizal that they built for themselves, an image that is only there to serve them a purpose.
The film then closes with the two directors agreeing that they cannot continue on this film,
expressing that there it too much grey area and holes to possibly make a comprehensive movie for
the public, then it ends with the statement that there is many forms of Rizal by everyone, but the
most popular will always be, Jose Rizal; The Philippines’ National Hero.

This movie was made under “Solar Films” and started by Ricky Davao and Cris Villagracia as the
two main characters exploring the life of Rizal, The actors and actresses who played the important
people in Rizal and the following, also in order of appearance in the film; Daria Ramirez (Theodora
Alonzo), Lara Fabergas (Josephine Braken), Joonee Gamboa (Paciano), Rio Locsin (Trinidad),
Cherry Pie Picache (Narcisa), . Bon Vivar (José Villacara), Ed Roca (Padre Balaguer), and Joel
Torre as Jose Rizal. The movie was released out into the public on February 16, 2000 with the
direction of Mike de Leon.

II. MGA KABANATA

1. Sino/Ano si Rizal
- “Ano si Rizal? Piso. Kahit laging devalued, Number one padin”
- “Isipin mo, San Jose Rizal

2. Pampelikula ba ang buhay ni Rizal?

- “Di nagtagal alam na ito ng buong maynila, maliban kay Rizal”
- “Pelikula ginagawa natin, di libro”

3. Doña Lolay: Alaala at pag-aalala

- “Kahit mibsan po bay, di niyo inisip na lahat aabot sa ganito?
- “di accurate” “alam ko pero pelikula ito”

4. Paciano: Si pepe at ang kanyang Tadhana

- “Hangat hawak nila ang maynila, hawak nila ang bayan”
- “Hindi ako nagsisisi sa lahat ng akin nagawa”

5. Josephine Braken: Inspirasyon o pampagulo?

- “My father’s Irish- oh, English” “And your mother?” “She’s dead.”
- “Buenos Dias mga padre”

6. Ang Dokumento… Genuine o Fake?

- “Maraming kwento pero puro speculation”
- “Alam ko kung saan papunta ang line of reasoning mong yan eh, para maging relevant at
konrobersyal ang pelikula nating ito, palalabasin ganon padin ang situasyon hangang
ngayon!” “Di ba totoo?”

7. Narcisa: Ang biktima ay si Pepe

- “Maaring totoo pero ang kanilang ginawa ba ay makakatwiran?”
- “Talagang naniniwala kayo na walang ibang paraan kundi mag hinaksikan?”

8. Trining: Lumabong Alaala

- “Ni minsan si nila nakita ang retraction document, kahit sariling niyang panilya di
makaniwala bumaliktad siya”
- “Kumonsulta sa isang espiritista, para lang makausap ang kaluluwa ng kapatid”

9. Conspiracy
- “Paano siya naging bayani? Paano diya naging national hero kung pati ang rebolusyon
tinalikuran niya”
- “Marupok siya, 3rd class, ya nang title ng ating pelikula”

10. Padre Balaguer: Nagbabalik loob si Pepe

- “Sinwerte siya?” “Di yan swerte! Yan ang kagustuhan ng diyos!”
- “Padre, sino ang paniniwalaan ko? Kayo o ang pamilya ni Jose Rizal?”

11. Confrontation
- “You amateur historian, how dare you make cruel insinuations about my character!”
- “Josephine this is not a time to fight, we just lost a brother.” “And I, A Husband”
12. Kanya-Kanyang Rizal
- “Ang katotohanan ay katotohanan, at usa lamang ang anyo nito”
- “Dahi ldi ako si Rizal! Ako’y kathang isip lamang upang magkaroon ng saysay ay
ginagawa niyong pelikula!”