Name: Mheya Mhemamhe

Year & Sec: BSCS IV- A

Date: Dec 13, 2016

My Reaction Paper on the movie of Rizal

As what Ive seen in the movie, it tells about the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, the national
hero of the Philippines. As I observed the treatment given by the colonials to our
fellowmen they doing harsh especially the women and children. I compared it to
whats happening in our society today and quite noticed a similarity. It is similar in a
way that women and children, even the men too, are still abused by foreign people
and sometimes even our own people. They also treat them as slaves. Nowadays,
our people are still abused and these are oftentimes done by those who have the
power like politicians and other well-illustrated persons. They think that with their
wealth and position they have the right to hurt our fellowmen. Even a small mistake
or a doubt causes the people who have the power to physically abuse our
fellowmen because for them thats how they should be treated after what they have
done. Next thing I have observed is the racial discrimination. Filipinos who were flatnosed and brown-skinned were labeled as Indios and the Spaniards being palecomplexioned were termed as Bangus or milkfish in English. The Filipinos who
were called Indios had little privileges unlike the Milkfish people who had most
of the privileges to themselves. Foreign people thought that they were superiors
against the Filipinos. They criticize them based on how they look and they treat
them offensively based on how rude their criticism on their looks is. There were
different beliefs in anointing officials in where Spaniards have believed that Indios
have lesser abilities when it comes to governing. One of the strengths of Jose Rizal
is the incorporation of the characters of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in the
life of Rizal and of the Filipinos in general. This only shows that the two books are
reflections of the lives of the Filipinos during the Spanish regime. But the thought
and noble ideas of the book do not only live in the past but also in the present
showing the universality and immortality of Rizals ideas. The opening few scenes
show some episodes from Rizal's novels. In one a Catholic priest rapes a Filipina. In
the other scene a Catholic priest beats a child for alleged stealing. Strong stuff, and
it made me wonder how the Catholic Church could possibly retain any power in the
country, if this is what the national hero thought about it. The life of subjugation of
the Filipino people under the rule of the Spanish friars. From the execution of three
Filipino priests for alleged subversion to the harsh and unequal treatment of Filipino
students in the schools, this film is a stinging indictment of Spanish colonial rule in
the Philippines. We see scenes both from Rizal's actual life but also from his
imagination. Jose is sent to study in Spain, this is the plan produced by his brother
Paciano. Jose will write and do everything in his power to bring to the attention of
the world the abuses of Spanish power in the Philippines, while Paciano will protect
the Rizal family at home and keep up the struggle against Spanish rule. Jose
becomes involved with a group of radical Filipino students who also seek to end the
Spanish abuses in their country. He eventually has a falling out with the student
group as he realizes that the real struggle is taking place back home. He decides to
return to the Philippines. Jose arrested by the Spanish authorities upon his return to
the Philippines. He is sent to Dapitan in Mindanao where the Spanish authorities
can keep a watchful eye on him. It is there that he meets the love of his life,

Josephine Bracken, although the movie does not devote much attention to this love
affair. When a rebellion breaks out in the Spanish governors orders that Rizal be
moved to the prison in Manila. Most of the movie takes place in Rizals prison cell
and involves Taviel confronting him about his life. The final scenes Rizal's show of
being led out to the execution ground. The movie talks mostly of Rizals life until his
death and the creation of his great novels. The actors and actresses who acted on
the movie did a great job presenting how it was during Rizals time even though the
said events in Rizals life were just written in books.