Movie Review: Heneral Luna

http://www.filmpolicereviews.com/reviews/heneral-luna

(1) Amidst pacing problems, Heneral Luna manages to tell a compelling story, allegorical and timely tom
present day-supported by a fantastic script, an impassioned score, and inspired cinematography.

(2) At first glance, one might mistake Heneral Luna as your run-of-the-mill historical biopic that showcases
a hero of yore whose bravery and passion unite his people in the face of dastardly foreign invaders. Well,
this is only partly correct. There are invaders, Heneral Luna (John Arcilla) is indeed fiercely brave and madly
passionate, but there is no unity to be found amongst country men-only in fighting, personal interests, and
politicking.

(3) Directed by Jerrold Tarog and with a script co-written by him, Henry Hunt Francia, and E.A Rocha;
Heneral Luna takes a different approach in telling the story of how we lost the battle and got occupied by
the Americans. Taking cues from Oro, Plata, Mata; the movie deliberately puts the colonialists in the
periphery, making them merely a backdrop whose presence stirred the pot. The real focus here is the
tension, the inner turmoil that brewed in the ranks of our so-called Filipino founding fathers. Heneral Luna
is a tale of how a dissenting voice can get swept away and ultimately perish under a wave of egos and
personal interest.

(4) Carrying the weight of the story is the above stellar performance of john Arcilla in the title role of
Heneral Antonio Luna. Arcilla plays with the whole spectrum of emotions in his portrayal of the larger-
than-life general. He is able to showcase the fierce, boisterous, and volatile man the general has been
historically known to be, yet he is also able to flip the coin and show the passionate, sympathetic, and
battle weary softer side of the character. Here’s a man who rides head first screaming into battle just o rile
up his troops’ morale, but at the same time he is one who can share warm moments and some banter with
his mother. He is an antihero-the Wolverine of the Filipino insurrection.

(5) One prime example of just how dynamic Arcilla’s portrayal can be is during this one scene involving a
chicken vendor. Delivering virtually the same line of dialogue on two separate moments, Arcilla was able to
convey anger bordering on madness at first and compassion nuanced with frustration soon after. It is truly
his performance that propels Heneral Luna (and, sadly, he is alone).

(6) There isn’t much to be said about the rest of the cast of movie, which is a pity, given that Heneral Luna
assembles quite an ensemble. You’ve got names like Joem Bascon, Alex Medina, Mon Confiado, Nonie
Buencamino, Mylene Dizon, and even Ronnie Lazaro; but sadly none of the other performances stand out.
Not that there are any weak performances, it’s just that none are able to keep up with gravitas of John
Arcilla’s Luna. Mon Confiado’s Emilio Aguinaldo seems more like a spineless weakling who hides behind his
cohorts rather than a respected political foil; while Ketchup Eusebio’s Capt. Janolino, the leader of Luna’s
killers, feels too forced as a villain scorned by the titular general. The closest character who can keep up
with Luna’s onscreen presence is his equally proud contemporary, Heneral Mescardo (Lorenz Martinez) –
whose refusal to give into Luna provides a tension-filled back-and-forth sequence in the middle of the film.
Unfortunately, because of some jagged pacing, tension such as is this is not consistent throughout the
movie.

(7) This erratic pacing is felt most during the first act of Heneral Luna – where things play out very much
like an oral history. Used as plot device to serve as the audience’s perspective. Arron Villaflor portrays
journalist, Joven Hernando, who is tasked to interview the general. This frame narrative leads to various
snippets that feature Luna’s patriotism; from an expertly-short rowdy meeting with Aguinaldo’s cabinet to
earlier battles against the Americans. Oddly, these scenes just feel lacking in connectivity tissue. Its pacing
is too quick to really tie the storytelling together and doesn’t help either that some set pieces looked too
clean and glossed over-lacking the grit and weariness you’d expect from a war movie. Couple with these
efforts to add a humor at some odd moments throughout the film, and you’ve got a trifecta that hinders
the movie from the fully immersing you.