REACTION PAPER: BAYANING THIRD WORLD

Though the movie has a lot to point out about our national hero, there about three
main points on which the author concentrated; (1) Rizal, pro or against the revolution (2)
Retraction System (3) Speculation whether Josephine and Him got married or not or if their
relationship was authentic or not.

Rizal at the beginning of the movie may have stand firm about his statement that he
was against the revolution, however, many speculated about his bravery. Two sides of the
coin was open, the first side tells the he was a not that brave enough in facing the
enemies through sword and shields. Second side was he wanted to fight back through pen and
paper so that it would not be easy for the enemies to track him down. Though in my
perception, even he was pro or against the revolution, it would not make any difference
because from the Spaniards perception he was the one who started the revolution even
though at the back of the story he even declined it.

The second issue on the retraction system was the most controversial in the movie
where they have to decipher whether the signature was authentic or not. From my point of
view, a document older than the people today is really a tough job to think upon because
at the first place, there were only two priests who were there during the signing and that
these two was really determined that Rizal would sign the retraction document. However,
the idea that it was falsified would not be removed from my idea because the primary
source of the information is a priest who were with the Spaniards and really pushed Rizal
to convert in being a Catholic again. So goes with issues that arise that when he was
about to be sentence to death, did he really kiss a cross, had a rosary wrapped around his
wrist? Or did he not kiss a cross, no rosary wrapped around his wrist?

In accordance to the second issue, the authenticity of his relationship with

Josephine Bracken was touched. Historians have battled whether or not Josephine loved
Rizal or if she was just one of the spies sent by the friars? Or if Rizal really loved
Josephine just to prove he was a man by himself? Seeing it from my point of view, I think,
there was really love between the both of them. Because Josephine, having a good life
outside the country gave it all up just to be with Rizal and that even though Rizal was in
probation for his death, she never gave space in their relationship. He was there all
throughout the trial and when Rizal was killed in Bagumbayan.

Was there really marriage? Married or not, it does not make one less or above the
society married or not. Today, marriage is not a big issue for some. For them, living
together was enough, though not evident by the Church written document, as long as a
commitment is being kept by the two. Just like in Josephine and Rizal’s relationship,
maybe it was a way of telling the people that even before living together without any
marriage contract was already being practice.

Was the child labored by Josephine, Rizal’s or was it from his step father; An issue
that came up when Josephine gave birth to a premature still birth child. This issue so far
for me lacks evidence because no one could prove the authenticity of the statement. And
that, when we compare it to reality, if the child was really from his step father, it
would make Rizal a man more because he whole-heartedly accepted the child despite the
controversy.

The movie, despite of the controversies, had put me in becoming more curious in the
life of Rizal, though it takes a lot of effort and commitment in finding out his real life
story, the question that still makes us think about if he is really deserves to be called
our national hero. In my opinion, I think he was placed in the position not because he
deserving but because our history needs to fill up a space since we have a “national” on
everything. Being a countries national hero would be hard for one because a lot would be
critique, even the credibility and authenticity of the man’s life.

Rizal, could be a national hero, but could never be as perfect as everyone thinks.
Like what the movie had emphasized that in the year 1904, Father Aglipay built a Church
and made Rizal the saint. The question is, what was there pro’s and con’s in making him a
saint? It would take a lifetime to know a man’s and life and that Rizal’s life is far
incomplete than we really think though a lot had spoken, it would not still be enough
unless Rizal, himself, speaks up. As the famous line says, “it takes one, to know one”.