Philippine Normal University

National Center for Teacher Education

The Indigenous People’s Education Hub
North Luzon Campus
Alicia, Isabela

DE GUZMAN JASON MARK P. II-BSSE

Movie Analysis of Jose Rizal (1998)
The 1998 movie Jose Rizal was portrayed by Mr. Cesar Montano, it started with Rizal
writing a letter that focuses on the abuses of the Spaniards in their power here in the Philippines
just like the excessive corporal punishments and sexual abuse of the friars who are also showed
in the first minute of the movie. It showed some of the few important parts of the Noli Me
Tangere including the introduction of Crisostomo Ibarra and also his second personality Simoun
in the story of the movie. During the duration of the movie the building of Katipunan was also
introduced led by Andres Bonifacio, the Cry of Balintawak which started the official revolt of
the Katipunan. Few of the memoirs of Rizal was also portrayed by the movie. From his
childhood, his studies here in the Philippines, love-life with Leonora, his adventures in abroad,
printing of his famous novels, operation of his mother’s eyes, his captivity and lastly his
execution in Bagumbayan wherein these important experiences of Jose Rizal showed his colorful
and wonderful story, even though he faced the death by means of firing squad.
Historically, few of the details included in the movie are somewhat correct but portrayed
in different manner, well its because it is a film of course. The historical context of the movie
was affected by the novel to the fact that the story of the Noli Me Tangere covers the true facts in
the history. The movie is focused at the merging history and fiction to tell the story of Jose Rizal
in paving the way for Filipinos to start a revolt against the Spaniards. The manner of timeline is
also quite blurry. The timeline used in the movie was not totally clear, its arrangement was
affected by the stories that came from the novel of Noli Me Tangere. The maker of the movie
usually mixes the timelines in the movie and its divided in three parts, the life of Rizal in his
early years, present life of Rizal and another timeline in the novel which brings misconception if
a normal person was about to watch the movie. The movie was also written in both Spanish and
Filipino language.
The movie was full of facts but few are just over portrayal. It showed many things
including few things in the novel but for me its accuracy was affected by its over portrayal. In
my opinion the maker must focus on the facts that are truly included and validated by our own
historians. We must also read historical books in order to identify and validate the truth in every
historical movie that we watch so that our knowledge will not be blinded by fiction and invented
stories.