Yzham M.

Benito

Grade 11 - STEM

HENERAL LUNA

Heneral Luna is a heartwarming yet an empowering movie that portrays the life of

General Antonio Luna during the Philippine – American War. The movie is without a doubt a

work of art that illustrates how power, in terms of political circumstances, affects our history and

the whole Filipino citizens. Heneral Luna is a 5-star movie for me because it feels like I am not

watching a movie; instead, it feels like I am watching a slice of the Philippine history. The film is

beautifully made and is actually a wake-up call that we have a greater foe than the foreign

countries that wants to colonize us, and that is ourselves. Moreover, creating films that signifies

history also made me convinced that Heneral Luna is a 5-star movie because it is very rare today

that the history is being revived in order for the new generation to see how much sacrifice were

experienced in the past.

Heneral Luna is truly a masterpiece but there are scenes that strike me the most. The first

one is when a cabinet meeting is held and the people are divided between those who want to be

allies with the United States and those who want to drive them away. The general is already fed

up from hearing negotiations for peace with the United States, thus made him shouts "Para

kayong mga birhen na naniniwala sa pag-ibig ng isang puta!" It strikes me because it is the

reality; sometimes we let ourselves to be deceived even if we knew that our enemies are

deceitful. The second one is the scene at the train station where he said to an American, “Ingles-

Ingles- in mo 'ko sa bayan ko? Punyeta!". This is a striking scene because it shows that we

should not be slaves in our country. We own it and no foreign country should be superior to our
own land. Lastly, the scene that strikes me the most is the scene where the Spoliarium, painted

by Juan Luna, the general's brother, was interwoven with General Luna's death. The scene shows

the traitors who killed General Luna and his companion and then bragging them by the traitors

towards the wall. At that exact moment, it really brings back the image of Spoliarium.

Heneral Luna shows the reality of the past and as what I have observed in the present

times, the reality of the past has been carried out until the present. The film shows how

politicians and certain people with high positions used their names, positions, and power to bend

the rules in their favor. It is evident that up until today, especially at this time of pandemic, many

politicians and people with higher positions used their powers to bend the rules in their favor.

One concrete example of this is the testing for corona virus. Many people who has positions and

powers immediately asked the health care personnel to test them even if they should not be

tested. There are a lot of ordinary citizens that are more prone in acquiring the virus, but these

people became selfish and asked for an immediate test. Another example is the guideline that

mass gatherings should not be held at this time of pandemic, but a person with a high position

held a birthday party for himself. It is really ironic that he and his personnel are the ones who are

in-charge to keep the people from violating the rules but they are the ones who broke their own

rules. I can't help but hear General Antonio Luna say "Walang nakakaangat sa batas". This kind

of situation really proves what the general said, "Mayroon tayong mas malaking kaaway kaysa

mga Amerikano. Ang ating sarili". We look at foreign countries as our foe, but the ones that are

actually deceiving us are our countrymen.

If I have given a chance to give Heneral Luna a title, it will be "Bayan Hanggang

Pagpaslang" because I remembered that he asked Aguinaldo's cabinet, "Negosyo o Kalayaan?

Bayan o Sarili? Mamili ka!" and I am sure that if General Luna will be asked the same question,
he will choose the nation (bayan) over and over; and he proved it when he chose the nation until

his assassination.

The film Heneral Luna is an eye-opener to every Filipino that change and freedom should

not be for our own selves only. Instead, it should be for the whole country, and an eye-opener

about how the film industry in the Philippines should be given a high recognition because the

Philippines can produce films that can keep up to other countries’ films. This film does not just

show us who we were in the past, but also shows us who we should be in the present. Heneral

Luna is not just a story to tell, it is a history to embody. We should keep in our mind all the

patriotism that General Luna has shared to us, we should not be slaves of our country nor our

government officials. We should stand for what is right, not just for ourselves, but the whole

country. Moreover, Heneral Luna is a proof that artists should not be degraded because artists

does not just express themselves, they also stand a point through art which really makes a

difference and can go somewhere higher. Jerrold Tarog, an artist, and the director of Heneral

Luna proves that art can really make a difference, reach a lot of audience, and can teach people

about who we were and who we should be, may it be in the film industry or in our perspective

regarding the freedom and change of our country.