SYNOPSIS

Accused of treason, Dr. Jose P. Rizal awaits trial and meets with his colonial
government-appointed counsel, Luis Taviel de Andrade. The two build the case and
arguments for the defense as significant events in the central figure's life prior to his
incarceration unfold. Upon hearing Rizal's life story, Taviel begins to realize that the
accused is not only innocent but exhibits in fact all the qualities of an extraordinary
man. When the mock trial unreels, Taviel is all set to act as the prime advocate for his
client as Rizal himself is about to give an earth-moving speech to defend his honor and
address his countrymen. Meanwhile, the Spanish authorities have worked out the vast
political machinery to ensure a guilty verdict. A revolution awaits in the wings.
CHARACTERS

Main Characters

Cesar Montano as Jos Rizal

Jaime Fabregas as Luis Taviel de Andrade

Chin Chin Gutierrez as Josephine Bracken

Mickey Ferriols as Leonor Rivera

LJ Moreno as Josephine Bracken's companion

Rizal's family

Ronnie Lazaro as Francisco Mercado

Gloria Diaz as Teodora Alonso

Pen Medina as Paciano Mercado

Gina Alajar as Saturnina Rizal

Tanya Gomez as Narcisa Rizal

Tess Dumpit as Maria Rizal

Irma Adlawan as Lucia Rizal

Angie Castrence as Josefa Rizal

Rowena Basco as Trinidad Rizal

 Kaye Marie June Congmon as Soledad Rizal

Dominic Guinto as young Jos Rizal

Ping Medina as young Paciano Mercado

The Spaniards

Peque Gallaga as Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda, O.P.

Bon Vibar as Governor-General Ramn Blanco

Subas Herrero as Lt. Enrique de Alcocer

Tony Mabesa as Governor-General Camilo de Polavieja

Alexis Santaren as Col. Francisco Olive

Archie Adamos as Col. Olive's aide

Tony Carreon as a Dominican friar (Gomburza execution)

Fritz Ynfante as a Domincan friar (professor at UST)

Ryan Eigenmann as Fernando (Spanish classmate at UST)

Jon Achaval as Fraile 1

Cloyd Robinson as Fraile 2

Marco Zabaleta as Fraile 3

Ogie Juliano as Padre Rodriguez

The Jesuits

Chiqui Xerxes-Burgos as Father Jos Villaclara, S.J.

Shelby Payne as Father Estanislao March, S.J.

Minco Fabregas as Father Francisco de Paula Sanchez, S.J.

The Filipinos

Jhong Hilario as Rizal's prison servant

Gardo Versoza as Andrs Bonifacio

Marco Sison as Pio Valenzuela

Joel Lamangan as a gobernadorcillo

Nanding Josef as Antonio Rivera

Pocholo Montes as Justiniano Aquino Cruz

Bhey Vito as Don Doroteo Onjungco

Kidlat Tahimik as a guest (La Liga Filipina meeting)

Toto Natividad as a Katipunan benefactor

In Europe

The Filipino propagandists:

Dennis Marasigan as Marcelo H. del Pilar

Gregg de Guzman

Mon Confiado as Mariano Ponce

Eddie Aquino

Manolo Barrientos

Rolando Inocencio

Gilbert Onida

Jim Pebanco

Troy Martino

Kokoy Palma

Richard Merck
 Jess Evardone

Jesus Diaz as Spanish medical professor

Karl Meyer as Belgian printer

Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo characters

Joel Torre as Crisstomo Ibarra/Simoun

Monique Wilson as Mara Clara

Nonie Buencamino as Elias

Roeder Camaag as Basilio

Richard Quan as Isagani

Cristobal Gomez as Padre Damaso

PLOT

Dr. Jos Rizal is imprisoned in Fort Santiago under the abusive Spanish colonization.
Meanwhile, in Balintawak, Andrs Bonifacio and his fellow secret organization,
the Katipunan, commences the uprising against the tyranny created by
the Spaniards by tearing their cedulas as a sign of Spanish slavery.

Soon, a first lieutenant of the Artillery, Luis Taviel de Andrade, visits Rizal. Taviel de
Andrade did not waste time to study carefully Rizal's case. In just a short period of
time, Rizal and Taviel captured each other's sympathy and eventually became friends
as they had usual meetings in Rizal's cell in Fort Santiago. Taviel was even able to
celebrate Christmas with Rizal in the cell where they drank pan get and sang together.

After Christmas, Rizal was sent to the Royal Audiencia, the colonial court of appeal, to
hear the trial against him. Soon after, the magistrates decided to condemn him under
firing squad on the 30th of the morning in Luneta.

At the night before the execution, Rizal hallucinates, seeing his alter egoprotagonist,
Crisostomo "Simoun" Ibarra, from his second book, El Filibusterismo, tempting him to
change the climax of the novel.

On the morning of his execution, his kin receives a small alcohol stove (not a gas lamp
as commonly portrayed) from his cell containing the last poem "Mi Ultimo Adios".
Stopping at the place of execution facing the rising sun, Rizal requested the authorities
for him to face the firing squad, but the request was denied. Calm and without haste,
he requested to have his head spared instead and the captain agrees. At the moment
the shooting squad points at his back, he readily uttered his final
words: Consummatum est ("It is done").

In the events following Rizal's execution, members of the Katipunan begin their armed
uprising, completely catching the Spanish forces off guard, seizing their mounts,
munitions and their rifles. After that, the organization captures a church and the
members executes the friars in an act of vengeance. Later that night, Bonifacio and his
top generals meet in their headquarters to plan a new offensive seeking to capture ten
towns in a duration of one week from the Spaniards. As Bonifacio continues speaking,
the film ends as the camera pans to Rizal's picture at the wall of his headquarters.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Today, 19 June is the 151st birthday of the national hero of our country, Jos Rizal. The
date of birth was significant to us as a Filipino who fought for independence from the
excesses of friar-led Spanish colonial rule even though Rizal personally was not in favor
for outright independence from Spain.

His emergence as a patriot, novelist, ophthalmologist, polymath, and a linguist inspired

many Filipinos not just during his time but also to later generations to fight for freedom
from the excesses of colonial rule of Spain, the United States and also the excesses of
post-colonial economic, political, and social policies. His ideas like equality among
Filipinos and the Spaniards that time caught him a significant followers regardless of
personal ideas like Andrs Bonifacio and many others.

His entire life was practically spent to fight the excesses of friar-led Spanish colonial
rule as he was the apparent heir to continue the legacies of his family. His exceptional
talents gave him a comparative advantage over his colleagues that time to fight the
excesses of the colonial rule like the obvious preferences by the religious orders to
Spanish individuals over a Philippine-born individuals of appointing priests to the
various parishes in all over the archipelago.

His exceptional talents enabled him to raise the concerns of the Filipino people to the
Spanish people when he went to Spain and the entire Europe in order to awaken not
just the Spaniards but the entire world on what the grievances of the Filipino people
then. It was in Europe when Jos Rizal wrote his ideals and grievances like Noli me
Tangere, El Filibusterismo, and La Solidaridad.

His goals for a better Philippines incurred the ire from the people who enjoys the status
quo especially from the friars who got threatened by Rizals writings like the
exploitation of native Filipino women for personal benefit of some friars in their
respective parishes. His writings was the cause of his unjustified death in the hands of
the friars on 30 December 1896.

After then, later generations took Rizals life as an inspiration to fight the excesses not
just against foreign occupiers but also against some local interests who controlled the
political, social, and economic lives of the vast majority for their personal benefit. In
spite of several interpretations on how should Rizal be remembered to the eyes of the
people, Jos Rizal was still the symbol and the inspiration for the Filipinos that need to
be emulated for the next generation of people to come.

CONCLUSION

Before his life was cut short at the age of 35, Jos Rizal accomplished more than many
do in a lifetime. He was an award winning poet, and brilliant critic of the Spanish
historical accounts of the societies in his native pre-colonial Philippines. Full of
intelligence and humility, Rizal gained the respect and admiration of prominent men
from around the world. Yet, more importantly, Rizals love for his nation and his fellow
men led him to spark a revolution that uplifted the welfare of so many.

An outstanding academic, he originally planned on studying land surveying, but when

his mother began to go blind, he decided to study medicine. Unable to continue his
education at Manilas University of Santo Tomas due to discrimination because he was
a native, Rizal traveled to Spain to study at the Universidad Central de Madrid. Before
the age of 25, Rizal had traveled to Paris to earn a second doctorate, and then to
Germany, where he completed his eye specialization and was inducted as a member of
the Berlin Ethnological and Anthropological Societies.

A master in 22 languages, Rizal used his intellectual and writing talents to write about
the Spanish Colonial elite and the atrocities committed towards the natives by the
Friars in the name of the Church. He translated and published his writings in many
languages. However, this meant Rizal faced strong public opposition from elites in
many countries who wanted to protect their interests in colonialism.

Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892 and formed a civic movement called La Liga
Filipina. His goal was to unite Filipinos for protection from violence and injustice and to
fight for change through peaceful and legal means. Rizal was declared an enemy of the
state and his organization was disbanded by the Spanish governor.

our liberty will (not) be secured at the swords pointwe must secure it by making
ourselves worthy of it. And when a people reaches that height God will provide a
weapon, the idols will be shattered, tyranny will crumble like a house of cards and
liberty will shine out like the first dawn Jos Rizal

Even when the infamous General Baleriano Weyler (who developed harsh tactics and
cruel concentration camps for the natives in Cuba a few years earlier) was transferred
to the Philippines to suppress the native organizing, Jos Rizal continued speaking out
and leading tenants against the injustices oppressing them, including ever-increasing
rents, evictions, and the farm destruction ordered by the General.

Recognized years later by Ghandi as a forefunner in the cause of freedom, Rizal never
once backed down from his beliefs that his people needed proper representation,
strong education, better protection and a better government. Yet, his undaunted
courage and determination to improve the welfare of Filipinos was feared by his
enemies. They quickly deported him as a rebel.

Where many would give up or become discouraged, Rizal used those four years of exile
to build a school, a hospital and water dam and supply system that were considered
engineering marvels. His sincerity and friendliness won the trust and confidence of
everyone, even his prison guards.

Shortly after his return, the Philippines began a full-blown revolution. In order to
disassociate with the violent uprising, which he felt would not be enough to change the
minds of the wealthy Filipinos, Rizal volunteered to go serve victims of yellow fever in
Cuba.

He was arrested en route to Cuba and sent to prison. A prime example of his character
is seen in his return voyage. The guards refused to chain him or touch him because he
was known for his honesty. Rizal never took advantage of opportunities to escape.

Upon his return, Jos Rizal was charged with sedition, conspiracy and rebellion and
sentenced to death. Without a chance to challenge the charges, Rizal was executed by
a firing squad, and buried secretly and without a casket in unholy ground.

His life and death was a catalyst that sparked the revolution against Spain and six
years later would change the long-held view of the U.S. government that the Filipinos
were too barbaric to govern themselves. The U.S. passed a bill in support of a
Democratic government in the Philippines after hearing one of his poems read in
congress.

MORAL LESSONS

1. Did you like this film in general? Why?

Yes, because Rizal show his love for our country and sacrifice his self to show to the
Spaniards that Filipino have right to be free.
2. Did you agree with the main theme/purpose that the film wants to convey? Why or
why not?
Yes, I agree because it remind Filipino about Rizal sacrifices in our country. And also
show to other people about Philippine tragic history.

3. What specifically did you like/dislike about the film? Why?

I like the director and the writer on how they show the early life of the Filipino during
Spanish era.

4. What lesson or insight have you learned from the film?

Nationalism is the lesson I've learned from the movie. And we should be proud for our
country

5. Did the author/actors/director do a good job in the film? Why or why not?
Yes, they had done very good, especially Mr. Cesar Montano because he deliver his
character well as Rizal.

6. What particular changes would you like to recommend to further enhance the quality
of the film? How could it be further improved?
I'm satisfied with the film. it shows that the movie is great to the viewers.