The Man Who Inspired Revolution History Essay
Rizals life has been a redundant subject in every student. Since the time you entered school Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda was never lost in the line of things to study, that’s why everyone know who Rizal is and the great contributions he made.
Rizal was executed December 1896 and that is 116 years ago, his life and works was shown in the big screen directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya starring Cesar Montano as Jose Rizal to show the younger generation a bit of Rizal’s history. This movie was also an entry to Metro Manila Film Festival in 1998 garnered a lot of awards and nominations not only in the said Film Fest but also in Famas and Gawad Urian in 1999. Cesar Montano as Jose Rizal was awarded as “Best Actor” in Famas and Metro Manila Film Festival.
The story covered the life of Rizal from his childhood to his execution in Luneta by the Spanish militaries during the 19th century. The novel of Rizal: Noli Mi Tangere was also a part of this movie where he wrote the stories of Filipinos during the Spanish occupancy here in the Philippines. The movie had a budget of 80 million and said to be the most expensive film done in the history of the Philippines.
Rizal is said to be the country’s national hero died at the age of 35. He is a doctor, poet, painter, naturalist and a lot more! He was born in Calamba, Laguna in June 19, 1861 and the seventh child of Teodora Alonso and Francisco Mercado.
The movie also showed his wide imagination: El Filibusterismo and Noli Mi Tangere where he wrote his want to stop the abusing acts of Spaniards to the Filipinos and initiate to have the independence and spread peace.
His two novels: El Filibusterismo and Noli Mi Tangere became his tool to waken up his countrymen to fight and achieve the independence of the Philippines against the governing power of the Spaniards. It also presented his aspiration of peace for the Filipinos. Because of the novel, the government of Spain has alleged Jose Rizal as the leader of the revolution. Even his brother Paciano was tortured to admit that Rizal was involved in the revolution.
November 1896, Rizal was arrested and taken to Fort Santiago. At the prison, there was a slave where he shared stories of his life. He recalled his youth, how Paciano said to him how death penalty was given to the three priests namely Gomez, Burgoz and Zamora, the teaching of his mother Teodora Alonzo and the story of the young moth, in Biñan where he studies, the imprisonment of his mother, changing the surname Mercado to Rizal, his life at the Ateneo Municipal and treating his mother’s eye problem.
Like other defendants, Rizal’s lawyer asked him to defend his side. Taviel Luis de Andrade, brother of Jose Taviel and former sentinel, became his lawyer. Taviel is a Spanish official who at first did not believe Rizal. While sharing Rizal’s life in jail he learned to respect and realizes that he is not just an innocent person, but a wonderful individual and therefore he decided to give all to defend him in the litigation. Rizal shared his life in University of Santo Tomas where he took medicine, the extra discrimination in Philippine students there, and his love for Leonor Rivera, his cousin and girlfriend.
He also shared his life in University Central de Madrid where he took medicine. The Propaganda Movement is an organization that was established in that school that seeks the freedom of the press and given equal rights with Filipinos like the Spanish. Because of La Solidaridad, the newspaper of the movement, it brought their goals. January 1891 when the first fight happened, they decided to elect their own president. According to Marcelo H. del Pilar, the goal of La Solidaridad was privately opposed by Rizal.
His return to the Philippines, Rizal established La Liga Filipina. It is an organization of Filipinos containing the changes under the Spanish regime. Here he met Andres Bonifacio. But La Liga Filipina was merely a dream. It was considered as an organization in opposition to Spain. They planted pamphlets in Rizal’s suitcase. Because of this, he was banished to a distant place, in Dapitan, a small town in northwestern Mindanao. In that place, he met the love of her life Josephine Bracken, an Irish born in Hong Kong, where they had a son but died a few hours after birth.
Since Governor General Blanco was issued to be a close friend of Rizal, they decided to change the governor-general of the country. On the 26th of December 1896, held the day of trial of Rizal. The sides of the jury accused Rizal as the leader, and also because of his novels that attacked and opposed the religion, Spanish friars and government. Consequently, the appropriate punishment for the outrageous is death.
In turn of the defendant’s side, Rizal extended his letters on how to run the Philippines, having equal rights and freedom for the Filipinos. But this doesn’t imply that Rizal was the cause of revolution. In fact, during his stay in Dapitan, he did not write anything in connection with politics. As Dr. Pio visits him in Valenzuela in Dapitan to consult and join the revolution, Rizal did not intend to agree.
But despite the defense did by Taviel to Rizal, he could not do anything about the provision. Rizal is planned to shoot on the 30th of December, 1896. In consequence of the case, Taviel was hurt and disgusted why he became Spanish. Rizal was visited by his mother and siblings. His last request was granted and a lamp was given to his mother with the prints of his last poems, Mi Ultimo Adios (or Last Farewell).
December 30th, 1896 is the planned day of Rizal’s death. His last request was to face the soldiers who will kill him but it was not granted. The Spaniards want him to shoot back like a traitor. When he was shot, he decided to face front so that when he collapses he faces the sky. In the mortality of Rizal, it further spread the revolution in the Philippines. The Philippines achieved independence on the 12th of June, 1898. Several years after, Dr. Jose Rizal was declared as the national hero.
Overall, the movie gave the viewers a great brief of Rizal’s history. It showed the flashbacks of Rizal’s life as a poet, naturalist, lover, son, brother and a lot more! It made the younger generation understand his life easier and more understandable. It might not be perfectly done, at least I can say it was good enough and deserves the awards and nominations. Throughout the three hour movie, the finale was the most loved! I myself don’t know one, who could do the same thing as Rizal did. A person died with a great reason, and that is to save his own country and achieve independence. Jose Rizal died victoriously, because he lighted the Philippine independence and ignited Philippine revolution!