José Rizal (1998)

José Rizal is a 1998 Filipino biographical film of the Filipino national hero José Rizal directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya and starring Cesar Montano as José Rizal.

At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film in the history of Filipino cinema with a budget of over ₱ 80 million. The film was an official entry to the 1998 Metro Manila Film Festival. Upon release, the film met universal critical acclaim.

Contents

    1 Plot
    2 Cast
    3 Awards and nominations
    4 Release
    5 See also
    6 References
    7 External links

Plot

José Rizal was imprisoned in Fort Santiago under the abusive Spanish colonization. José Rizal was approached by a young uneducated Austronesian peoples asking the importance of education during his life. Meanwhile, in Balintawak, Andrés Bonifacio and his fellow secret organization of Katipunan commenced the uprising against the tyranny created by the Spaniards by tearing their cedula as a sign of Spanish slavery.

Soon, a first lieutenant of the Artillery, Luis Taviel de Andrade, visited 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 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 ego—protagonist Simoun of his novel El Filibusterismo tempting the author to change the climax of the story.

On the morning of the execution, his kin received 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 asked the authorities for a last request as he faces the firing squad but the request is denied. Calm and without haste, he changed his request to save his head during execution 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").

After the execution, members of the Katipunan had ambushed a Spanish military company somewhere in Manila, completely catching the Spanish forces off guard and seized their mounts, munitions and their rifles. They had also captured a church and executed a friar in an act of vengeance for the execution of Rizal. Bonifacio and his top generals met in their headquarters to plan a new offensive seeking to capture 10 towns in a duration of 1 week from the Spanish. Rizal's picture can be seen at the background of his headquarters.
Cast

    Cesar Montano as José Rizal
    Joel Torre as Crisóstomo Ibarra/Simoun
    Jaime Fabregas as Luis Taviel de Andrade
    Gloria Diaz as Teodora Alonso
    Gardo Versoza as Andrés Bonifacio
    Monique Wilson as María Clara
    Chin Chin Gutierrez as Josephine Bracken
    Mickey Ferriols as Leonor Rivera
    Pen Medina as Paciano Rizal
    Gina Alajar as Saturnina Rizal
    Ronnie Lazaro as Francisco Mercado
    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 José Rizal
    Ping Medina as young Paciano Mercado
    Dennis Marasigan as Marcelo H. del Pilar
    Jhong Hilario as Prisoner Servant