tagalog movie review heneral luna

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Bayan o Sarili: Heneral Luna Film Review

Sa pagbukas ng pelikulang Heneral Luna ni Jerrold Tarog, muling balikan at buksan ang kwento ng kagitingan ng isang heneral at ng iba pang kontrobersyal na bahagi ng kasaysayan.

Hindi lubos na mauunawaan ang kasalukuyan kung hindi babalikan ang kasaysayan. Kaya sa pagbukas ng pelikulang Heneral Luna ni Jerrold Tarog noong Setyembre 9, 2015, nabuksan sa madla ang kwento ng kagitingan ng isang heneral at ng iba pang kontrobersyal na bahagi ng kasaysayan. Naging usap-usapan ng mga netizens ang pelikula at mistulang naging viral pa ang posibleng maagang pagkakatanggal nito sa mga sinehan. Muli nating hawiin ang kurtina at tanawin ang kasaysayan sa likod ni Heneral Luna.

Mapangahas at puno ng tapang ang grupo ni Direk Jerrold Tarog sa pagnanais na ibunyag ang madilim na bahagi ng kasaysayan. Ang kasaysayang kinagisnan nating mga bayani ay may kinalaman din sa kontroberysyal na krimen ng pagpatay sa kapwa Pilipino. Umiikot ang istorya sa panahon ng pananakop ng mga Amerikano at kung paano lumaban ang mga Pilipino upang hindi tuluyang masakop ng mga dayuhan at makamit ang soberanya.

Pilipino Laban sa Pilipino

“Mayroon tayong mas malaking kaaway kaysa mga Amerikano, ang ating sarili,” isa sa mga matalinhagang linyang binitawan sa pelikula na sumasalamin sa madilim na lihim ng kasaysayan. Hindi man direktang ipinakita ay tila palaisipan ang matagal nang isyu na si Presidente Emilio Aguinaldo rin ang nagpapatay kay Heneral Luna gaya nang nangyari kay Andres Bonifacio. Naging tahasan din ang pagsasalaysay ng totoong kaganapan sa pagitan ng mga Pilipino noong panahon ng mga Amerikano. Kahit sa pagitan ng mga miyembro ng militar o pulitika ay hindi nagkaroon ng kasunduan ang mga Pilipino sa pagdedesisyon.

Napapanahon Kahit Kahapon

Maikukumpara na magpahanggang ngayon ay nangyayari pa rin ang pagsisiraan sa pagitan ng mga Pilipino lalo na sa ating gobyerno. Kung sa pelikula ay makikitang pinatay si Heneral Luna ng kapwa Pilipino, ngayon ay wala pa ring nababago gaya nang patuloy nating nakikita sa mga balita at maging sa pulitika. Ang mga salitang ginamit ay nababagay rin sa modernong panahon lalo na ang mga punchline upang lagyan ng bahagyang komedya ang timpla. Bagaman makabago ang salita ay hindi nasakripisyo ang kwento at takbo ng istorya dahil sa katunayan, maging ang paggamit ng f imbes na p sa salitang familia ay kapansin-pansin din. Maging ang mga linya ay sadyang may laman na mas pinatindi pa ng batuhan ng mga dekalibreng artista gaya ni John Arcilla .

Atensyon para sa Suhestiyon

Talagang isa ang pelikulang ito sa mga maituturing na masterpiece sa larangan ng Philippine Movie, hindi lang dahil sa magandang storyline kundi maging ang cinematography . Makakakonekta ang lahat ng uri ng manonood sa ganitong klaseng pelikula dahil sa pagkakatalakay nito sa ating mga paaralan simula nang tayo ay nasa elementarya. Sadyang iba ang nakikita sa nababasa mula sa nilalaman ng libro kaya mas mainam kung sa susunod ay ipapalabas ito nang may subtitle upang masundan din ng mga manonood ang mga linyang tumatatak sa puso. Bagaman mayroon nang mga naunang pelikula patungkol sa ating mga bayani, maganda rin kung ang mga susunod na pelikulang tungkol sa kasaysayan ay gawing sequel style o tahiin ang mga istorya ayon sa pagkakasunod-sunod sa kasaysayan upang hindi nakalilito at mas madaling magamit bilang material sa pagtuturo sa mga paaralan. Noon pa man ay may kakaiba nang alab ang puso nating mga Pilipino gaya nang ipinakita ng isa sa ating mga bayani. Nakakalungkot lamang na isiping tila nakakalimot tayo at pati sa simpleng pagsuporta ng sariling atin ay mistulang mabibigo pa tayo. Sa bawat pagkakataon na iniisip natin ang ating kapakanan, isaalang-alang din natin ang ating bayan. Wala mang kapa o anumang costume gaya ng mga superheroes ang ating mga bayani ay umukit sa kasaysayan ang dugong kanilang ibinuwis. Sana’y huwag tayong magbulag-bulagan sa nagaganap sa ating bansa at gaya ng sinabi sa pelikula, “hindi panlalait ang pagsasabi ng totoo.” Kaya sa mga pulitiko, pulis, estudyante at maging pedicab driver , “negosyo o kalayaan, bayan o sarili, mamili ka.”

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Film Review: ‘Heneral Luna’

The Philppines' foreign-language Oscar hopeful is a rousing historical epic set during the Philippine-American War.

By Richard Kuipers

Richard Kuipers

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One of the most expensive and highest-grossing Filipino films of all time, “Heneral Luna” is a rousing, warts-and-all portrait of Gen. Antonio Luna, the brilliant and brusque strategist whose command of troops in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) was cut short by betrayal from within his own ranks. Anchored by a charismatic central performance by John Arcilla (“Metro Manila”) and peppered with exciting action sequences, the pic has the all-around energy to overcome the odd moment of bumpy storytelling and prosaic dialogue. A worthy official submission in the foreign-language Oscar race and an entertaining history lesson for audiences everywhere, “Luna” reps an impressive achievement in large-scale filmmaking by prolific scripter-helmer-editor-composer Jerrold Tarog (“If Only,” 2007). Launched locally on Sept. 9, the pic grossed a whopping $5.3 million and has notched an impressive $200,000 on limited U.S. screens since Oct. 30.

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It’s worth noting the film’s remarkable turnaround at the domestic box office. Initially released in 100 cinemas, “Heneral Luna” performed only modestly in its first week and was quickly withdrawn from more than half its screens. Following a spontaneous fan-led social-media campaign, audiences started turning up in droves, and the film was subsequently reinstalled in many theaters and went on to enjoy a highly successful nine-week engagement. Such a lengthy run is regarded as a minor miracle for a Filipino production, and Tarog has since announced plans to make another two films set during the same eventful era as “Heneral Luna.”

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Announcing itself as “a work of fiction based on facts,” the pic is framed around a series of interviews granted by Luna to Jove Hernando (Arron Villaflor), a fictional newspaper journalist. Threaded into the narrative at well-judged moments, these lively conversations provide viewers with valuable insights into the general’s personality and assist greatly in keeping track of the story’s bulging inventory of characters and events. Much of Luna’s dialogue in these sections is squarely aimed at encouraging local audiences to ask questions about the evolution and identity of their nation, and to draw parallels between contemporary political events and those in Luna’s time.

A clear picture is immediately established of the state of affairs in the Philippines in late 1898. After more than 300 years, colonial ruler Spain has relinquished control and sold the islands to the U.S. for $20 million. Exactly where that leaves the newly self-declared First Philippines Republic and how it should respond to the first landing of U.S. troops on Filipino soil is hotly debated inside the shaky government of President Emilio Aguinaldo (Mon Confiado) and wheelchair-bound Prime Minister Apolinario Mabini (Epy Quizon).

It’s clear from the outset that “Heneral Luna” is a very different proposition from the majority of Filipino historical epics, which paint fawning portraits of the nation’s founding fathers. The rasping dialogue by Tarog and co-scripters Henry Francia and E.A. Rocha presents a government wracked by chaos, disunity and the readiness of key players to place personal interest ahead of the national interest by accepting U.S. domination without a fight.

When all this squabbling and bickering comes to the boil, Luna (Arcilla) is potently launched into the fray as a straight-talking, fiercely patriotic commander who cuts through everyone’s rhetoric and insists on pre-emptive strikes in order to save the fledgling nation. As he puts it: “I detest war, but I detest compromise more.” In the process of winning the argument Luna clashes fatefully with pro-compromise power brokers Pedro Paterno (Leo Martinez) and Felipe Buencamino. In a remarkable and highly effective piece of casting Buencamino is played by his direct descendant Nonie Buencamino, a highly regarded legit actor.

With the volatile political landscape well mapped out, “Heneral Luna” thunders into action. Given command of a motley collection of troops that could barely be called an army, Luna whips them into shape with inspirational speeches about nationhood and brilliant tactics that bring about several stunning victories on the battlefield. While paying full due to Luna’s military genius, Tarog does not shy from showing his weaknesses. Most glaring are his fanatical insistence on absolute obedience and moments when he lacks understanding and sympathy for peasants and farmers on whose land the war is being fought.

While following the traditional trajectory of a war movie, “Heneral Luna” is more fundamentally concerned with examining how internal rivalries proved the undoing of Luna and destroyed any chance of the Philippines gaining genuine and lasting independence. Tarog achieves the primary objective with distinction, but isn’t as successful when U.S. forces are center-frame; the momentum drops noticeably, and the dialogue between American characters including Gen. Arthur MacArthur Jr. (Miguel Faustmann) and Gen. Elwell Otis (Rocha) is frequently clunky and unconvincing. But the name of the game here is Gen. Antonio Luna, and for the overwhelming duration of its running time the film delivers on its promises.

Arcilla’s zesty performance brings full-blooded life to Luna’s reputation for inspiring both undying loyalty and enduring enmity. Surrounding him on the loyalty side of the equation are well-written and performed portraits of supporters including Gen. Jose Alejandrino (Alvin Anson), Col. Francisco Roman (Joem Bascon) and Capt. Jose Bernal (Alex Medina). On the opposite side of things, Ketchup Eusebio nails his portrayal of Capt. Pedro Janolino, a smarmy young officer whose refusal to obey Luna plays a critical role in the fortunes of the general and the war itself. Though given relatively little screen time, Mylene Dizon (“Aparisyon”) hits a winning note as Red Cross worker Isabel, a fictional amalgam of several women Luna was known to have been involved with.

A massive undertaking with approximately 100 speaking roles and a crew of 600, “Heneral Luna” impresses on all levels. Production design by Benjamin Padero and Carlo Tabije, art direction by Katrina P. Napigkit and costume design by Padero vividly bring to life an era that few viewers outside the Philippines will have seen on big or small screens.  Cinematographer Pong Ignacio confirms his rising-star status with gorgeous widescreen lensing of lush rural areas, artful compositions in sequences inside the corridors of power and fluid, exciting coverage of the many combat set-pieces. Tarog’s traditional orchestral score is big and brassy when the moment calls for it, and nicely restrained when quiet is required. A high standard of excellence is achieved in pyrotechnics, vfx work and all other technical areas.

Reviewed at Hawaii Film Festival (Spotlight on the Philippines), Nov. 15, 2015. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 119 MIN.

• Production: (Philippines) A Quantum Films (in Philippines)/Abramorama (in U.S.) release of an Artikulo Uno production. (International sales: Artikulo Uno, Manila.) Produced by E.A. Rocha. Executive producer, Fernando Ortigas. Co-executive producers, Leo Martinez, Ting Nebrida.
• Crew: Directed by Jerrold Tarog. Screenplay, Henry Francia, E.A. Rocha, Tarog. Camera (color, widescreen, HD), Pong Ignacio; editor, Tarog; music, Tarog; production designers, Benjamin Padero, Carlo Tabije; art director, Katrina P. Napigkit; costume designer, Padero; sound (Dolby Digital), Mikko Quizon; sound designer, Hit Prods., visual effects supervisors, Jauhn Dablo, Gaspar Mangarin, Walter Monte, Llewyn Jalimao; visual effects, Blackburst; line producer, Daphne O. Chiu; associate producers, Ria Limjap, Paolo Ortigas; assistant director, Crisanto B. Aquino: casting, Jame Habac, Jr.
• With: John Arcilla, Arron Villaflor, Mon Confiado, Mylene Dizon, Nonie Buencamino, Lorenz Martinez, Joem Bascon, Alvin Anson, Alex Medina, Ketchup Eusebio, Art Acuna, Archie Alemania, Epy Quizon, Leo Martinez, Perla Bautista, Bing Pimentel, Miguel Faustmann. (Tagalog, English, Spanish dialogue)

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Movie review: heneral luna.

Direktor : Jerrold Tarog

Taon na Pinalabas : 2015 Tauhan :

John Arcilla as Gen. Antonio Luna

Mon Confiado as President Emilio Aguinaldo

Epy Quizon as Prime Minister Apolinario Mabini

Alvin Anson as Gen. José Alejandrino

Nonie Buencamino as Felipe Buencamino

Leo Martinez as Pedro Paterno

Joem Bascon as Col. Francisco “Paco” Román

Art Acuña as Maj. Manuel Bernal

Alex Medina as Capt. José Bernal

Archie Alemania as Capt. Eduardo Rusca

Ronnie Lazaro as Lt. García

Lorenz Martinez as Gen. Tomás Mascardo

Ketchup Eusebio as Capt. Pedro Janolino

Anthony Falcon as Sgt. Díaz, messenger of General Mascardo

Nagsimula ang kwento sa pagdebate nina Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo at Apolinario Mabini kasama ang buong gabinete tungkol sa pagdating ng mga Amerikano sa Pilipinas. Ginusto nina Antonio Luna na lumaban para sa kalayaan ng bansa. Sinabihan naman sila ni Aguinaldo na tutulungan daw ng mga Amerikano ang mga Pilipino upang makalaya sa pananakop ng mga Espanyol. Sinakop naman ng mga Amerikano ang Maynila na nagsimula ng digmaan.

Nangkampanya naman laban sa mga Amerikano sina Luna kasama nina General Jose Alejandrino, Colonel Francisco “Paco” Roman, Captain Eduardo Rusca, Captain José Bernal and Major Manuel Bernal. Hindi naman sila tinulungan ng Kawit Battalion dahil hindi nangaling kay Aguinaldo ang utos. Sumama si Luna sa kampo ni Janolino at bumuo ng grupo ng 4000 na sundalo kung saan idineklara niya ang “Article One”

Sinuportahan ni Buencamino at Paterno ang inalok ng mga Amerikano na “Philippine Autonomy”, nagalit si Luna at pinahuli sila. Nagkagulo ang dalawang heneral na si Luna at Mascardo. Ang ibang heneral naman tulad ni Gregorio del Pilar ay tumungo na pa-norte. Ginusto ni Luna na bumitiw sa kanyang pwesto ngunit ayaw ito tanggapin ni Aguinaldo at Mabini. Pinayagan naman ito na magtayo ng sariling Kampo sa Norte.

Pumunta naman si Luna sa Cabanatuan matapos makakuha ng telegrama mula sa kampo ng presidente kahit na nagdududda na ang mga kasamahan niya. Nakaalis na si Aguinaldo nang dumating siya. Sumalubong naman sa kanya si Janolino, kasama ang kaniyang kasamahan. Pinatay nila si Luna. Namatay din ang isang kasama nito at sumuko naman ang isa.

Ipinalibing ni Aguinaldo si Luna na may full military honors mula sa Kawit Battalion, na pumatay sa kanya. May napansin si Mabini na duguan ang isang bolo ng isa sa mga sundalo. Sinisi ng pahayagan ng amerikano si Aguinaldo sa pagkamatay ni Luna kung saan inilinaw ni Aguinaldo na hindi siya sangkot sa pagpatay at sinabi pa niya na isa si Luna sa mga pinakamagaling na heneral niya.

Maganda ang pagkagawa sa pelikula.

Ipinakita sa pelikula kung gaano kamahal ng ating mga ninuno ang ating bansa. Aral :

Ang aral dito ay ang kwento na mismo dahil ito ay tungkol sa kasaysayan na mismo ng bansa

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‘heneral luna’: film review.

Jerrold Tarog’s historical drama about a military commander's struggle for independence is the Philippines' submission for the best foreign language film Oscar next year.

By Clarence Tsui

Clarence Tsui

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Paying tribute to a heroic military commander spearheading the Philippine struggle for nationhood at the end of the 19 th century, Heneral Luna is a sturdy, stirring if perhaps sometimes simplistic historical epic about bravery and treachery in a country at war. Based on the final years of Antonio Luna , a European-educated scientist-turned-soldier who was murdered by his rivals when he was just 32, Jerrold Tarog ’s big-budget blockbuster has generated immense buzz in the Philippines. Local audiences have warmed to John Arcilla ’s high-octane turn as Luna and also how his story mirrors the chaos of contemporary Philippine politics.

A hearts-and-minds piece serving a primer in the Southeast Asian nation’s history and two hours of relentless swashbuckling drama, Heneral Luna has now been selected as the country’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar next year . While the film does thrive on some universal truths about the futility of ideals in politics, its appeal beyond the Philippines and its global diaspora might be limited. Meanwhile, its mainstream production values — an achievement in itself at home, given its standing as a production independent from the local major studios — might hinder its fortune on a festival circuit seeking either genre-benders like that of Erik Matti’ s, or grittier fare from critical darlings like Lav Diaz , Adolfo Alix Jr . or Jun Robles Lana .

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Tarog’s mission in reconstructing his country’s national narrative is pretty obvious, given the way he begins the film with an on-screen text stating how “bigger truths about the Filipino nation” could only be broached by mixing reality and fiction. His pedagogical objectives are manifested in the film’s framing device of Joven ( Arron Villaflor ), a fictional character whose name is Spanish — the lingua franca in colonial Philippines in the 19 th century — for “young man.”  Heneral Luna is meant to be this generic bespectacled journalist’s observations of the life and death of a national hero. He begins the film listening to Luna recalling his rise to power — the recollections visualized as a long flashback — while he then gets to witness the general in action, during his final battles against foreign forces and then adversaries within his own ranks.

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Shunning the inconvenient truths of Luna’s early-life brushes with politics — he started out advocating political reforms rather than outright revolution — the film begins in 1898, when he has already delved headlong into the armed struggle and is the commander of the Philippine Republican Army. By then, the U.S. military have already defeated Spanish colonialists and readying themselves to annex the Asian archipelago, and Luna is busy steering the independence movement towards a direct confrontation with a superpower aiming to gain a toehold in Asia .

His boldness contrasts sharply with the meek, reconciliatory voices which dominate the movement. While Luna is constantly at loggerheads with the former colonial-era apparatchiks who have reinvented themselves as pro-independence leaders, his biggest adversary here is actually the movement’s leader Emilio Aguinaldo ( Mon Confiado ). While Luna is shown living and working alongside his soldiers and talks his talk of the need to put country before family and everything else, Aguinaldo operates behind a neat desk — an indecisive man under the sway of his backers, his cronies and even his mother.

This is a man who has previous experience killing off his dissenting comrades, as in the case of the execution of rebelling commander Andres Bonifacio , a brutal murder glimpsed in a brief flashback, and serving as the harbinger of things to come. With Luna’s demise very much predestined, Tarog’s film plays out a whirlwind j’accuse in which a warrior defies his double-dealing detractors, rages against the dying light and lurches towards a grisly end.

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And the film hardly strays off message: Luna’s lover, Isabel (a fictional amalgamation of the general’s many partners, and played here by Mylene Dizon ), turns out to be as audacious and patriotic. After Luna’s laments in bed about war being “a cross I have to bear,” Isabel — who also happens to be a leader of the local Red Cross chapter — ends their relationship, proclaiming their respective public duties as more important than their clandestine affair.

Heneral Luna does have its lighter moments, such as the general’s near-slapstick attempt to commandeer a train for his soldiers or his gallows humor while trapped in the trenches. But comic relief is rare in this bulldozing epic about a selfless patriot in a dangerous age, and the film is filled with scenes and dialogue highlighting Luna’s vision of his country being free from external domination (namely the US, seen here butchering and bayoneting locals with impunity) and internal division (as Luna enforces standard-issue uniforms to rein in clan-building commanders).

While the odd historical anachronism does mar the film — such as Woodrow Wilson ’s “manifest destiny” speech from 1920 being used to augment the argument of U.S. expansion in the 1890s  — the message here is certainly loud and clear. Charging onwards unflinchingly, Heneral Luna trades in as little subtlety as its titular hero does.

Production companies: Artikulo Uno Productions

Cast: John Arcilla , Mon Confiado , Arron Villaflor , Mylene Dizon

Director: Jerrold Tarog

Screenwriter: Henry Hunt Francia , E.A. Rocha , Jerrold Tarog

Producers: E.A. Rocha

Executive producer: Fernando Ortigas , with Leo Martinez, Vicente Nebrida

Director of photography: Pong Ignacio

Production designer: Ben Padero

Costume designer: Carlo Tabije

Editor: Jerrold Tarog

Casting Director: Jaime Habac Jr .

Music: Jerrold Tarog

International Sales: Artikulo Uno Productions

In Tagalog and English

No rating, 118 minutes

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Philippines

Review: heneral luna (philippines, 2015), by anthony kao , 9 may 16 00:36 gmt.

It’s always a guilty treat to watch a film in which America is the bad guy. There aren’t that many, probably because most nations that villainize America usually have other things to worry about besides competing with the Hollywood juggernaut. Though not from some place like North Korea, the 2015 Philippine blockbuster Heneral Luna is one of those films that star Americans as enemies.

While the Philippines are a staunch US ally today, they were also America’s first foray into colonialism. After losing the Spanish-American War, Spain handed their Philippine colony over to the United States in the Treaty of Paris. Taking control of the Philippines, however, was more complex than putting a signature on paper. The Philippines already had an independence movement and, taking advantage of Spain’s weakness and early tacit American support, they managed to establish a Republic over most of the archipelago before the Treaty of Paris took effect. As it became apparent that the Americans were going to be new colonial masters and not liberators, this First Philippine Republic decided to fight back, kicking off a war in which hundreds of thousands of Filipinos died at America’s hands. Then man who led Philippine forces into this conflict was General Antonio Luna , a former scientific researcher who quickly rose to become chief of the Republic’s army.

However, though there are scenes like when US soldiers kill women and children amidst a voiceover of John O’Sullivan’s famous essay on “manifest destiny”, America is, arguably, not the film’s primary antagonist. Instead, it focuses on conflicts of a more internal nature: Filipino v. Filipino, and those within Luna’s mind. This choice elevates the story from a simple patriotic gorefest (though there’s still plenty of patriotism and gore) to something more complex.

Yes, the film lionizes General Luna, but not to the excessive, almost heart-throbby extent of something like Simon Bolivar from The Liberator . The film shows Luna has deeply flawed — prone to anger, overly aggressive, and infected with a fatal stain of hubris. He gives no heartwarming speeches, no exhortations to “we happy few, we band of brothers”. Rather, he rallies troops with threats of arrest and “Article One” of his military code — ” anyone who disobeys the general’s orders will be executed immediately without trial.”

Luna’s most pernicious physical enemies are not Americans but his fellow countrymen. There are the deserters who flee right before his eyes. There’s the politicians who want to negotiate with the Americans. People like this are traitors; he can neither stomach nor compromise with them. At one point he even flies into an unprovoked rage, promising to defend the nation even if it means going against the President, Emilio Aguinaldo . It’s almost as if Luna’s patriotism blinds him to the realities of human nature — greed, self-preservation, fear. We do see some moments of clarity though. In a quieter moment with a journalist, Luna acidly resigns himself to the senselessness of his world — “it’s just Filipinos being Filipinos”.

Pronouncements like these make Heneral Luna a brave film. Like its namesake, it is unafraid to speak its mind. It goes through the pantheon of Filipino revolutionaries — the people today’s boulevards and warships are named after — and puts their imperfections on display. Revolution is not a dinner party, and Heneral Luna makes that all the more clear.

Heneral Luna — Philippines. Dialog in Tagalog and English. Directed by Jerrold Tarog. First released September 2015. Running time 1 hr 58min. Starring John Arcilla, Epy Quizon, Paulo Avelino, and Arron Villaflor.

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Review: the liberator (venezuela, 2014), by anthony kao, review: yamato (japan, 2005), review: katyń (poland, 2007), review: wolf warrior (china, 2015), by richard yu.

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Bayan o Sarili: A “HENERAL LUNA” Review

By: gio potes, heneral luna trailer.

0 0 1 486 2776 Nuffnang Philippines 23 6 3256 14.0  

Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE  

Good review! So excited to see this!

Go Gio! Galing ng review!

Let us know what you think after you see it 🙂

I could not agree more. Saw this movie on Saturday, and we have similar thoughts for this movie. Talk about "poetic justice."

We definitely need more local films like this 🙂

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‘Heneral Luna’ Review: Essential viewing

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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

“History was written by those who hanged the heroes.”

The quote from Mel Gibson’s Braveheart (1995) rings truest in the Philippines, where history, or at least the one that was crafted to instill within the people an illusion of a pristine and glorious nation, is as fragrant as a little girl’s fairy tale. Filipinos have been led to believe that the country was birthed from the untainted bravery of our forefathers who dispelled vicious colonizers with both their words and weapons.

However, this history that we are enjoying is one painted with half-truths and veiled lies. Those details of the nation’s past that may or may not have a more lasting impact on our state as a people are either left as footnotes or completely forgotten and neglected. Distilled of dirt and sin, all that is left are perfumed memories that can only fuel a pride that may be as misplaced as it is dangerous. 

History in cinema  

Local cinema has mostly been complicit to this bamboozlement. Most of the films that have been made to tackle the nation’s history have portrayed the prominent men and women who fought for our freedom as saints, almost bereft of faults and mistakes.  (READ:  Heneral Luna: Para sa bayan o sarili? )

Line them all up, from Carlo J. Caparas’ Tirad Pass: The Story of Gen. Gregorio del Pilar (1997) to Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s Rizal (1998) to Mark Meily’s El Presidente (2012), and all you’ll see are narratives that lead only to the goal of sanctifying the historical figures they center on. Even Enzo Williams’ Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo (2014) ended up putting its titular hero on a pedestal even if it had the audacity to dwell on some of the details of the hero’s death at the expense of another historical figure. (READ:  10 movies featuring PH national heroes )

The few films that managed to shape the historical figures as actual humans instead of icons and idols are films with too small a budget to be able to pull off the requirements of a period piece. Mike de Leon’s Bayaning 3 rd World (2000) ingeniously dissected the famous myth of Rizal. Mario O’Hara’s portrayal of Andres Bonifacio in Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio (2010) is so laced with humanity that a lot of its viewers considered it close to sacrilegious.

Bridging the divide

The divide between the gutless but glossy epics and the braver but more intimate independent productions is so immense. As a result, movie-going masses are fed with didactic rubbish that are designed primarily to treat viewers like kids who prefer their stories visualized like soap operas than read from a textbook, oblivious of the fact that there exists another vein of historical cinema that dares to ask more questions than provide the same answers over and over again.

Jerrold Tarog’s Heneral Luna provides that essential middle ground. It is a film that is crafted with just enough meticulousness a reasonable budget can afford but does not pander to common but erroneous knowledge and wisdom. Instead, it goes straight to the point of unravelling those details in history that were left out by those who hanged the heroes. Tarog’s film is an immense risk, one that is probably fueled not by quick profit but by a profound desire to unmask demons of idols. 

Tarog cleverly starts his campaign with Antonio Luna, who has always been known as a gifted military strategist, capable of leading an army composed of farmers plucked out of nowhere to victory against both Spanish and American foes. His tragic demise paints a picture of what was wrong and what is still wrong in the country. 

In a way, Luna personifies the fractured hero that defines the country’s fractured history. His life, like history, has been severely whitewashed with great deeds brought to the fore while deficiencies in character are veiled out of sight. 

What Tarog does to Luna is to treat him with enough respect to release him from being just an object of this victor’s history we have been blindly celebrating throughout the years. Tarog makes him human, drawing him with virtues as well as warts, and in so doing, creates an essay of everything that is wrong in our nationhood.

Intent and craft

What is most fascinating about Tarog’s Heneral Luna is that it does not place its intent ahead of its craft. The film is beautiful to gaze at. The score made by Tarog is subtle during moments when the drama does not require distracting melodies, but hauntingly intense at the high points.

The film is plotted precisely, never really focusing on the larger aspects of history but on the smaller stories that perfectly construct a hard-hitting picture of a revolution built on suspicion and dissent. 

John Arcilla is excellent as Antonio Luna. His performance displays an innate understanding of the character. Driven not by boring reverence but by his own interpretation of what exactly is noble madness, Arcilla is exhilarating to behold in his various interpretations of Luna’s many personalities. (READ:  John Arcilla on bringing ‘Heneral Luna’ to life ) 

As ferocious leader of a seemingly hopeless army, he is rabid and stern. As a pal to his trusted lieutenants, he is unpredictably hilarious. As son to a devoted mother, he is heartbreakingly dear, echoing the same sentiments he has for his family as if it were for his motherland.

While Arcilla dominates the picture with his prodigious performance, Mon Confiado comfortably stays at the side, playing Emilio Aguinaldo, portrayed in the film as a cunning puppeteer instead of the victorious liberator of the Philippines, with such engrossing sobriety. Confiado’s Aguinaldo is vicious in his quietude, amply balancing Arcilla’s Luna, who is as boisterous as he is outwardly violent. It is a generous performance, one that gives the film deeper layers as opposed to being just a battle of wits between prominent figures of the past. 

Beyond stereotypes

Ambiguity is not typically regarded as a virtue when it comes to historical films about national heroes. Most of the films that have tackled our history past have a definite agenda of feeding their viewers with a very general emotion of pride for one’s country.

Heneral Luna , while precise in its storytelling and in its depiction of the major players of the revolution, evokes ambiguous emotions about a nation that has been revealed to be built on a rickety foundation of questionable motives and personalities. 

Tarog is as blunt as he is poetic. He does not shirk away from detailing the violence of war. In fact, he often laces the gruesome deaths he stages with humor, perhaps to reflect on the folly of war despite its inevitability. Amidst the indulgence in spilling blood and exploiting gunpowder is a tenderness that is genuinely affecting.

Heneral Luna begs you to look beyond the stereotypes of both the man and the history that has been made around him. It begs you to see everything with clearer eyes, with just enough cynicism, and more importantly, without the influence of those who have the greatest to gain for turning our history into a pageant of brave and unblemished patriots, of those who hanged heroes without owning up to their sins. – Rappler.com

Francis Joseph Cruz litigates for a living and writes about cinema for fun. The first Filipino movie he saw in the theaters was Carlo J. Caparas’ ‘Tirad Pass.’ Since then, he’s been on a mission to find better memories with Philippine cinema. Profile photo by Fatcat Studios.

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Heneral Luna

Critics reviews, audience reviews, cast & crew.

Jerrold Tarog

John Arcilla

Antonio Luna

Mon Confiado

Emilio Aguinaldo

Arron Villaflor

Joven Hernando

Joem Bascon

Archie Alemania

Eduardo Rusca

More Like This

‘HENERAL LUNA’ – movie review and quotable quotes

• Mark Pere Madrona
• September 6, 2015
• education , entertainment , history , philippines

“ I do not believe that a biography of a man should be all praises. It should be both praise and criticism because it is not bad to show the human side of a person. You make him human by painting his defects .”                               – Teodoro Agoncillo (1912 to 1985), Filipino historian

Despite being a leading propagandist during the twilight years of Spanish regime and a revolutionary leader at the onset of the Filipino-American War, Antonio Luna remains one of the most unappreciated of all Philippine heroes. The movie ‘Heneral Luna,’  directed by Jerrold Tarog and developed by Artikulo Uno Productions, seeks to change that.

The movie, which will be shown in cinemas nationwide beginning this September 9, puts the spotlight on Luna’s heroic works and his unflattering personality  (which eventually led to his assassination).

A hero with an unflattering personality? Isn’t that an oxymoron? The only reason it seems so is because countless historians in the past seems to have made it a point to portray heroes as flawless individuals – effectively making their work more like hagiographies instead of a fact-based account.

The movie shows Luna’s most valued character trait: his passion and uncompromising commitment to the cause of Philippine independence as well as his brilliance in military tactics. No less than Emilio Aguinaldo, the country’s first president, described him as the best war general under him (“ siya ang pinakamahusay kong heneral “).

However, the movie also discusses the aspects of his personality that made people see him as a repulsive human being. He is not a smooth-talker, and is too hot-headed. In other words, he is a “my way or the highway” type of person. That of course did not sit well for a lot of officials in Aguinaldo’s administration, causing Luna to have so many enemies.

Heneral Luna is neither led by showbiz A-listers that other historical biopics in recent years had (like Cesar Montano in ‘Jose Rizal,’ Jericho Rosales in ‘Baler,’ and Alfred Vargas in ‘Supremo’) nor backed-up by splashy promotional campaigns. Instead, it is relying on social media to heighten public interest. The producers have also organized special screenings in various schools to target history educators and students.

Filipino netizens always rant about not seeing enough quality content on the media (television and cinemas, particularly) in general. Now is a chance for us to show our support to a movie that not only shows the life of one of the most courageous Filipinos who ever lived but also discusses a critical part of our nation’s history.

Quotable quotes

“ Mas magandang mamatay sa digmaan kaysa magpasakop sa dayuhan .” –

2. “ Ano ba ang tingin niya sa Cavite? Ibang bansa ?” – When told that forces under Kawit Company will not be providing him with necessary reinforcements for a battle 3. “ Mas mahalaga ang papel natin sa digmaan kaysa sa anumang nararamdaman natin sa isa’t isa .” – A certain woman told Luna, emphasizing that petty conflicts over women are distracting the revolutionaries’ cause 4. “Hindi natin sila matatalo sa teknolohiya. Pero matatalo natin sila sa taktika.” – Antonio Luna on the Filipinos’ chances of defeating the Americans 5. “Hindi panlalait ang pagsasabi ng totoo.” – Luna to Felipe Buencamino, one of his tormentors 6. “Hindi ko ginusto na siya ay mamatay, pero naniniwala akong makatarungan ang nangyari. Malupit siya, abusado, mayabang!” – Felipe Buencamino on Antonio Luna

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About Author

The Filipino Scribe (TFS) is managed by Mark Pere Madrona, a multi-awarded writer and licensed professional teacher from the Philippines.

Mr. Madrona earned his master’s degree in history from the University of the Philippines-Diliman last 2020. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in journalism cum laude from the same university back in 2010. His area of interests includes Philippine journalism, history, and politics as well as social media.

Know more about him here: https://www.filipinoscribe.com/about/.

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4 thoughts on “ ‘HENERAL LUNA’ – movie review and quotable quotes ”

General Antonio Luna is indeed a great hero, A well disciplined military officer worthy of emulation.

Just like what the American general said in the movie before bursting into laughter: “He was the only general they (Philippines) have”

And yet they killed him …

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Cultivating the Filipino soul through culture and history

Demystifying the Heneral Luna Phenomenon – A Movie Review

September 23, 2015 by Ninah Villa

I woke up to a most singular occurrence, Tuesday last week. Heneral Luna, an indie historical film which had opened quietly the week before, had begun trending in Twitter at 4 a.m. Like the brash and vitriolic general of the same name, it had refused to fade calmly into obscurity and continued to pop in and out of the trending list in succeeding days.

People have suddenly and inexplicably fallen in love, so much so, that when cinemas dropped from 100 to 48 after the first week of screening, public clamor managed to push the cinema count up to 104.

What is it about Heneral Luna that has so captured the hearts of so many?

Birth of a Renegade

Its popularity is even more surprising considering it doesn’t feature the excesses of Hollywood, the inanity of slapstick comedy, or the endless gush of maudlin mistress woes. What it does show is a Filipino historical and cultural experience told boldly but conscientiously, that is, with more than the usual degree of attention paid to the essentials and the essential peripherals. From the sweeping vistas of verdant land, down to the smallest detail on uniform buttons, everything is laid out with almost reverent care.

And it isn’t an elitist snob. Those harping about narrative flow, nuance, gravity and focus must understand that a perfect film is pointless if it does not reach an audience. Heneral Luna, already at a disadvantage because of its traditionally unpopular genre, has chosen a tone, voice and approach more suited to communicate.

Perhaps the film’s greatest asset in its attempt to engage its audience is what may once have been its biggest risk, its cast. In this respect, there is a refusal to compromise, shunning the effective tactic of foisting ill-fitting roles onto teen idols for salability. The end result for Heneral Luna is a group of seasoned actors well adapted to their roles.

John Arcilla is luminous as Luna and manages to lift us through his mounting wave of just rage. Luna’s boys are the necessary foil to his fire. Anson, Bascon, Alemania, Medina and Acuna emanate an endearing spunk that sit well alongside Arcilla’s fervor.

What of the parallel camp? Mon Confiado makes for a beautifully subdued Aguinaldo while Noni Buencamino’s Buencamino simmers with an inner ardor almost equal to Luna’s. I liked best of all however, Epy Quizon’s Mabini, who is just as I imagined him to be, as if the statesman himself decided to quit the ten peso coin to appear in a film.

Hitting Home

It is too simple to attribute the growing love for the film to its production and cast alone. There are countless other Filipino films that are exemplary in these elements. Why Heneral Luna and why now? The answer is simple, because it is relatable and opportune.

Heneral Luna mirrors in a very clear and sharp tone, the Filipino experience now. It shoves us roughly into the realization that more than a hundred years after Luna’s death, we have not changed. We, by our own divisiveness, indecision and selfishness remain the greatest saboteurs of our own progress. It is inevitable then that as Luna vituperates on screen against the causes of his frustration, we who have grown tired of struggling, feel a simultaneous inner rage boil within us against ourselves and against a cultural system that perpetuates internal strife.

It is fortunate that the filmmakers have chosen Luna as their messenger, a hero so flawed he’s almost like the rest of us. Indeed, the treatment is nearly iconoclastic, but therapeutic. For the first time on film, a hero is taken down from his sanitized moral pedestal and is humanized, so that now, those of us who are on the streets find it easier to learn what he has to teach.

The audience clapped when the credits rolled at the cinema where I watched Heneral Luna . It would be reasonable to say therefore, that whatever its foibles, it had achieved what it had set out to do, more so because the audience weren’t Tagalogs, Ilocanos or Cavitenos. They were a mix of Bisaya and Muslim Filipinos. Even as I imagine the General shouting invectives in the afterlife over our prevailing fractured state, he would have roared approvingly at the ovation, taking it to mean that we have progressed, albeit incrementally, beyond the short-sightedness of regionalism and self-absorption.

Beyond Heneral Luna

One inescapable consequence of the film is a sudden tide of revulsion for Aguinaldo. This is unfortunate considering that the director has been emphatic about there being no villains, only people with different motivations. The more astute observer will also notice that in the scene where the letter that was to seal Luna’s fate was dispatched, the hand that approved it was not clearly shown to be Aguinaldo’s. Historically, there is no direct evidence to implicate Aguinaldo in Luna’s assassination, but could he have prevented it? That is left to the viewers to decide.

If the movie has taught us anything about people, it is that no one is entirely black or white; we all contain varying degrees of good and bad. Published accounts will tell us that Aguinaldo had his shining moments as a general in the revolution against Spain, but he may have stepped on some gray areas later on in his political career. The only fair way to form an opinion about him and his contemporaries including Luna is to read… MORE! And be critical and analytical.

It isn’t enough that you take the word of one or two historians about the events that unraveled more than a hundred years ago. Because it is the nature of humans to be multi-faceted, and because humans are the creators of history, the past can hardly ever be written in stone, and historians will always agree to disagree with the frequency of Pacific typhoons about the truth. We must read and make up our own minds about our heroes and our story.

But why is it even important to arrive at our own conclusions? Because it is only when we’ve come to terms with our collective past can we learn from its lessons.

And because we can’t get enough of the movie…

Heneral Luna Trivia

• Luna was a musician, sportsman, chemist, pharmacist, doctorate degree holder and tactician.
• The movie’s director, Jerrold Tarog is also its co-writer, editor and musical composer.
• It took producers 19 years to bring their concept into a movie.
• The writers agreed there would be no villains, only people with motivations.
• Producer E.A. Rocha’s grandparents knew the Luna brothers.
• The docked ships and other background extensions in the movie were CGI.
• Pong Ignacio, the director of photography, took inspiration from Juan Luna’s paintings in depicting the movie’s color, light and shadow.
• The Katipunan and succeeding military units were semi-feudal.
• According to Carmen Reyes, the movie’s make-up artist, General Masacardo’s sparse mustache was symbolic and done on purpose and in contrast to Luna’s full mustache.
• Mon Confiado had his hair cut in Aguinaldo’s characteristic flat top in Cavite and appeared in auditions wearing a full white suit to show he fit the role.
• Noni Beuncamino is related to the character that he played, Felipe Buencamino.
• The scene where Antonio Luna and Paco Roman’s bodies are dragged are a pointed reference to Juan Luna’s Spoliarium.

Heneral Luna Quotable Quotes

#HugotHeneral

“Meron tayong mas malaking kaaway kaysa mga Amerikano; ang ating sarili.” -Luna to Aguinaldo’s cabinet “Negosyo o kalayaan? Bayan o sarili? Mamili ka.” -Luna to Aguinaldo’s cabinet “Nasubukan mo na bang hulihin ang hangin?” -Mabini to Aguinaldo “Mas madali pang pagkasunduin ang langit at lupa kaysa dalawang Pilipino sa alin mang bagay.” -Luna to Joven “Kailangan nilang tumalon sa kawalan.” -Luna to Joven “Ang taong may damdamin ay hindi alipin.” -Luna monologue “Para kayong mga birheng naniniwala sa pag-ibig ng isang puta.” -Luna to Aguinaldo’s cabinet “Paano ako lalaban? Kakagatin ko sila?” -Luna to Aguinaldo’s cabinet “Ganito ba talaga ang tadhana natin? Kalaban ang kalaban. Kalaban ang kakampi. Nakakapagod.” -Luna to Roman

Recommended Resources

• The Rise and Fall of Antonio Luna, D. Vivencio R. Jose
• A Question of Heroes, Nick Joaquin
• ALL of Ambeth Ocampo’s books
• Heneral Luna: The History Behind the Movie (monograph)
• Xiao Chua’s videos on YouTube

Other Posts You May Be Interested In:

• El Filibusterismo Index of Chapter Summaries
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• The Rise of Felip and His Bisaya Songs - From P-Pop…
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Reader Interactions

November 14, 2015 at 10:03 am

I can say nothing else but congratulate you in your writing a very informative and lively article. Hope to meet and talk to you in person in the future. 🙂

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runningpinoy

(spoiler-free) movie review: heneral luna.

It’s is very seldom that I review a movie, let alone a local one, but Heneral Luna really just stood out for me that I was compelled to write one.  It moved something in me enough to write this review soon after watching it in the cinema.

To cut to the chase, Heneral Luna is one of the best Filipino movies I’ve ever seen!  The way the story is told is just so Filipino with a mixture of humor every now and then despite the grave seriousness of the situation, yet the cinematography, scoring, and editing is really world class!  But more than the technical merits, this is really a great movie!

Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Filipino general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen.

In 1898, General Antonio Luna, commander of the revolutionary army, is spoiling for a fight.  The Philippines, after three hundred years as a Spanish colony, has unwillingly come under American rule.  General Luna wants to fight for freedom but members of the elite would rather strike a deal with the United States.  The infighting is fierce in the new cabinet but General Luna and his loyal men forge ahead even as his military decisions are met with resistance from soldiers who are loyal only to President Aguinaldo…

What I love about this movie is that while it depicts part of our controversial history, it also reflects current Philippine society.  Seriously—one of the scenes that depict an incident that happened about a century ago reminded me of a political scene that happened just a few months ago.  We keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again and this movie hopefully awakes all of us to break the vicious cycle, particularly in politics.

My verdict: 10/10 ❤️

To everyone that made this film possible, thank you for making a socially relevant movie that made Philippine history interesting again!  And thank you for making it a great movie that we can proudly show anywhere in the world!

Heneral Luna

Genre: Historical Epic Running Time: 1:58:00 Release Date: September 09, 2015

Starring: John Arcilla, Arron Villaflor, Joem Bascon, Archie Alemania, Alex Medina, Art Acuña, Mon Confiado, Epy Quizon, Bing Pimentel, Paulo Avelino, Mylene Dizon, Alvin Anson, Nonie Buencamino, Lorenz Martinez, Leo Martinez, Ketchup Eusebio

Directed By: Jerrold Tarog

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Film Review: ‘Heneral Luna’

One of the most expensive and highest-grossing Filipino films of all time, “Heneral Luna” is a rousing, warts-and-all portrait of Gen. Antonio Luna, the brilliant and brusque strategist whose command of troops in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) was cut short by betrayal from within his own ranks. Anchored by a charismatic central performance by John Arcilla (“Metro Manila”) and peppered with exciting action sequences, the pic has the all-around energy to overcome the odd moment of bumpy storytelling and prosaic dialogue. A worthy official submission in the foreign-language Oscar race and an entertaining history lesson for audiences everywhere, “Luna” reps an impressive achievement in large-scale filmmaking by prolific scripter-helmer-editor-composer Jerrold Tarog (“If Only,” 2007). Launched locally on Sept. 9, the pic grossed a whopping $5.3 million and has notched an impressive $200,000 on limited U.S. screens since Oct. 30.

It’s worth noting the film’s remarkable turnaround at the domestic box office. Initially released in 100 cinemas, “Heneral Luna” performed only modestly in its first week and was quickly withdrawn from more than half its screens. Following a spontaneous fan-led social-media campaign, audiences started turning up in droves, and the film was subsequently reinstalled in many theaters and went on to enjoy a highly successful nine-week engagement. Such a lengthy run is regarded as a minor miracle for a Filipino production, and Tarog has since announced plans to make another two films set during the same eventful era as “Heneral Luna.”

Announcing itself as “a work of fiction based on facts,” the pic is framed around a series of interviews granted by Luna to Jove Hernando (Arron Villaflor), a fictional newspaper journalist. Threaded into the narrative at well-judged moments, these lively conversations provide viewers with valuable insights into the general’s personality and assist greatly in keeping track of the story’s bulging inventory of characters and events. Much of Luna’s dialogue in these sections is squarely aimed at encouraging local audiences to ask questions about the evolution and identity of their nation, and to draw parallels between contemporary political events and those in Luna’s time.

A clear picture is immediately established of the state of affairs in the Philippines in late 1898. After more than 300 years, colonial ruler Spain has relinquished control and sold the islands to the U.S. for $20 million. Exactly where that leaves the newly self-declared First Philippines Republic and how it should respond to the first landing of U.S. troops on Filipino soil is hotly debated inside the shaky government of President Emilio Aguinaldo (Mon Confiado) and wheelchair-bound Prime Minister Apolinario Mabini (Epy Quizon).

It’s clear from the outset that “Heneral Luna” is a very different proposition from the majority of Filipino historical epics, which paint fawning portraits of the nation’s founding fathers. The rasping dialogue by Tarog and co-scripters Henry Francia and E.A. Rocha presents a government wracked by chaos, disunity and the readiness of key players to place personal interest ahead of the national interest by accepting U.S. domination without a fight.

When all this squabbling and bickering comes to the boil, Luna (Arcilla) is potently launched into the fray as a straight-talking, fiercely patriotic commander who cuts through everyone’s rhetoric and insists on pre-emptive strikes in order to save the fledgling nation. As he puts it: “I detest war, but I detest compromise more.” In the process of winning the argument Luna clashes fatefully with pro-compromise power brokers Pedro Paterno (Leo Martinez) and Felipe Buencamino. In a remarkable and highly effective piece of casting Buencamino is played by his direct descendant Nonie Buencamino, a highly regarded legit actor.

With the volatile political landscape well mapped out, “Heneral Luna” thunders into action. Given command of a motley collection of troops that could barely be called an army, Luna whips them into shape with inspirational speeches about nationhood and brilliant tactics that bring about several stunning victories on the battlefield. While paying full due to Luna’s military genius, Tarog does not shy from showing his weaknesses. Most glaring are his fanatical insistence on absolute obedience and moments when he lacks understanding and sympathy for peasants and farmers on whose land the war is being fought.

While following the traditional trajectory of a war movie, “Heneral Luna” is more fundamentally concerned with examining how internal rivalries proved the undoing of Luna and destroyed any chance of the Philippines gaining genuine and lasting independence. Tarog achieves the primary objective with distinction, but isn’t as successful when U.S. forces are center-frame; the momentum drops noticeably, and the dialogue between American characters including Gen. Arthur MacArthur Jr. (Miguel Faustmann) and Gen. Elwell Otis (Rocha) is frequently clunky and unconvincing. But the name of the game here is Gen. Antonio Luna, and for the overwhelming duration of its running time the film delivers on its promises.

Arcilla’s zesty performance brings full-blooded life to Luna’s reputation for inspiring both undying loyalty and enduring enmity. Surrounding him on the loyalty side of the equation are well-written and performed portraits of supporters including Gen. Jose Alejandrino (Alvin Anson), Col. Francisco Roman (Joem Bascon) and Capt. Jose Bernal (Alex Medina). On the opposite side of things, Ketchup Eusebio nails his portrayal of Capt. Pedro Janolino, a smarmy young officer whose refusal to obey Luna plays a critical role in the fortunes of the general and the war itself. Though given relatively little screen time, Mylene Dizon (“Aparisyon”) hits a winning note as Red Cross worker Isabel, a fictional amalgam of several women Luna was known to have been involved with.

A massive undertaking with approximately 100 speaking roles and a crew of 600, “Heneral Luna” impresses on all levels. Production design by Benjamin Padero and Carlo Tabije, art direction by Katrina P. Napigkit and costume design by Padero vividly bring to life an era that few viewers outside the Philippines will have seen on big or small screens. Cinematographer Pong Ignacio confirms his rising-star status with gorgeous widescreen lensing of lush rural areas, artful compositions in sequences inside the corridors of power and fluid, exciting coverage of the many combat set-pieces. Tarog’s traditional orchestral score is big and brassy when the moment calls for it, and nicely restrained when quiet is required. A high standard of excellence is achieved in pyrotechnics, vfx work and all other technical areas.

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Heneral Luna

Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Philippine Revolutionary Army general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen. Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Philippine Revolutionary Army general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen. Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Philippine Revolutionary Army general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen.

• Jerrold Tarog
• Henry Francia
• Sumaquel P. Hosalla
• Pedro Javier
• John Arcilla
• Arron Villaflor
• Mon Confiado
• 42 User reviews
• 16 Critic reviews
• 58 Metascore
• 17 wins & 20 nominations

Top cast 99+

• Gen. Antonio Luna

• Joven Hernando

• Emilio Aguinaldo

• Doña Laureana Luna

• Doña Trinidad Aguinaldo

• Gen. Tomas Mascardo

• Col. Paco Roman

• Gen. Jose Alejandrino

• Capt. Jose Bernal

• Maj. Manuel Bernal
• (as Art Acuña)

• Capt. Eduardo Rusca

• Apolinario Mabini
• (as Epy Quizon)

• Pedro Paterno

• Felipe Buencamino

• Capt. Janolino

• Gen. Gregorio Del Pilar
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia After Luna is killed, he is dragged through one arm to the side of the convent, reminiscent of the famous Spolarium painting, which was painted by his brother Juan Luna.
• Goofs When General Luna and his men enter a church to pray briefly after hearing news of the American attack on Santa Mesa, several statues of the Virgin Mary can be seen near a window in the background. One of them is Our Lady of Fátima; the Fátima Apparitions occurred in 1917, almost two decades after the film's time period.
• Crazy credits In a post-credits sequence, General Gregorio del Pilar (Paulo Avelino) is told there are not enough men left. He tells his aide to choose 60--the number of men he had with him when he tried to defend Aguinaldo's retreat from American soldiers at the Battle of Tirad Pass. The scene hints that Del Pilar will be the focus of the next film in a rumoured historical film trilogy by director Jerrold Tarog.
• Connections Spin-off Angelito (2017)
• Soundtracks Hanggang wala nang bukas Words and Music by Ebe Dancel Vocals by Ebe Dancel Guitars by Kettle Mata Bass by Roger Alcantara Drums by Jerrold Tarog Recorded and mixed at Tower of Doom Records by Eric Perlas

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 58 minutes

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Review: ‘Heneral Luna’ wages an overtly biased campaign for Filipino hero

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The Philippines’ official Oscar submission for foreign-language film, “Heneral Luna,” is a fittingly theatrical portrait of larger-than-life Philippine Revolutionary Army commander Antonio Luna, portrayed with considerable gusto by John Arcilla.

A prominent figure during the Philippine-American War after control of the country shifted from Spain to the U.S., Luna contended that the Philippines had an enemy bigger than the Americans: his own splintered nation’s inability to form a unified front.

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His determination and keen military strategy served him well on the battlefield, but his bullying arrogance didn’t sit well among an equally divided cabinet, ultimately leading to his 1899 assassination, at age 32, at the hands of his own people.

Well aware of his subject’s iconic status, Jerrold Tarog, the film’s director, co-writer, editor and composer, isn’t particularly interested in character shadings and subtleties. (All the Americans are portrayed as pompous xenophobes.) Tarog prefers an unapologetically mainstream approach to this melding of fact and dramatic conjecture.

Boasting a sizable budget, stirring photography and Arcilla’s charismatic lead performance, “Heneral Luna” would never be mistaken for more serious-minded art-house material, but there are certainly less lively ways to be taught a history lesson.

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“Heneral Luna.”

MPAA rating: R for strong bloody violence, language, brief nudity.

Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes.

Playing: Laemmle’s NoHo 7, North Hollywood.

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