Jose Rizal on video

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>To: portside at yahoogroups.com
>From: portsideMod at netscape.net
>Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2001 20:44:41 -0400
>Subject: Jose Rizal on video
>
>JOZE RIZAL on video
>
>Jun 23, 2001
>
>From: "David Ecklein" <diacad at lr.net>
>
>JOSE RIZAL - Production of GMA Films (Manila, Philippines - 1998)
>
>This epic, now available on english-subtitled VHS video, should be 
>seen by anyone with an interest in anti-colonial struggles in 
>general and Philippine history in particular. It is an epic bio of 
>Jose Rizal, a nineteenth century Renaissance man. An ophthalmologist 
>by profession, he was an accomplished poet, painter, author, 
>engineer, and world-traveller who mastered 22 languages. Although 
>Rizal was an expert swordsman and crack shot, the more powerful 
>weapon he chose against the despotic 300 year old Spanish colonial 
>regime was his pen - the actual armed revolution began in 1896, 
>shortly after his execution at 34 (!) years of age.
>
>The film runs about three hours, but I was too absorbed to notice or 
>care. Directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya with an adept cast led by Cesar 
>Montano as Rizal, the film has high production values and proves the 
>Philippine movie industry capable of serious efforts, willing to 
>tackle controversial issues. And there are plenty here, reflected in 
>the film's strident and daring anticlericalism. The Catholic Church 
>is shown cruelly carrying on the Inquisition in 19th century 
>Philippines. Some scenes recalled those of Pskov under the Teutons 
>in Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky". Rizal's first novel "Nolo Me 
>Tangere" (Touch Me Not) exposes the sexual predations of the 
>priesthood, a topic still in the news today. Rizal is shown in a 
>Berlin printshop, where the press setup man admonishes (in German, 
>of course - Diaz-Abaya is a stickler for realism), "Young man, this 
>book will get you into a lot of trouble." His second novel "El 
>Filibusterismo", published in Belgium, exposes Spanish and compra!
>dore corruption. So inflamed were the objects of Rizal's attacks 
>that anyone caught possessing either book was summarily executed. 
>And these targetted colonial- clerical objects laid plans 
>(eventually successful) to stop his attacks once and for all.
>
>Of course, like many martyrdoms, this one backfired on its 
>perpetrators. It merely put the bellows to smouldering embers. There 
>are short glimpses of other revolutionary figures, among them Andres 
>Bonifacio, as they begin the rout of the Spanish regime, leading to 
>the establishment of the first constitutional repuublic in Asia, 
>over a decade before that of Sun Yat Sen in China. Mention of this 
>fact is not typical in American history books, due to its being 
>treacherously (and bloodily - US Army period accounts estimate 
>800,000 Filipino casualties) crushed and colonized anew by 
>McKinley's imperialist regime. I hope that Diaz- Abaya will tackle 
>this post-Rizal phase of the Philippine independence struggle as 
>well.
>
>You can purchase the video (and others from the Philippines) in the 
>United States at www.regalfilms.com
>
>David Ecklein dave at d...
>
>__________________________________________________________________
>Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Webmail account today at 
>http://webmail.netscape.com/
>
>
>portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is a
>news, discussion and debate service of the Committees
>of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It
>aims to provide varied material of interest to people
>on the left.
>
>Post            : mail to 'portside at egroups.com'
>Subscribe       : mail to 'portside-subscribe at egroups.com'
>Unsubscribe     : mail to 'portside-unsubscribe at egroups.com'
>List owner      : portside-owner at egroups.com
>Web address     : <http://www.egroups.com/group/portside>
>Digest mode     : visit Web site
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/