My critique on the film "Heneral Luna"

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Nakakita rin ako ng puwang sa busy schedule ko as media man na mapanood ngayong gabi iyong niha-hyped nilang “Heneral Luna” film sa Robinson-Calasiao. As a former Philippine History professor sa Manila and Dagupan City and combat buff columnist ito po ang masasabi ko:

DOWNSIDES OF THE FLICK

1) Grabe naman si DirectorJerrold Tarog, bakit naman ilang mahabang minute na nakatayo si Heneral Luna habang siya ay pinagbabaril ng Spanish M93 and Remington Spanish rifles and hacked by the treacherous soldiers of Kawit Company of President Emilio Aguinaldo. It started when the brash Luna chided some of the soldiers at the camp in Nueva Ecija that caused his unrealistic demised from the other soldiers who were hiding somewhere and assaulted him.
Akala ko nanonood ako ng super heroes film gaya ng Hancock ni Will Smith kasi noong nauubos na ang power niya (Hancock) kahit anong baril sa kanya nakatayo pa rin siya at pilit lumalapit sa kalaban. 
Iyong mga mahigit lima na bumaril kay Luna ang bala noong riffles nila parang Springfield long firearm whose bullet is liked those in Garand Rifle na nakikita ko noong bata pa ako sa Cotabato. Isang tama lang sa iyo nyan bubulagta ka na sa lupa. Okay lang sana kung kasali si Luna sa Jurumentados na Tausog Warriors noong American Colonization sa Jolo Sulo kung saan pinagtatali-an nila ang mga katawan at kamay nila para ang dugo na galing sa tama ng bala ay hindi dumaloy palabas. 
Sana ginawa ni Direk Jerrold na kahit pinagbabaril si Luna he was lying prone or supine on the ground to make the film more realistic.

2)  May isa akong nakita doon na ayaw sabihin ni Direk ang real story. Nakita ninyo ba doon ang kabit na maganda ni Luna (where the film insinuated that she was also the girlfriend of General Tomas Mascardo)?
Ang pangalan ng matalino at maalindog na dilag ay si Isidra na taga Tarlac. Isidra who?
Sa ibang media sources ang babae ay si Isidra Cojuangco, the grandmother of former President Cory Aquino and Peping Cojuangco. 
The story was Luna surreptitiously brought the monies, gold, and silver of the Philippine treasury at the house of Isidra in Tarlac. The American government in the Philippines was at a loss for the whereabouts of those hundreds of millions of pesos in the present denomination.
Sources said those Luna’s wealth created and bankrolled the Hacienda Luisita's estates of the Cojuangcos. 
Here’s the video of that story to those who are curious:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUbYuRxdavc

UPSIDES OF THE FLICK

1) Bilib ako sa cinematic effects ni Direk, siguro nanunood siya ng combat movies ng Hollywood at nakuha niyang gulatin ang mga manonood. Example, noong nag popped- out ang ulo ng Philippine soldier sa trench na kung saan tinamaan at sumabog ang ulo niya sa bala ng kanyon ( now ko lang nalaman na may sharp shooter na kanyonero na pala) na naging dahilan na nabasa ng dugo ang mga mukha at uniporming rayadillo ng mga kasamahan niya, iyan ika ko ang influenced sa pelikulang “ Saving Private Ryan” ni Steven Spielberg at “Full Metal Jacket” ni Stanley Kubrick kung saan bumubulwak ang dugo at lumilipad ang laman ng tao sa ere.
Pampasarap o embellishment sa film iyang mga motion na iyan.
Noong pagbabarilin ng mga bayolenting Amerkano ang mga bata at ang mga walang kalaban labang mamayan, sabi ko impluwensiya ito, anak ng bakang dalaga, ng violence  style ni Oliver Stone sa “Platoon”.

2) Expected na papatayin ang mga tulad ni Luna kasi naging threat siya kay Aguinaldo. Gusto niyang ipilit ang gusto niya kahit pang political desisyon na ng gobyerno. E heneral siya hindi siya executive or elected official na kung saan sinusunod nila ang pasya ng presidente o commander- in- chief kahit giyera na noon. Example, noong pag aarestuhin niya ang dalawang cabinet members Felipe Buencamino and Pedro Paterno because they quarreled sa cabinet meeting in the presence of President Aguinaldo. That was an affront to the president. When he arrested General Mascardo for insubordination in Pampanga and questioned Aguinaldo the following days why he released Mascardo, he was challenging the authority of the president. When he was heard by soldiers that he would even arrest Aguinaldo and his plan to overthrow the president, he dug already his grave because he made himself a threat at the power-that-be.

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)