It is a watershed moment in our history, ushering us into the future cinema in the Philippines. "Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral," after the young and naive General Gregorio del Pilar, has been a huge success, with many Filipinos appreciating Jerrold Tarog's masterpiece. His films have defied the standards of the Philippine mainstream, even reviving the myth of glorifying the heroes of the Philippine-American War. It's not your average romanticized, sugarcoated Filipino film. Goyo revealed the polar opposite of what we were taught in school.
More than half of this film depicts how the revolutionary soldiers prioritized their own leisure and interests over-preparing for and uniting against the Americans. After five months of silence and peace, our countrymen were taken aback by the bloodshed. While the film was a meditation on one man's introspection, it was set in the context of a five-month period of false peace. To be honest, the first half of the film feels sketchy, much like Joven Hernandez felt about Goyo. I am truly awestruck by how the actors and actresses act naturally to portray their characters, the dialogue bordering on poetry, and the realistic cinematography showcasing our motherland, which gives me a picturesque imagination of this era.
The film begins with Apolinario Mabini's words, reflecting on how Emilio Aguinaldo's redemption is based on death in battle, recounting how Gregorio del Pilar rose to become one of Aguinaldo's highest-ranking generals. A 23-year-old boy carrying the weight of the entire country, making difficult decisions due to the heavy burden responsibilities thrust upon him at a young age, yet he still had plenty of time to flirt and celebrate his greatness. At this point, I am irritated by how harsh this film is written, but it intends to subvert, abolish lies, idolatry, and martyrdom.
Goyo's unwavering devotion to his President Aguinaldo blinded him to reality. Antonio Luna was the last of the revolutionaries. Col. Manuel Bernal, a Gen. Luna soldier, stated “Ang pagkakaiba, ikaw, tapat sa idolo mo. Kaming mga pinatay at papatayin mo, tapat kami sa isang prinsipyo. Namatay si Luna na isang sundalong may paninindigan. Ikaw, pumapatay lang dahil sa utos. Hindi ka sundalo, Goyo. Isa kang... aso.” . This line struck me hard as I realized how timely this film is. History truly does repeat itself. Aguinaldo's fractured regime's sociopolitical issue clearly reflects our current system. This film is an examination of long-standing social ills. "Bingi sa katwiran ang taong may iba iniidolo". The real battle Goyo must be fighting is against himself. But we can't deny that he fought fearlessly for our freedom, in contrast to Aguinaldo, who hid and fled.
Goyo's battle strategy at Tirad Pass is undeniably brilliant and clever. Despite the lack of patriotism and unity, Intelligence is present. “Isang henerasyon ng mga duwag at sinungaling ang naki-angkas sa labang ito. Umaasa na lamang ako sa susunod na henerasyon.”, Jose Alejandrino already foresee what will happen to our sovereignty. It breaks my heart as I continue to follow their progress until they reach Tirad Pass. Some soldiers are unprepared and unwilling to die in the service of our country. Jerrold Tarog has been very explicit in perpetuating negativity in us, but I saw this as a simple fact that Filipinos should be aware of. "All we had to do was sit back and watch them stab each other in the back", Arthur McArthur said. We are our own worst enemies, and this is the truth.
Overall, this film is very different from what we usually see on the big screen, but it left me thinking about what lies behind our history. It is a significant advancement for our film industry, and we need more of it. The cast and crew of this film outdid themselves. I don't have any negative feedback because everything about it is near-perfect, from the actors to the cinematography to the dialogue. Some scenes may appear to contradict some sources, but their significance lies in the film's message and context. It does not undermine the film's credibility because they based it on facts and only minor manipulations occurred because this is a movie and its purpose is to entertain the audience. Jerrold and his team began to conduct research and develop a script that was not solely based on Kalaw and Joaquin but also from a variety of other primary perspectives.
This period piece has parallels with current events. The ascending imperial power at the time, the United States, went land-grabbing and eventually took over the land. Recent issues such as the Chinese imperial power began with some of our islands, and we all waited to see what happened next. This film will twist your mind and open up new avenues of thought.
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