While paying full due to Luna’s military genius, Tarog does not shy from showing his weaknesses. 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. With the volatile political landscape well mapped out, “Heneral Luna” thunders into action. In a remarkable and highly effective piece of casting Buencamino is played by his direct descendant Nonie Buencamino, a highly regarded legit actor. 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. 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. 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. The rasping dialogue by Tarog and co-scripters Henry Francia and E.A.
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.
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). Exactly where that leaves the newly self-declared First Philippines Republic and how it should respond to the first landing of U.S. After more than 300 years, colonial ruler Spain has relinquished control and sold the islands to the U.S.
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.Ī clear picture is immediately established of the state of affairs in the Philippines in late 1898. 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.
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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.”Īnnouncing 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. 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. Initially released in 100 cinemas, “Heneral Luna” performed only modestly in its first week and was quickly withdrawn from more than half its screens. It’s worth noting the film’s remarkable turnaround at the domestic box office.