José Rizal is a 1998 Philippine historical drama film directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya and starring Cesar Montano as José Rizal. The film was based on the true story of Filipino patriot José Rizal, who was imprisoned under the Spanish colonization and tells Rizal's story until the final day of his execution.
At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film in the history of Filipino cinema with a budget of over . The film was an official entry to the 1998 Metro Manila Film Festival, swept most of the nominations with seventeen awards, making it the first film with the most MMFF award wins.
Plot
José Rizal is imprisoned in Fort Santiago due to his dissident activities. Meanwhile, in a small field in Balintawak, Andrés Bonifacio and his fellow secret organization, the Katipunan, commence the uprising against the tyranny created by the Spaniards by tearing their cédulas as a sign of freedom from Spanish slavery.
A first lieutenant of the Artillery, Luis Taviel de Andrade, visits Rizal. Taviel de Andrade does not waste time to study carefully Rizal's case. In just a short period, Rizal and Taviel capture each other's sympathy and eventually become friendsduring their usual meetings in Rizal's cell. Taviel celebrates Christmas with Rizal in the cell where they drink and sing together. Governor General Ramón Blanco also sympathizes with Rizal's cause but is later secretly ousted by corrupt Spanish officials and Manila's archbishop, who replace him with Camilo de Polavieja.
Flashbacks of Rizal's life are shown, from his childhood to his education, until his professional life as a doctor. He soon begins writing his two novels Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo, which are then published. In addition, key scenes from the two novels are also shown.
After Christmas, Rizal is sent to the Real Audiencia, the colonial court of appeal, to hear the trial against him. Soon after, the magistrates decided to condemn him to the firing squad on the morning of the 30th in Luneta.
On the night before the execution, Rizal hallucinates, seeing his alter ego—protagonist, "Simoun" (the former Crisostomo Ibarra), from his second book, El Filibusterismo, tempting him to change the climax of the novel.
On the morning of his execution, his kin receives a small alcohol stove (not a gas lamp as commonly portrayed) from his cell containing his last poem "Mi último adiós". Stopping at the place of execution facing the rising sun, Rizal requests the authorities for him to face the firing squad, but the request is denied. Calm and without haste, he requests to have his head spared instead and the captain agrees. At the moment the firing squad aims at his back, he utters his final words: Consummatum est ("It is done").
In the events following Rizal's execution, members of the Katipunan begin their armed uprising, completely catching the Spanish forces off guard, seizing their mounts, munitions, and rifles. After that, the organization captures a church and the members execute the friars in an act of vengeance. Later that night, Bonifacio and his top generals meet in their headquarters to plan a new offensive seeking to capture ten towns in one week from the Spaniards. As Bonifacio continues speaking, the camera pans to Rizal's picture at the wall of his headquarters before revealing Rizal's hat which sat by the shores of Manila Bay, concluding with the text of events that transpired after his death.
Cast
Main cast
Cesar Montano as José Rizal
Dominic Guinto as young José Rizal
Chin Chin Gutierrez as Josephine Bracken
Mickey Ferriols as Leonor Rivera
Rizal's family
Ronnie Lazaro as Francisco Mercado
Gloria Díaz as Teodora Alonso
Pen Medina as Paciano Mercado
Ping Medina as young Paciano
Gina Alajar as Saturnina Rizal
Tanya Gomez as Narcisa Rizal
Tess Dumpit as María Rizal
Irma Adlawan as Lucía Rizal
Angie Castrence as Josefa Rizal
Rowena Basco as Trinidad Rizal
Kaye Marie June Congmon as Soledad Rizal
The Spaniards
Bon Vibar as Governor-General Ramón Blanco
Subas Herrero as Lt. Enrique de Alcocer
Tony Mabesa as Governor-General Camilo de Polavieja
Alexis Santaren as Col. Francisco Olívè
Archie Adamos as Col. Olívè's aide
Ryan Eigenmann as Fernando (Spanish classmate at UST) Jaime Fábregas as Luís Taviel de Andrade
The Dominicans
Peque Gallaga as Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda, O.P. Tony Carreón as a Dominican friar (Gomburza execution) Fritz Infante as a Dominican friar (professor at UST)