THANK HEAVENS FOR HENERAL LUNA (The Movie)

      

       Thank heavens for Heneral Luna (a movie about the brilliant but short-tempered general, Antonio Luna, who fought during the Filipino-American war) a lot of Filipino youths (who are all experts when it comes to social media) are now aware why Apolinario Mabini (the brains of the Katipunan) could not and would not stand and would remain seated even while the other high-ranking Katipuneros were violently arguing and were at each other’s throats on what to do with the invading Americans—he was stricken with polio and unable to use his lower limbs.

       Thank heavens for Heneral Luna (the movie), it sparked a renewed interest among Filipinos on their country’s history. Pinoy moviegoers who were impressed with Antonio Luna’s heroism are now clamoring for more historical movies  featuring the country’s brave revolutionary leaders.

       Thank heavens for Heneral Luna (the movie) because once again, Emilio Aguinaldo’s weaknesses as a leader and his selfishness were exposed, this time to a larger audience, which included the social media savvy Pinoys and not only the history geeks. Can somebody "unhero" Aguinaldo? Largely involved with the deaths of Antonio Luna and Andres Bonifacio, (and with his failure to give them justice), maybe, it’s high time we strike Aguinaldo off the list of Filipino heroes.

       Thank heavens for Heneral Luna (the movie), now that it’s a certified moneymaker, it is now certain that a movie about the life of Gregorio Del Pilar or Goyong (photo below) will soon be made. Dashing, youthful (he was only twenty three when he was made general), gallant (he won many battles on his way to being a young general) and romantic,  I have always been fascinated by this hero’s life. In fact, I have been dreaming of writing a graphic novel about him for many years now.

       I am excited on how the movie would portray him: an authentic and squeaky-clean hero who was motivated by his love for his country or will they highlight his so-called blind obedience to Emilio Aguinaldo? Will the movie  touch on the rumored involvement of Goyong in the murders and tortures of some of Antonio Luna’s associates? How will the movie recreate the Battle of Tirad Pass (our own Battle of Thermopylae)? Will they depict him as a crafty general who succeeded in delaying the Americans from pursuing Aguinaldo or will they show him as a bungling general who died during the battle because of his carelessness? A great war tactician (he planned some of the battles he won) who botched and lost what some historians claim was a battle that was easy to win. There were accounts that  Del Pilar and his sixty overly outnumbered soldiers were on their way to completely driving the pursuing Americans away when Del Pilar, delighted with the information that they were winning, foolishly decided to leave his secured post and move to a spot in the mountain where he was exposed to the enemies—a shot to the neck instantly killed him.

       Why am I excited about a movie featuring the life of Del Pilar when there’s already a Filipino movie made about him? Well, that movie (directed by Carlo J Caparas and starred Romnick Sarmenta) is a sham and mediocre with overacting actors and score.

       Thank heavens for Heneral Luna (the movie) and Filipinos were shown how to correctly make a movie about revolutionary heroes: dark, bloody, brutal and uncompromising. Well, that’s how the revolution was.