![]() ![]() 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. 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 Initially released in 100 cinemas, “Heneral Luna” performed only modestly in its first week and was quickly withdrawn from more than half its screens.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. 9, the pic grossed a whopping $5.3 million and has notched an impressive $200,000 on limited U.S. A worthy official submission in the foreign-language Oscar race and an entertaining history lesson for audiences everywhere, “Luna” reps an impressive achievement in large-scale filmmaking by prolific scripter-helmer-editor-composer Jerrold Tarog (“If Only,” 2007). Anchored by a charismatic central performance by John Arcilla (“Metro Manila”) and peppered with exciting action sequences, the pic has the all-around energy to overcome the odd moment of bumpy storytelling and prosaic dialogue. Antonio Luna, the brilliant and brusque strategist whose command of troops in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) was cut short by betrayal from within his own ranks. One of the most expensive and highest-grossing Filipino films of all time, “Heneral Luna” is a rousing, warts-and-all portrait of Gen. ![]()
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