“Gomburza is marred by its tortuous structure, and in this retelling it feels as elusive as what we loosely call national identity.”
I’ll give spoilers ahead.
it is an established fact El filibusterismoThe second and final novel completed by Philippine national hero Jose Rizal tells the story of three Filipino secular priests, Mariano Gomez and Jose Burgos, who were falsely accused of subversion by Spanish friars. , dedicated to the memory of Jacinto Zamora (collectively known as Gomburza). He was later executed by Garote during the Cavite Rebellion of 1872. The martyrdom of this trio would later ignite the founding of the Katipunan and the entire revolutionary cause.
Pepe Diokno’s latest film, whose title is a portmanteau of martyred priest, uproots this pivotal juncture in Philippine history. This work certainly has the confidence to speak big, but it only succeeds to a certain extent.
Entries for this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival, Gomburza A work that traces the lives and travails of three priests and the leader of Burgos, Pedro Pelaez. In the Philippines under Spanish rule, the movement for equal rights for the clergy, which was still separated by social boundaries, drew the ire of the colony.
The film opens with the story of Hermano Pule, an indigenous leader who founded the Sisters of St. Joseph in retaliation for the then-Catholic Church’s discriminatory practices against local priests who were ultimately violently assaulted by colonial forces. Masu. , leading to Puru’s execution. The story, as told by Father Pelaez, has an appropriate atmosphere, precisely because it serves as a warning against what awaits the central characters: a certain kind of repetition.
And it is precisely this that is later unraveled, often told only in meandering directions, full of details and locations, and sometimes going uninterrogated, if not flying over your head. In fact, this story is divided into his four parts. From the beginning of the rift between local priests and Spanish friars, to the spread of liberalism, the failed rebellion, and the effects of Gomburza’s martyrdom. And the decision to stick to this linear mode is what plagues the film the most. That’s because the film passes through so much information and operates in broad strokes that it hesitates to land and form any emotional weight. As a result, the storytelling ends up being quite fragmented, like a boring history lesson, not because of the subject matter, but because of the way it’s presented.
The camerawork, while impressive most of the time, tends to linger in scenes and enjoy their lingering effects to the point that it detracts from the film’s pace and momentum. The use of tableaux in this film is also not a good choice at all.
but Gomburza It’s not without its moments of brilliance, which mostly come from the ensemble performances. Cedric Huang, who plays Father Burgos, embodies his character’s determination with great conviction, especially during the character’s imprisonment and in the film’s ending notes, which are rendered even more movingly by Teresa Barroso’s music. . Piolo Pascual, who plays Pedro Pelaez, also has limited screen time, especially as a group of Spanish friars who oppose a secular clergyman’s claim to the local archdiocese in front of a colonial court. He does a decent job in scenes where he has to assert his position against others. Elijah Canlas and Tommy Alejandrino will also play the roles of Paciano Mercado and Felipe Buencamino, respectively. Gomburza This is interesting because it is through them that the film establishes the concept of hope.
However, much of the writing focuses on Burgos’ emotional adventures, and we only get to know other characters on a superficial level, such as Father Zamora, who is largely relegated to the background in Enchon Dee. can not. Had the script given Zamora more depth and interiority, the character’s tonal shift and descent into a state of surrender toward the end would have pulled more weight.
Of course, that’s not to say this movie doesn’t have any weight in terms of its message. How the past continues to reverberate to this day, especially under the orders of another Marcos. The way history rolls on a Möbius strip is reproducible by design, unless we actively break all the threads of distortion that make it possible. And that faith and resistance are not mutually exclusive. If anything, this film accomplishes that, but not in a way that excites audiences or at least heightens this particular message. At the end of the day, every film must effectively utilize its visual grammar, clearly outline its intended content, and avoid the risk of proving its reason for being.
Due to the curvy structure, GomburzaIn this retelling, it feels as elusive as what we loosely call national identity. – Rappler.com