Heneral Luna

Heneral Luna shares with its audience, a portrait of the historical character that is General Antonio Luna, the brilliant and hot-tempered patriot, who fought against the US during the Phil-American war. The film examines, without filter, how political in-fightings led to his assassination and the demise of Philippine independence.

General Luna was played by all time actor, John Arcilla and this film was ultimately his. His zesty & energetic portrayal is compelling, that I was eager to digest his every exposition. He delivers his scenes with ferocity and charisma, embodying Luna's straight-talking, no compromise brand of leadership. As a result, we find in full display, the icon's brilliance as a general & as a patriot through winning tactics, inspirational speeches & engaging arguments on how nations are built and preserved. On the other hand, weaknesses are revealed, weaknesses labelling Luna as a fanatic due to his crass nature, devoid of sympathy. Happily, Arcilla's fine acting is met head on by a strong supporting cast led by Mon Confiado as Pres. Aguinaldo, Nonie Buencamino as Felipe Buencamino, and Leo Martinez as Pedro Paterno, among others.

Under the helm of Director Jerrold Tarog, the film uses the above solid performances to create lively conversations that depict Luna's main adversaries: bureaucrats, cowards and homegrown skeptics who prefer compromise over conflict. This for me, is the film's most moving piece as we witness the frailty of patriotism.

Now, despite Tarog's success in storytelling, the film falls victim to the usual shortcomings of Philippine cinema, the B-movie distinction. The momentum of Arcilla's speeches noticeably drops off when war and battle takes center frame. They felt very staged and unconvincing. The actors (and lines) of the American characters were awkward, clumsy and unbelievable. There were glaring inconveniences in production design as well, such as Luna's ultra shiny nails during war and well dyed hair by its actors. Don't fret however, as Gen Luna remains the focal point here.

Overall, this is a deeply moving picture that gives us valuable insights into the general's personality. It also successfully reaches out to its audience and forces us to draw parallels between current political events vs those in Luna's time. Fine piece of work by both Tarog and Arcilla.

My review is about my personal view and belief about my understanding in history of my own country I believe Aguinaldo is hypocrite and those shrine they built in kawit are useless what for as a reminder of him being hypocrite.

He is also responsible for Anders Bonifacio death it was clear and until now this way is clearly happening in our country the love of the politicians to serve their self ,their own interest is the main reason why most of Pilipino people are poor.

It might sound personal but this movie might be serve as one of the eye opener that history repeatedly reveals the truth and I wish 🤞 we could learn and wake up this kind of nightmare.

Set in the war between Americans and Filipinos. The Americans are invading the Philippines until the Filipinos give up, this includes killing the lives of the innocent. The Philippine Government are conducting a plan while many want to negotiate for better profit. General Luna is there to stop the greed and focus and prioritize the state of the nation.

General Antonio Luna is infamous, mad, unafraid, furious and above all cares for his family, fellow-soldiers and country men. He will stop at nothing until he accomplish his mission of giving freedom to his country. He disciplines and trains the soldiers into making them independent and not some slackers or cowards within the war. He removes all the corrupted he can find. Inspiration is key and that's what he wants to show to all his soldiers.

In the end, the face of the real enemy is revealed. It's one of his own. Savagely killed by his own country-men. Showing No Mercy to a man who only wants what's better for the whole country.

I love the exposure shown to what the message was. It had many symbolisms and morals one might enjoy learning. John Arcilla really turns into the character he's portraying, he even looks like him. The effects use was really brutal, the sound was pretty great to and the cinematography had very beautiful shots and lightning in some scenes. The comedy present was a nice addition to the film and making it more entertaining to watch. The direction by Jerrold Tarog shines on how careful the actors give their performances. The script is rich with very detailed and fun lines of entertainment.

I will say that this film is not propaganda, it's not bragging of which country is better, it's does not promote blind nationalism. It's more on what's present and understandable with the value of claiming responsibility. It does not send you the message of "This film makes me shameful and filling me guilt you into liking it.". It's better if you understand your reflections.

Words cannot describe my satisfaction with this film and the only way to review it is through personal experience. There are pacing problems and disappointments in terms of the props such as the weaponry used by both sides, but given the film's tight budget, it has managed to portray these battle scenes with epic proportions combined with the score being obviously inspired by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. The atmosphere of the entire film is portrayed beautifully, it shows the political machinations and political infighting when the battle scenes are not present, for the entire point of view is based upon Luna and his allies. Still, if you are either a history buff or just an average movie goer, this film is spectacular and it deserves to be one the best films of the year if there are any formal awards as such.

Antonio Luna was a man of turbulent complexity. Honorable, patriotic, dignified and principled he was at the same time arrogant and hot-tempered who did not hesitate to resort to violence. "Heneral Luna" is a well-done cinematic depiction of the man's life as a soldier as his country faced its greatest crisis yet witnessing the birth pains of its genesis as a nation after centuries of colonial rule. Veteran actor John Arcilla does a solid portrayal as the nationalistic and combative general who treads the murky and complicated paths of war and politics. Fine battle scenes and period uniforms add color and pageantry in this well-acted melodrama. Although Luna's youth could have been featured to give the film more fullness and completion what is shown is satisfactory. Watchable and entertaining, this is a showcase in the ongoing progress of Philippine cinema and a good tribute to one of its greatest and most compelling heroes.