Jose Rizal has become subjected to this. He has become so sensationalized that there are actually fanatics or cults out there that believe that he is the son of God, somewhat like Jesus. It was even mentioned in the film that a certain archbishop or bishop considered Rizal for sainthood. Nowadays, we see statues, images and figures of Rizal everywhere. When I was in the Czech Republic for JTA, one province there even had a bust of Rizal in their town hall. When I think about it, I wonder, “Did Rizal really want this?” Or I guess the more important question is, does he deserve all these recognitions?
“Bayaning Third World” opens the eyes of its viewers, proclaiming that in order to truly understand our history, we must learn to continuously doubt and question it. In the movie, two filmmakers are trying to investigate on who Jose Rizal really was. Was Rizal really against the revolution, or was he just resentful because he knew he wouldn’t be the hero if he took part in it? Did Rizal truly love Josephine Bracken and was he willing to marry her? Was Josephine sent by the priests to spy on Rizal? These are only some of the many questions that the film was trying to answer. But the most important question in the movie was, “Did Rizal write those retraction letters or were they merely fabricated by the priests?”
I’ve actually already began to question Rizal’s legitimacy as our national hero in the past. He’s not even pure Filipino, I thought; I believe he’s part Chinese. Also, I think that Filipinos have difficulty relating with Rizal considering that he was probably middle class or upper middle class as his parents were hacienderos and he was able to study abroad. People nowadays and even back then would be able to relate more with Andres Bonifacio or Apolinariio Mabini. Another issue I have with Rizal is when he was in Dapitan, according to the film “Rizal sa Dapitan”, he was willing to give everything up as long as he would be able to live with his family and Josephine. From what I know about Rizal, I assumed that he would have fought harder for his ideals.
At the end of the film, I realize that the movie has introduced more questions than answers, and left the bigger issues like Rizal’s retraction unanswered. However, does it really matter? We know what Rizal has done, and we know that he has contributed greatly to our freedom as a nation. Personally, the truth about his retraction will not change how I see him. It’s like Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code wherein the issue of Jesus having a child with Mary Magdalene was being investigated. Whether or not Jesus had a child doesn’t really change anything about Him. Same goes for Jose Rizal and his retraction.
The term “Kanya-kanyang Rizal” is used at the end of the movie. This simply means that we see Rizal in our own way, and he has affected us according to our understanding of who he was. His influence on us and this country can never be disregarded. These questions and investigations are what keep our history alive. History, after all, is just a collection of the past subject to our own interpretations.
by
darkespeon (student)
