Heneral Luna will not win an Oscar*. This isn't some anti-Filipino statement, and that Philippine Cinema is undeserving of international acclaim. The opposite, actually. What Russovoir would like to call in mind is, Heneral Luna, as it's always been, and either A) they take this movie review positively and do something or B) take this movie review negatively and do nothing (this is what Russovoir is here for), is still a working progress; it lacked style, it lacked sense, and directorial choices that threw off the experience**.
Founder and General of the first military academy of the Philippines, Antonio Luna is an influential figure in Philippine history. Absolutely necessary to immortalize (not literally. Luna was shot many times, stabbed, and finally a bullet through the eye killed him, whereas the one stray bullet to his Waterbury button, he didn't think twice committing suicide? Russovoir understood the meaning of both, yet they contradict in logic) his seminal contributions in a film, no question. Luna's influence is so great and arguably, heroic that the genre in which his presence, power, and prodigy must be classified as an epic. We can achieve epic in a motion picture in a number of ways, including but not limited to lighting, shadowing, blocking, camera shot and movement (and not the tawdry head exploding from a gun shot). As far as Russovoir can remember, from which really what the audience 'take away' and talk about after, there were only two camera techniques (not including subtext, one of which was Luna's flashback sequence, however inaptly shot) applied, the wind that erected the Philippine flag inside; it was effectively creative.
 |
| A scene inspired from Juan Luna's 1884 Spoliarium. |
Sitting through two hours is no joke. We have to keep our audience interested. Do not confuse your genuine interest with nationalism. Russovoir is fully aware, and closely observing, Heneral Luna is a diamond in a haystack of shitty rom coms, and the first to premiere outside the cash cowing, cow milking, poor showcase of films at the annual Metro Manila Film Festival. Let us not cloud our judgement with Philippine pride. Anyway, so, in the two hours sitting, there was too much dialogue. Some lines, absolutely, stirring and winning, and other times, we can do without. A film, Russovoir learned in the years of film school, is the language of pictures. How one scene affects the next. And if you're brilliant enough, how a scene suggests something else (picture above). It's what you show, and don't show that makes the film compelling. No dialogue, just cinematic composition.
Stop. Russovoir is not here to lecture. He surely wasn't insisting on perfection. That isn't relevant, because Philippine Cinema is far behind, but slowly adapting to international standard. Director Jerrold Tarog must already know this, but impeded by funding, and daresay a competent workforce. Russovoir cannot blame him. Russovoir cannot blame anyone. We do what we know, yet despite all, Heneral Luna is absolutely a zeitgeist in Philippine independent cinema apart from the mundane mainstream, like the separation of church from government.
*opinion expressed is solely based on educated forecast
**not the historical accuracy, for which all creative liberties were respected, assuming in-depth research prior to filming was done
