Rizal In Dapitan Film Analysis

Rizal in Dapitan (1977) was directed by Tikoy Aguiluz and is about, as the title suggests, Jose Rizal’s exile in Dapitan that lasted for four years. Interestingly, the movie begins with a scene of his burial which is an unusual way to start a movie but a great way to clue in the audience to Rizal’s ultimate fate. Rizal’s first impression of Dapitan is bad, even claiming that it was the saddest place he has ever been in. Although, he eventually learned to love it to the point that he stated that he was living a calm and peaceful life there. People even insist that the four years he spent in Dapitan was one of the most fruitful and productive moments in the life of our national hero. It is where he met his beloved Josephine Bracken and lost his only son which he named Francisco. It is also where he reunited with his family and where cured his mother’s eyes which is his main goal in becoming a doctor.

Rizal’s passion for the Filipinos was gratefully showcased in the movie. Even in exile, he was able to show his compassion toward his people. He offered his services as a doctor free of charge. He took youths under his wings and tutored them for nothing in exchange. He also created a successful company alongside dapitanos (or the locals) to sell and buy abacas. With these, we can say that Rizal has greatly affected the lives of many while he was living in Dapitan for four years. This was proven by the end of the movie which shows his department from Dapitan. His students sang for him and what it seems to be the whole town went to bid him goodbye and mourn his leaving.

When hearing about our national hero, we often only think about his greatness but this movie did a great job of showing that he is still a human and not as perfect as we like to think. Pio Venezuela, in the guise of being an aid to a blind patient, approached him to ask for advice for Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan (KKK). During their conversation, he also stated that Rizal was the inspiration of the members of their revolutionary society. Rizal seemed to be shaken by this and told him that his books were not written for that purpose and advised them to stop their “craziness”. Nonetheless, Rizal was convinced and gave proper advice although he rejected the offer of the group to free him from his exile with the excuse that he was already living a peaceful life there; and that if he were to live, he wanted to do it in an honorable way. That speaks volumes about what kind of person Dr. Jose Rizal is. Later on, he left Dapitan with the intent to work in Cuba but never got there. He was arrested in Spain and brought back to the Philippines for execution. An event that fanned the flame of the Philippine Revolution