So last night, a red carpet advance screening for the Philippine historical film, GOMBURZA, was held in Gateway Mall, Cubao and weeks prior to this, I actually attended another advance screening that they had of the same film. I shared my initial reaction for GOMBURZA that I was blown away by it and the overall message that I was left with.
Since I was sick and got busy having my medical checkups and tests done, writing the full film review had me putting it on the back burner. I think now’s the best time for me to share my thoughts about the film, and promote it, since it’s going to be shown in PH cinemas starting tomorrow, December 25.
GOMBURZA, is MQuest Ventures’, Jesuit Communications, and CMB Film Services’ entry to the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival. Written and directed by Pepe Diokno and adapted from a screenplay by Rody Vera, this biographical film follows the story of GOMBURZA, the acronym for the 3 Filipino priests who were wrongfully accused in having connection with the 1872 Cavite Mutiny. They were later on executed by garrote or strangulation.
The film stars Dante Rivero as Padre Mariano Gomez, Enchong Dee as Padre Jacinto Zamora, and Cedrick Juan as Padre Jose Burgos. Piolo Pascual is also in this film, playing the role of Padre Pedro Pelaez, another Filipino priest who is Padre Burgos’ mentor. Also in the cast are Epi Quizon, Direk Carlos Siguion-Reyna, Jaime Fabregas, Khalil Ramos, Elijah Canlas, Neil Ryan Sese, Paolo O’Hara, Tommy Alejandrino, Dylan Ray Talon, and many more.
You might ask why I’m rooting for GOMBURZA to win this year’s Best Picture in MMFF. There were a couple of things that I liked the most about this film.
This cinematic masterpiece takes you on a time travel back to the 3 martyred priests’ time, and what makes this film so special, is that every heavy scene of it feels so raw, dark, and unsettling, yet you will feel some kind of hope glimmering and a fire blazing in you, as you understand more about the background on the tragic end of the three priests. I am not exactly a fan of historical films, and truth be told, I don’t really know much details about GOMBURZA’s execution. But by watching GOMBURZA, this would make you want to deep dive in more for facts, and learn more about our history and of our true heroes.
First off, I would like to acknowledge the stellar actors in this film. I think that Dante Rivero is the perfect Mariano Gomez as he exudes that authority, wisdom, and experience that would make anyone look up to him with so much respect. Enchong Dee’s display of his acting skills left me so affected in his role as Padre Zamora. Call me naive or whatever, but I actually had no idea that Padre Zamora had lost his mind since they were given the death sentence. GOMBURZA needed a phenomenal performance from Enchong in his depiction of Padre Zamora’s descent to madness, and man, did he deliver!
And as for Cedrick Juan, I’m sorry if I’m not too familiar with his previous projects. All I know is that he’s a great theater actor, and I only got to see his acting for the first time in GOMBURZA. After watching this film, I can confidently say that he has a great chance of bagging the Best Actor award for this year’s MMFF Awards. Cedrick Juan gave a wonderfully nuanced performance as Padre Burgos. He is sensational in GOMBURZA and his performance in this film demonstrates his competence as an actor on the big screen. I am pretty sure that as soon as moviegoers get to see this film, they would be rooting for Cedrick Juan to win Best Actor too and they would definitely praise him for his acting.
As for Direk Pepe Diokno’s directing skills, I think that he’s the most well-suited filmmaker for this kind of movie. You can tell from watching GOMBURZA on just how dedicated Direk Pepe was in making this film. Sure, the first part of the film was somewhat slow paced and filled to the brim with so much well-researched information, that it would kind of make you anxious if you’d miss out anything important because there are so many details being told, one after another. Good thing that despite my short attention span, I was actually hooked to the characters and the story all the way through because of the way it was exceptionally portrayed.
The film has its hits and misses but for me, GOMBURZA is beautifully shot and moving, and brilliantly executed, that I can only marvel at its greatness. It will demand your full attention and your self introspection.
But of course, this is one of the most important parts of our history that ignited the fire in our countrymen and marked the awakening of nationalist consciousness, leading to the 1896 Philippine Revolution against Spain, so we really should expect that they’re squeezing in a ton of information on what these three martyred priests went through, for a film that has a runtime of almost two hours.
The film’s message, an indirect question to us by the filmmaker himself, would make you reflect on your role as a citizen of this country: BUHAY PA BA ANG ALAB SA PUSO MO?
In a time like this when there’s so much misinformation and fake news are being spread to change the important parts of our history to mislead and deceive people, I think that it is necessary that we would be reminded of why we are enjoying our freedom today. GOMBURZA will be a great reminder of that.
151 years later and I think that the message behind the martyrdom of the three priests is still relevant up to this day. Direk Pepe Diokno’s GOMBURZA could be the start of an awakening to us all Filipinos that we should always stand up against any form of injustice or oppression. This is the kind of film that would get you thinking and talking for days after seeing it!
I highly recommend this film and I assure you it’s all going to be worth it!
Watch GOMBURZA in cinemas December 25.
The Lovelace Is In 