El Presidente

El Presidente, one of the entries in the recent 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival, gives a glimpse of the struggles leading up the momentous declaration of Philippine independence. Graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board and with almost 3 hours of screening time, the story not only touches on the political infighting and intrigues that took place during the revolution; it also explores the inner struggles of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo as a husband and a father, depicting as well the agonizing moments of making life-or-death decisions all for the sake of security and national unity.

Having earned the endorsement of the Department of Education as well as the Commission on Higher Education, my expectations of the movie, to be honest, are very high. The trailer is quite engaging, making one confirm the possibility of finally having an entertaining historical epic. And after taking up several History classes since grade school, I really find Aguinaldo to be one of the (if not the) most controversial characters in Philippine history. Why? Well, admit it – he is an iconic and heroic figure, truly a worthy subject for a motion picture. He was the power and glory behind the Filipino’s fight against Spain; he was instrumental in unifying the factions during the revolution; he was the man responsible for the establishment of the first republic in Asia. But in between, there are other intrigues and heated accusations associated with his name, tainting his glorified status. That is why I think any attempt to depict Aguinaldo’s story would really be a tricky endeavor – there’s just a lot of ground to cover, and just plenty of contention to unravel. With that, I really wished to see in this movie how these intrigues and controversies in the life of Emilio Aguinaldo were resolved. There are just overwhelming evidences about these controversies (most are, in fact, unflattering) and for as long as the movie sticks to facts, for me, there will be no problem.

The movie started with Aguinaldo’s capture by the Americans in Palanan, Isabela. The film then transitioned 15 years earlier, depicting him as a lad, unaware of the “great” life ahead of him. In the movie, he received a strange (and yes, close to exact) prediction from an elderly fortuneteller, which I was (at first) uncertain of whether it transpired in reality or just used for the sake of art. The film then follows Aguinaldo through the entirety of his life, his rise and fall from 1896 onwards – from his joining of the Katipunan, his leadership in Cavite, his conflict with Andres Bonifacio, his tension with Antonio Luna, his struggle for recognition of the country’s sovereignty and independence, up to his life after the downfall of the revolutionary government.

Really, it’s a lot for one movie to cover. There are just a lot of crucial, historical events to capture to be able to present – without, as much as possible, committing the dangerous sin of omission – a clear and accurate picture of this very complex character. The movie, if I were to judge it, really did struggle in its own weight. It runs through a list of historical milestones, seemingly moving from one episode to the next with little cohesion. While much is made of Aguinaldo’s martial prowess, I think little time is given to actual character development. True, El Presidente is quite filled with impressively staged battle sequences, but for me they are unnecessarily lengthy to a point that they just end up revealing very little about the main character. In fact, in the end, the film runs quickly through the later decades of the hero’s life, never staying long enough to really examine his decisions. Before watching the film, I heard that this movie is a product of 12 or so years of research, pouring over countless history books and research materials. With that, I was expecting the movie to at least help rectify “misconceptions” in history, coming out with the “truth”. From being exposed to different angles of this part of our history, I was also expecting to find a moving, a convincing, and a solid answer to what really motivated this man who took part in the glorious historical event this country ever experienced – was it truly love for country? Or was it thirst for power? Yes, I was able to see critical events that may suggest one over the other, but these – as I see it – is broadly depicted that in the end it seems that the film refuses to take a stand on the events being portrayed. The film, for me, just tries to cover too much, and a lot is seemingly lost along the way.

Moreover, audiences seem to be thrown into the thick of the film without context or setting. Well, perhaps there is, thanks to the date and setting constantly being flashed at the bottom-left of the big screen. However, it isn’t enough to be noticed; it isn’t enough to nail a sense of direction for the story. I managed to get through it since it isn’t that long since we’ve discussed it in class. But for others, unfortunately, the movie seemed to be such a confusing mess. I was with my mother when I watched the film, and she kept on asking about the continuity and progression of the events. I can sense her annoyance – either for not being able to recall her long lost years of history classes, or perhaps because of a sloppy storytelling.

Don’t get me wrong – the production was not that defective or inadequate. In fact, I was impressed by the sophisticated cinematography. Compared to many other Filipino epic and historical pictures filmed before, El Presidente’s production still offered that wow-factor for us viewers – from the scenes to the lines in Filipino, Spanish, and English are well thought. Yes, it was impressive – just that the handling of its subject matter (e.g. the very emotion in its interpretation), for me, was kind of lacking – lacking in terms of context, in terms of commentary. The plot, no matter how comprehensive it is, seemingly forgets to tell the significance of each event, of each battle, taking place. As a student currently taking up Philippine History in college, I was looking for more depth in the narrative. It’s as if we are just left to accept that Aguinaldo was the bravest, most honorable person ever to participate in the fight for Philippine independence. It’s as if we are just left to think that Spaniards are stupid, that Americans are bad, and that Aguinaldo’s the true hero.

But again, after some thought, it came to me the fact that making a historical film like this is really a tough endeavor. How can one possibly squeeze all those years of history into 2 (in this case, 3) hours of screen time? That alone was a challenge. But what makes it even more challenging is the fact that the subject in itself happens to be a very controversial figure in Philippine history. Thinking of these made me somehow appreciate, more than scorn, this entry in the MMFF.

With these latter realizations, I was reminded of one truth about reflections in history – that is, no history is completely objective. Each is written with inherent biases and motives. With history being about fallible evidence as interpreted by fallible people, then no question of finality and conclusiveness can ever emerge in its realm. True enough, even a single event can be seen and interpreted in many angles, and so it is safe to say that there can always be bias in both the author (the one writing that part of history) and the reader, as a result of their respective contexts. This film just manifests this truth, as its storytelling dramatizes (majority of) history from Aguinaldo’s memoirs and perspective. But I believe (and I really hope) there’s still an attempt to make the script fair and balanced by using other historical research materials as well.

Clearly, El Presidente is not a perfect film. But in the end, it still shines as a passionate attempt to contribute something valuable for Philippine cinema. It really tries to leave nothing out, trying to form a complete picture of Aguinaldo as humanly as possible. Although I expect more from this movie, it made me realize the importance of having a more open mind on varying layers of heroism and the writing of history itself. Besides, it’s not really the details that we should all be after for. I think what’s more important is the opportunity for us to grasp the essence of what it really is to achieve independence as Filipinos. This biopic shows us the general picture of where we have been, it gives us an appreciation of where we are now, and it enables us – in one way or another – to envision how we can continue to better ourselves in the present and yes, in the time to come.