1. Too much love will kill you.
“Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for
trivial reasons”, a quote from a British philosopher which is very evident in
the movie. The leaders from different sides of the country have their own
definition and interpretation of how they love their country. Some would offer
their blood and sweat, and some would want to build a good relationship for the
“betterment” of the country. For this reason, they have their own ways of
showing their patriotism. This difference in fact has led to a revolt among
themselves. This difference has also led them to kill and be killed for reasons
they aren’t able to communicate with each other well.
In the movie, different forms of love were seen. There’s
love for country and countrymen, love for power, and love for money. These
different forms of love have made them monsters in their own respects. Monsters
who were willing to die and brutally kill.
2. Your best friend is your best enemy.
In a battle, knowing your enemy is the best way to attack
them. If you know who you are fighting with, it’s easier to attack and find
ways to defeat them. In the movie, the tactic of the Filipino troop was their
strongest weapon against the high-tech weaponry and united military force of
the Americans. However, the chaos among them has also become their strongest
enemy. The loss against the conquerors was not because of their weak military
force or poor weaponry. It was because they didn’t fight in unity. They didn’t
fight for the same reason. And they didn’t fight the right person. The war
against each other and among themselves was the cause of their defeat.
3. There is a fine line between being a boss and
being a leader.
The part that struck me most in the movie was the way
Heneral Luna was killed. It was too brutal and too much for a leader who was
willing to shed his blood for the country. It was unjust that he was killed by
his fellow Filipinos. It was unjust that he was killed in that manner. It was
unjust that he was killed for an “unknown” reason. However, some could point
out that his way of leadership could be one of the reasons. Heneral Luna (as
described by Señor Presidente Aguinaldo) is his best general, best
warrior, best leader. He is firm, very strategic, a disciplinarian, and brave.
All qualities of a good leader. However, why some didn’t like him, in fact
hated him? Why his own fellowmen wanted to defeat and kill him? Probably, his
way was not the way a leader should be. Did he encourage enthusiasm or inspire
fear? Did he ask men to do or he commanded? Did he focus on vision or on
structure? One may question Luna’s leadership but he has undeniably shown his
love for the country and its liberty.
There are still many other things that
we can learn from the movie. In fact, we may be overwhelmed with the many
insights we have and other people have regarding this. For now, I’ll settle on
these things! Looking forward to more sensible movies like this in the Philippine
movie industry.