Heneral Luna (2015)

Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Filipino general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen.

Director:

Jerrold Tarog

Writers:

Henry Francia, E.A. Rocha

Stars:

John Arcilla, Mon Confiado, Arron Villaflor

17 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
John Arcilla	...	Antonio Luna
Mon Confiado	...	Emilio Aguinaldo
Arron Villaflor	...	Joven Hernando
Jeffrey Quizon	...	Apolinario Mabini
Paulo Avelino	...	Gregorio del Pilar
Joem Bascon	...	Paco Román
Archie Alemania	...	Eduardo Rusca
Arthur Acuña	...	Manuel Bernal
Alex Vincent Medina	...	José Bernal
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marc Abaya	...	Younger Antonio Luna
Alvin Anson	...	José Alejandrino
David Bianco	...	Maj Peter Lori Smith
Jennifer Blair	...	French Lady
Nonie Buencamino	...	Felipe Buencamino (as Noni Buencamino)
Mylene Dizon	...	Isabel

Storyline

Set during the Philippine-American war, Heneral Luna follows the life of one of Philippine History's most brilliant soldier, General Antonio Luna, as he tries to lead his countrymen against colonial masters new and old, and to rise above their own raging disputes to fulfill the promise of the Philippine Revolution.

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Taglines:

Bayan O Sarili?

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Genres:

Action | Biography | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, some language and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Website

Country:

Philippines

Language:

Filipino Tagalog English Spanish

Release Date:

30 October 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Генерал Луна

Filming Locations:

Magdalena, Laguna, Philippines

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,485, 1 November 2015

Gross USA:

$206,040

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,625,639

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artikulo Uno Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was bankrolled by businessman Fernando Ortigas' film production outfit Artikulo Uno Productions, which takes its name from the Philippine-American War military directive, prominently referenced in the Heneral Luna film. Ortigas himself makes a brief cameo in the film.

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Goofs

When General Luna and his men enter a church to pray briefly after hearing news of the American attack on Santa Mesa, several statues of the Virgin Mary can be seen near a window in the background. One of them is Our Lady of Fátima; the Fátima Apparitions occurred in 1917, almost two decades after the film's time period.

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Crazy Credits

In a post-credits sequence, General Gregorio del Pilar (Paulo Avelino) is told there are not enough men left. He tells his aide to choose 60--the number of men he had with him when he tried to defend Aguinaldo's retreat from American soldiers at the Battle of Tirad Pass. The scene hints that Del Pilar will be the focus of the next film in a rumoured historical film trilogy by director Jerrold Tarog.

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Connections

Spin-off Angelito (2017)

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Soundtracks

Hanggang wala nang bukas
Composed and performed by Ebe Dancel

User Reviews

Smart Film

Set in the war between Americans and Filipinos. The Americans are invading the Philippines until the Filipinos give up, this includes killing the lives of the innocent. The Philippine Government are conducting a plan while many want to negotiate for better profit. General Luna is there to stop the greed and focus and prioritize the state of the nation.

General Antonio Luna is infamous, mad, unafraid, furious and above all cares for his family, fellow-soldiers and country men. He will stop at nothing until he accomplish his mission of giving freedom to his country. He disciplines and trains the soldiers into making them independent and not some slackers or cowards within the war. He removes all the corrupted he can find. Inspiration is key and that's what he wants to show to all his soldiers.

In the end, the face of the real enemy is revealed. It's one of his own. Savagely killed by his own country-men. Showing No Mercy to a man who only wants what's better for the whole country.

I love the exposure shown to what the message was. It had many symbolisms and morals one might enjoy learning. John Arcilla really turns into the character he's portraying, he even looks like him. The effects use was really brutal, the sound was pretty great to and the cinematography had very beautiful shots and lightning in some scenes. The comedy present was a nice addition to the film and making it more entertaining to watch. The direction by Jerrold Tarog shines on how careful the actors give their performances. The script is rich with very detailed and fun lines of entertainment.

I will say that this film is not propaganda, it's not bragging of which country is better, it's does not promote blind nationalism. It's more on what's present and understandable with the value of claiming responsibility. It does not send you the message of "This film makes me shameful and filling me guilt you into liking it.". It's better if you understand your reflections.