Manuel Quezon is “Casey” in the eyes of anyone who would agree to challenge the long historical claim of him being one of our finest statesmen.
This is what Jerrold Tarog’s Quezon invites us to assess in (re)educating the life of the country’s second president, who successfully built the country’s consciousness into its image today.
Quezon, a two-hour film released by TBA Studios, is a movie worth spending your money on if you are a history buff or if your mind is wired enough to decode and recode the images of “heroes” we may have come to learn from our history.
It steered away from conventional “heroism” in its visual design and score. For one, it completely combined the milieu of the events that transpired in his long career in politics with the trends of its times. The livery of silent films was encapsulated with the big band and rondalla musical setting that served as a force in pushing the entire narrative of his story.
But it did achieve its purpose of dismantling the longstanding notion of Quezon. Jericho Rosales played a cunning and playful Casey, a nickname given to him by American Governor General Leonard Wood. He was nothing short of possessing tricks from his Amerikana by way of his persuasion and pressure. He was all set to gain everything for himself, even if he shunned allies and well-meaning words of advice.
Jericho’s “Quezon” was filled with rage and ambition, attaining his reason for being the country’s image. He attempted to embody a man who was a politician. But by the good looks of his, it failed to aesthetically describe an old man who became president at the age of 57. He made Casey look young and lively enough that he became too polished for the screen.
Romnick Sarmenta was Sergio Osmeña, Quezon’s wimpy sidekick. He characterized the Cebuano politician as a man who was so drawn to Casey’s deceit. He kept on entertaining his requests even if it ultimately disadvantaged him in the end. In reality, Serging was a few inches taller than Manuel. In the film, it was the opposite. It treated him as a punching bag by way of his height, stance, and reserved personality.
The consequential twist here was Aguinaldo, portrayed by Mon Confiado. He was extremely villainized in Heneral Luna, but, curiously enough, the now revered revolutionary leader was given a reappraisal for his personality. He was severely betrayed by Casey’s move to strip him of his land, titles, praises, and pension during their feud in the campaign. But he refused to retaliate, to a point where he was seen shaking nervously in his debate speech. He strove to be his opponent’s antithesis, constructing a campaign laden with honor.
An “honorable” campaign—something that Casey trumped down in favor of propaganda and promises. He strove his best to win without any hitch. Yet his battle was without blood. It was all spectacle that advanced his cause of “independence,” a word that he carried for his own good.
Maybe we do not deserve our own “nationalism.” Maybe we could have been an American state living in their own cloud nine. But try to step back and ask: have we given some time to understand what independence really is?
If Tarog’s Quezon makes you think as you step out from your seat, then it has achieved its purpose. Quezon has to make you think. As such, Quezon is not for the faint-minded.
