Technical
assessment: 2.5
Moral
assessment: 3.5
MTRCB RATING: PG 13
CINEMA RATING: V 14
Pedro Calungsod: Batang Martir
is a biographical picture of the second Filipino saint, who is put to death for
his faith. Pedro Calungsod (Rocco Nacino), a young catechist, leaves
his Visayan native soil to join Spanish Jesuit priest Fr. Diego de San Vitores
(Christian Vasquez) for a mission to the
Marianas Islands (Guam) in 1668. Trained as a catechist, Pedro assists Fr.
Diego de San Vitores in baptizing the Chamorros, preaching the Good News of
salvation amid doubts, paganism and disbelief. Together with other catechists
and priests, the missionaries face the challenges and dangers of life in the
missions, particularly the antagonism of the natives. Undaunted by setbacks and
the death of their companions, Pedro and Fr. Diego continue their missionary
work throughout the islands. In the end, both of them give up their lives for
the sake of the Gospel.
Pedro
Calungsod: Batang Martir is a very courageous
attempt in bringing the life of Saint Pedro Calungsod to the wide screen. It
boasts of picturesque shots of pristine beaches, azure waters and lush
vegetation, magnificent sunsets, peaceful, bucolic scenes – a visual feast of
the Philippines (and Guam) as both locations were shot in Batangas. But while the
nature scenes are impressive, others fall flat and monotonous. Establishing
shots proved insufficient for the viewer to enter the scene or story. There is
inadequate exposition of the Chamorros, their culture, beliefs, practices,
etc., what makes them a people. This is exacerbated by a weak screenplay which
assumes too much of its viewers. In an attempt to be faithful to scant
resources, the storytelling suffers so that the viewers have to put the story
together from disjointed scenes that are dull and stagey.
Flashback is used to show tender moments of the
young Pedro with his father but there is hardly any development of character. Nacino shows a certain depth in some scenes but his
character is not defined and ends up like a caricature of a saint from
beginning to end. It would have been good if we see the development of this young
man’s faith so that he can, in the end, offer his life. And enough
has been said about the wig. Vasquez looks too soft as if to
convey holiness—and isn’t his character supposedf to be a sick and aging
priest? Why, he looks just five
years older than Calungod! Alarcon
is more convincing as the Spanish captain, while Correa as Hirao is believable
but some of his lines are too long. Eigenmann as Choco is supposed to have a significant role in
the conflict but it does not come out clearly in the film. Dialogue, even in the most profound scenes, is too long,
convoluted or stilted. At some point it feels like reading a book or listening
to the radio because it repeats the same point over and over.
The material is great! What
can be more inspiring than the life of our very own saint who, in spite of his
youth and inexperience, left Philippine shores to share the Good News abroad,
and in doing so witness to the faith, not just by his words and deeds but by
the offering of his life? Pedro’s faith in God
did not waver even in the face of danger. He prays and devotedly clings to the
crucifix entrusted to him. He also tries to creatively make the Gospel
understandable to the children, and becomes a pillar of strength for his fellow
catechists. The film also highlights Pedro’s deep bond with his father from
whom he learned the faith and shaped his character. It shows that parents have
a strong influence in the formation of their children.
As Padre Diego’s
personal assistant, Pedro eventually becomes his eyes when the priest could no
longer see clearly. Pedro proved his love and loyalty towards Padre Diego when
he put himself in the line to shield him from stoning, and from the spear that
would take his own life. “Whoever finds his
life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”
(Matthew 10:39). The film emphasizes
the missionaries’ dedication to the mission despite the dangers, and the
conviction that nothing is won through the sword but through peace and love. Mission
work will always have its risks, and missionaries need to learn to respect the
culture of the people they are trying to evangelize. Violence, even in the name of evangelization, will always
beget violence. The hostility of the natives is shown without
a sufficient reason for it, so much so that the lengthy and multiple scenes of
bloodshed come out gruesome and unnecessary.
CINEMA commends the
producer and director for the effort in transporting the life of Pedro
Calungsod to the movie screen. It is a shame that a compelling story of faith
and courage is not told in a more potent and inspiring way. An average film
instead of a powerful witness, Pedro Calungsod:
Batang Martir feels like an
uninspired sermon which lulls the churchgoer to sleep until the Sanctus, where the lead character is
nothing but a sidekick to the main actor, Padre Diego.
But maybe that
is the point of the movie. A simple catechist who does his job with love and
dedication need not do anything great. Being at the right place at the right
time and doing the right job with the right intention is enough. That in itself
is daily, bloodless martyrdom. The grace to offer one’s life is a gift--one
that is bestowed to a few privileged persons when the above conditions are present.
“Ganon lang ba kadaling maging santo? Maging caregiver lang ng pare, santo na?” a
Catholic moviegoer asks after seeing the movie. We can’t blame him or the others who feel like him but are
silent about it. The impression is
created by the lack of tension and intensity in the portrayal of the would-be
martyrs, aggravated by a script that fails to delve deeply into the psyche of
the characters. Mission seemed
like a mere question of baptizing as many people as possible, and sanctity
appeared to be demanding nothing more than piety in a person.
Portraying something as
abstract as holiness and martyrdom is a challenge few directors and performers
can convincingly hurdle. Sanctity
and the road to it is so hidden, and a person’s lifelong struggle to attain it would
be extremely difficult to condense into two hours. But for all its technical shortcomings, Pedro Calungsod: Batang Martir
deserves commendation, if only for its enthusiasm, devotion and noble
intentions. At least here’s one
festival movie that trains the viewer’s sights on things other than bad news, politics,
and the commercialism of the season.
Not bad at all.
