Love in Time of War ("Baler" film review)

             It is indeed difficult to love during the time of war. But what’s more difficult is when the person you love is considered as an enemy by the people around you.

            Another extraordinary historical-romance movie went beyond my expectations. “Baler,” starred by two of the Philippines’ most promising actors and actresses, Jericho Rosales and Anne Curtis, levelled the Hollywood films we see on the big screen.

            “Baler” was basically about a young couple, Feliza Reyes (Anne Curtis) and Celso Resurreccion (Jericho Rosales), who needed to end their affair just because of the feud between their troops. The time depicted in the story was during the late years of Spanish occupation. Feliza was a Filipina who fell in love with a half-Spanish soldier, Celso, who fought for the Spaniards’ side.

            The story was straightforward. I got its message without the need of analyzing each and every scene. The scenes, on the other hand, were chronologically ordered which made it easy to grasp the ideas conveyed and which made the storyline clear.

            I was not really amazed about how the love story of Feliza and Celso unfolded. What hooked me most was the historical touch of the film. I was amazed by how the Filipinos and the Spaniards upheld their loyalty to their respective countries by not giving up despite of everything they’d been through.

            Also, the movie gave no biases against anyone. Unlike documentaries and Philippine books about the Spanish colonization in the Philippines, the Spaniards in “Baler” were not portrayed as mean antagonists who were ready to kill anyone who blocked their way. Instead, their good side was shown. In the film, they were as sincere as the Filipinos in fighting for what they believed in. They also showed compassion in the scene where Capitan Enrique Fossi de las Morenas (Baron Geisler) and Padre Candido Gomez Carreno (Michael de Mesa) told Gabriel Reyes (Carlo Aquino), the brother of Feliza, to go back to his family for his safety. It could also be perceived that hurting people was really against their will. They were just loyal to their duties as soldiers.

            This movie also made me proud to be a Filipino; that we had a rich history and that our ancestors really fought for our independence. I think it’s a wake-up call for all Filipinos who despise their country and race because of the mountain of problems that we are dealing with. Yes, we are a bit slow in terms of progress, but we do have good qualities that cannot be weighed against wealth. Two of these are courage and patriotism which was exemplified in “Baler.”

            I found the film beautiful from beginning to end. Even though the finale was not really good for Feliza and Celso, I think it made sense. It’s just an indication that love was really difficult during war. It also pointed out the reality that during the Filipino-Spanish war, there were really Filipinos and Spaniards whose love didn’t bloom because of several incompatibilities. The son of Feliza and Celso represented the fruits of love that bloomed during that time.

            “Baler” is a wonderful movie. It can make you smile, laugh, and cry at the same time. I recommend this to everyone.