The latter prevails, and indeed a few angry letters have been written to Spanish newspapers about the film’s political line. Privacy | 1898, Our Last Men in The Philippines does not shy away from the depiction of horrors in war, and is as strong visually as its captivating and rarely told true story. Director: Salvador Calvo Though generally faithful to fact, 1898 plays pretty fast and loose with historical details, and experts have pointed out errors: the uniforms are apparently wrong, and the historical soldiers were experienced soldiers, not greenhorns. Terms of Use | Spain winds up 2016 with a big-budget take on the tragic, traumatic last stand of the Empire, played out in the jungles of the Philippines. He orders his troops to entrench in the village church. It took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines. That said, none of them escapes the straitjacket of stereotype, while none of the Philippine characters, Teresa apart, is individualized to any degree — though globally, the enemy here are portrayed as more fair-minded and decent than their often brutish Spanish counterparts. by Jonathan Holland © 2020 The Hollywood Reporter As per Marshland, Gutierrez perfects his turn as the little man in the grip of angry inner demons, while Elejalde’s high-sleaze variation on the theme of the whiskey priest, undercutting the pretensions of war with his every utterance, is always watchable. Sitemap | 1898 is dedicated to producer Pedro Costa, who died in June 2016. 1898, Our Last Men in The Philippines does not shy away from the depiction of horrors in war, and is as strong visually as its captivating and rarely told true story. Composer: Roque Baños “They’ll remember you as idiots,” one character shouts, and basically, his prophecy has largely come true. The feature film directing debut of Salvador Calvo, produced by Enrique Cerezo (Witching & Bitching SFF14 and My Big Night SFF16), this is a valiant tale of bravery and utter fortitude as these Spanish ‘soldiers’ barricade themselves in a church for close to a year while suffering all manner of misery and illness, as well as the continual onslaught of the country’s native Tagalogs. Casting director: Elena Arnao Alejandro Catalan has played his strongest card first. The Hollywood Reporter, LLC is a subsidiary of Prometheus Global Media, LLC. Roque Banos’ classically orchestrated score occasionally veers a little too closely to the rousing, chest-beating fare beloved of major sporting events, but sometimes achieves real poignancy, especially over the final stretch. For six months following the surrender, a group of Spanish soldiers posted to a remote village in the Philippines fought on anyway, knowing — or preferring to know — nothing about it. He and his men defend their position for nearly a year and long after the war and Spanish control of the Philippines ceased. FACEBOOK Producer: Enrique Cerezo, Pedro Costa Spectacular and striking, but none too subtle. Unashamedly nationalistic and confronting, this may be Spain’s answer to Braveheart, The Pianist or even Apocalypse Now, but it is definitely unforgettable unlike these men, abandoned then forgotten by both God and Country. As a film-buff footnote, the El Baler where the final surrender took place was one of the locations of Apocalypse Now, another cinematic take on massive military failure. Surprisingly, the only other filmic treatment of the empire’s last stand is a wildly jingoistic affair dating back to 1945, early in the days of General Franco. ‘Epic’ is one word that springs to mind in describing this grand-scale, big-budget historical adventure, which champions the Spanish Empire’s last stand in the Philippines in 1898 by 50 patriots in a remote jungle village. Visually, 1898 is impeccable, with Equatorial New Guinea standing in for the Philippines, though the sweeping aerial shots of the intense hues of the jungle which come through the first fifteen minutes mean that D.P. Coronavirus Cases: Production company: Manila Producciones, Enrique Cerezo PC, 13 TV, CIPI Cinematografica. But within the limits of what is basically a thoroughly mainstream project, the script doesn’t shy away from the visceral horrors of war. TWITTER 1898, Our Last Men in the Philippines (Spanish: 1898, Los últimos de Filipinas) is a 2016 Spanish war drama film directed by Salvador Calvo. Though its subject matter and general focus are utterly Spanish, its purely cinematic qualities makes it deserving of offshore exposure. Website by Simon Lawrence, Luis Tosar, Javier Gutiérrez, Eduard Fernández, Álvaro Cervantes, Karra Elejalde, Best New Director, Best New Actor (Ricardo Gómez), Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Special Effects, Goya Awards, 2017, Flight of the Guitar: Dreaming of Paco de Lucía. The Last Stand in the Philippines film screening During the time of the Spanish-American War, the commandante of a Spanish detachment in Baler, in the Philippines, realizes that the native people of his district are planning an insurrection. In this celebration of Spanish nationalism, and an early example of Francoist Spain, a captain makes a last stand in a small village in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. Jump to navigation Jump to search. The mental damage inflicted by war is brought vividly to life by some terrific performances, principally from the vets. Previous Festivals | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 Unashamedly nationalistic and confronting, this may be Spain’s answer to Braveheart, The Pianist or even Apocalypse Now, but it is definitely unforgettable unlike these men, abandoned then forgotten by both God and Country. Philippines . WikiProject Film (Rated Stub-class) This article is within the scope of WikiProject Film. The Battle Off Samar (also known as “The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors) has been cited by historians as one of the greatest military mismatches in naval history. 5:59 PM PST 12/12/2016 In 1898, after four centuries of empire, Spain surrendered the last of its colonies. Stationed in Baler on the island of Luzon, Captain Morenas takes precautionary measures to secure his forces in the town's church when he learns about a planned peasant uprising. All rights reserved. Talk:Last Stand in the Philippines. | Cookie Settings. Entry by GWC Assistants / Work by GWC Assistants : War & Colonialism/Imperialism & Men/Masculinity, Los últimos de Filipinas (Last Stand in the Philippines). They’re accompanied by about fifty youngsters, mostly inexperienced in life and war, and mostly dramatically redundant, apart from young wannabe artist Carlos (Spanish TV face Alvaro Cervantes). Production designer: Carlos Bodelon Editor: Jaime Colis Screenwriter: Alejandro Hernandez Featuring a superb cast, striking visuals and a skillful management of a range of stereotypes and cliches that it makes no attempt to transcend, 1898 offers little that’s new but is still about as close as Spanish cinema has come of late to anything approaching epic cinema. Following a massacre in the remote Philippine jungle village of El Baler, Lieutenant Martin Cerezo (Luis Tosar, Cell 211), under the orders of Captain Enrique de las Morenas (Eduard Fernandez, having a high-profile year following Smoke and Mirrors) — Morenas incredibly brings his dog on the mission — are sent out to try and reclaim the territory for Spain.