PHOTO CREDIT: https://www.facebook.com/ignaciomovie
Let me confess first that I originally had my hesitations
about watching Ignacio de Loyola.
This was largely because of the fact that I had been prompted to watch Heneral Luna by friends and relatives
who were enthusiastic in their praise of the film, only for yours truly to find
it lacking. Despite the stunning performances of the actors, particularly John
Arcilla as the fiery general, I found the pace of the plot to be disjointed and
somewhat choppy. Although it was submitted for consideration in the Best
Foreign Film category of the Oscars, sadly, I didn't harbor any doubts that it
will not make it into the shortlist.
Suffice to say, I went into SM North EDSA's Digital
Theater 11 with similar expectations about Ignacio De Loyola. To my immense relief though, all my doubts about the film went
up in a fiery blaze of emotion and passion – doused briefly by tearful moments –
from start to finish.
Director Paolo Dy could not have chosen a more stunning
image to start the film – that of a bleak, craggy landscape with a sinister
spindly mountain on top of which was the despairing form of our hero, Iñigo de
Loyola. It had the same impact as the scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring wherein Gandalf
the Grey was imprisoned by the treacherous Saruman at the top of his tower. Then,
add the forging of the sword Morningstar, another Tolkien element. To those who
are unfamiliar with the life of the saint, one would think that they are
watching a fantasy movie.
This notion of a fantasy is briefly dispelled as we watch
Iñigo grow up from a grieving boy with a heavy family burden to a young soldier
who wants to prove himself – and die gloriously – in battle. The fantasy
element is again introduced as Iñigo battles a hooded assassin, only to be
shaken out of his fanciful musings by the beautiful yet despondent Princess
Catalina, who makes him her personal knight. This early, we can already see
that Iñigo is not only an exceptional visionary – particularly exemplified by
his military insights both before and during the Battle of Pamplona – but a
visualizer of tremendous skill. Iñigo initially makes use of this gift as he
envisions himself learning from St. Dominic and his personal hero, St. Francis
of Assisi, (the lives of whom he read about in a book on the lives of saints) while
convalescing from a grievous leg injury. He later demonstrates this gift to the
prostitute Ana, who is able to envision a smiling image of Jesus sitting in a
chair. This scene is one of the most emotionally powerful moments in the film
which left me crying in my seat.
As the film progresses, we see Iñigo making good on his
decision to pursue his new mission, leaving his home and traveling to
Montserrat where he sheds his raiment and his sword as a noble man and soldier to
become the "Knight Pilgrim" to his climactic tribunal in Salamanca.
Unlike most religious films, including film depictions of
Jesus Christ, Ignacio de Loyola is
most definitely not preachy, but as a viewer, you should pay close attention to
the dialogue, especially in the parts wherein Iñigo preaches. His "sermons"
are not formal or pompous; they are conversational and very easy to relate to.
It is also in the dialogue wherein you can pick up enlightening analogies. A
good example is the differences in interpretation of the Loyola coat of arms
with the two wolves on either side of a cooking pot.
For me, what I consider to be the best part of the film
was when Iñigo finally entrusted his private journal to Padre Sanchez. Here, director
Dy paints a striking synonymy between Iñigo's trial and his now known battle
against Lucifer Morningstar himself on that spindly mountain in the film's
opening. Not only are Iñigo's sufferings and his ardent desire for repentance
greatly heightened by the penitencia scene
in the cave, it also shows his evolution, his growth into the saint that he
would become in the years to follow when he confronts his devilish tormentor.
One could not help appreciating the irony that Lucifer Morningstar was
ultimately defeated by the sword of the same name. Still, such is the power of
this scene that it left me feeling purged, cleansed in my soul. It was a
refreshing sensation that I could not easily describe in words. This feeling was
further heightened when Iñigo was met by the child personification of the
Christ while bathing in the stream.
It is an understatement to say that this film is a
MASTERPIECE. Director Dy definitely chose his actors well. Andreas Muñoz is a
wonderful actor who was able to portray the character changes of Iñigo with
painstaking and heartbreaking realism. He particularly has a great gift of arousing
empathy in the viewer, with his fluid facial expressions, charming smile, and
gentle voice. I sincerely hope this young man breaks out internationally; I
definitely can see him following in the footsteps of such Spanish stalwarts as
Antonio Banderas and Javier Bardem. Kudos also go to Pepe Ocio as Montes, Julio
Perillan as Padre Sanchez, Javier Godino as Santi, and Mario De La Rosa as
Calixto (and whom I remember as the scary Albanian in the Emmy nominated
miniseries The Night Manager). My
heartfelt applause I bestow upon Tacuara Casares who plays Princess Catalina,
Isabela Garcia-Lorca as Dona Ines (a formidable but loving matron to be sure!),
and especially Marta Codina as Ana (thank you, señorita, for making me cry).
My warmest congratulations to director Paolo Dy and his production
team and Jescom! Master composer
Ryan Cayabyab has outdone himself with the stirring score he made for the film. Together, you have created a magnificent movie which successfully
combines Spanish realism and Pinoy religious sensibilities. I am thankful that you did not succumb to the urge to cast Filipino actors as most producers would have done and instead opted to go for authentic (and talented!) Spanish actors. Best of all, the film possesses all the elements that I look for in a movie or book - a plot that not only stimulates the mind but also arouses and revitalizes the heart and soul. It can be so tiring to watch a movie that is purely intellectual. The emotional and spiritual elements of the film definitely affected me deeply.
I must say to everyone though that I do have one minor gripe: "Parang bitin."
You left me wanting for more. Maybe – if God, Jesus and St. Ignacio De Loyola be willing –
you can do an Ignacio De Loyola Part 2.
I really want to know the rest of his story after he left Salamanca, and based
on what I have researched, our beloved Iñigo certainly had a lot of adventures
on his road to sainthood.
The tagline for this movie is "What would you give
up."
But, for me, I will always remember Ignacio De Loyola for that one beautiful, heartbreaking line that
the child Jesus whispered in Iñigo's ear.
"I LOVED YOU FIRST."
