Welcome back to Movie Recap. Today I'm gonna show you a 2018 Philippine biographical
drama film called, Quezon's Game. Spoiler's ahead. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the video.
The movie begins with a newsreel showing News America in the year 1944.
It talks about the current situation of World War 2 and the mass number of people,
especially the Jews who are suffering in the hands of the German Nazis and the time of the Holocaust.
In the cozy Saranac Cure Cottage in New York, United States of America,
the ailing President-exile Manuel Quezon together with his wife, Aurora Quezon, watch in horror and
pity as the vintage film continues to display and narrate the mass deportation of Jews to
many concentration camps that are located in several different German-occupied Europe.
The old couple look at each other. Their eyes are filled with despair and sorrow.
Flashback six years ago in Vienna, Austria, a man runs away from two Austrian soldiers.
He makes his way to the front door of a stranger, knocks on the wooden entrance,
and inserts a piece of paper under the small space of the door. The soldiers reach up to
him and one of them threatens him to turn around. They are in shock to find Ambassador
Feng Shen outside past curfew. The Ambassador reasons out and asks to be escorted home.
Another man behind the door witnesses everything that is going on outside. He backs away as an
Austrian soldier notices his presence on the other side. Moments later after the people
leave his front door, he lights a lamp to read the note that is slit under the gap of his door.
After reading the message, he quickly brings out a machine that transmits a message in Morse Code.
On the opposite side of the globe, a messenger boy rides his bicycle throughout the city of Manila,
Philippines. He makes his way to deliver a telegram for Alex Freider. Alex reads the telegram
and hands it to his brother, Herbert, as they both discuss no longer contacting Feng Shen in Austria.
Meanwhile in the Malacañang Palace, Aurora is trying to look for her husband from the
Vice President, Sergio Osmeña, and his companion, Manuel Roxas. Osmeña admits
that their President is on his way to Pampanga to speak with a certain Governor Abad Santos.
Hours later, her husband comes home to prepare for a party that is held in a hotel.
Simultaneously, an anti-Semitic diplomatic liaison, Jonathan Cartwright, visits the lovely
home of the High Commissioner of the Philippine Commonwealth, Paul McNutt, and tells him of the
Nazi who arrives in Manila in full SS regalia in charge of security for the German embassy.
Cartwright feels threatened with the idea of a German Nazi in Philippine soil.
In the party, Manuel unveils the new capital of the country. Two men from the press try
to stay on his good side by suggesting the new city is to be named after the President
Quezon City. Not long after, he speaks with his close personal friend and military adviser,
Lieutenant Colonel Dwight Eisenhower, asking him to be the new chief of police. Unfortunately,
Dwight turns down the offer. The military officer still prioritizes his country, the
US over anything and everything else. They further discuss the Japanese invasion and the German war.
Not long after, during a poker game, the Freid brothers approach Manuel's table
and talk to McNutt, Quzeon, and Eisenhower about the Germans plan on eliminating the Jews.
They proceed to discuss accepting these Jewish refugees to be welcomed to the country, but
because of the law, it was not possible to accept more than a hundred of them, let alone a thousand.
The same night, at the request of the German Embassy, their new chief of security,
Commander Ebner, arrives at the office in full uniform,
including the Swastika symbol on his right arm. He speaks to the Ambassador of the Embassy
in their native language. Proudly boasting of his full support to their German leader, Adolf Hitler.
The next day, Quezon visits the Freid brothers in their office but instead
of seeing either of the two, he meets a refugee from Shanghai,
Leo. The president asks him about the scar on his face and the refugee proceeds to tell
him the complete details of his death sentence and his escape to Shanghai. This story manages
to give Quezon a completely different perspective of the life of a refugee.
Soon after, Quezon and his aides, Eisenhower, McNutt, and Alex Freid conduct their backroom
diplomacy over card games in an endless cloud of cigar smoke. McNut explains to
Alex Freid about the limited number of visas for people immigrating to the Philippines.
Quezon finally agrees to help the refugees by assigning different tasks to each of them.
Under the pretense of boosting the Philippine economy, Quezon arranges for Freid to speak to
someone so they could post classified ads asking Jewish professionals to come to the country.
But a major challenge is the United States's aversion to opening up the Philippine border.
While Eisenhower is set to speak with McArthur to gain support from the American's side.
After the meeting, Quezon makes his way to his office to speak with Roxas and Osmeña.
He tells the men of his plans to help the refugees enter the country.
But they don't agree with his decision and ask him to think things through.
The President is willing to lose his base of support and the votes that came
with it to follow his ethical compass. Roxas and Osmeña both walk out on him.
In the meantime, Freid makes his way to a German Restaurant to meet with Mr. Miller, a German
journalist who is stationed in the country. Seeing as he is a regular of the restaurant,
the maitre d' asks for his name and finds that the guest is a Semite and asks him to wait a
little further from the restaurant. Fortunately enough, Freid is still able to speak with Miller
and gives him interesting information for the sake of putting the classified ads in the newspaper.
Upon leaving the place, Freid literally bumps into Commander Ebner as he struts to the restaurant.
At another restaurant, Eisenhower and his love, Mamie, are having their lunch.
Dwight manages to speak with the retired General McArthur. He asks the former general about his
cooperation to help the refugees, but fails to do so. McArthur advises him to let it go.
Meanwhile, in the home of McNutt, as he is speaking with the President, Cartwright visits
and confronts the High Commissioner about the plan. The diplomatic liaison tries to convince
him that the state department will not accept foreigners beyond the quota of immigration.
He continues to show his anti-Semiticism. Quezon walks out on them coughing.
The President continues to cough up more blood in the bathroom sink.
His Tuberculosis relapses as he tries to hide it from his way.
But to no avail. Aurora finds out about the relapse and begs her husband to get checked out.
A little while later, Quezon and his aides discuss the number of telegrams that were sent by the Jews
wanting to immigrate to the Philippines. The four men conjure a plan to speak with
the German Ambassador in order to convince him to release 10,000 exit permits and travel clearances.
They invite the German Ambassador to a presidential poll to buy him off.
Another presidential party is held in the same hotel.
Quezon, Freid, and Eisenhower welcome the German Ambassador who is accompanied by Commander Ebner.
The Nazi wasn't part of the plan they made earlier. But Quezon's daughter,
Maria, asks the Nazi Commander to dance with her in order for the plan to be set in motion.
The German Ambassador proudly rejects the President's bribe in exchange for exit papers.
However, he will allow the request of the Philippine leader and still agrees to give the
exit papers nonetheless. The Nazi is also glad to dispose of the number of Jews from Europe.
He threatens Quezon before leaving the party.
The Vice President, and many other guests witness the exchange. Osmeña runs after the
President who walks out. Quezon does not want to turn a blind eye on the refugees cries for help.
He wants to be able to help them as much as he can. Osmeña is devastated at the fact that the
person he continues to support is making deals with the Germans behind his back
and he leaves without another word.
The following day, Cartwright finds McNutt in the same place he usually stays.
He boldly tells him that the visas have been rejected. This news breaks Quezon and his aide.
They are only able to grant two hundred and ten Jews to enter the country.
It further devastates Freid and Quezon that they are forced to cross names off
a list of Jews who have earlier applied for visas to enter the Philippines.
Quezon admits to Eisenhower about his condition that is getting worse.
The President believes that he is dying. He finds it more difficult that even as he knows
his health is deteriorating, he cannot help every single Jew who is in desperate need of refuge.
To make matters worse, Cartwright once again visits the High Commissioner's home
and tells him of the news regarding the Secretary of State who is now going to
take charge of the refugee problem and that every United States council in Europe have
to contact the consul directly, they now get to decide who gets in and out of the country.
In the office of the President, Quezon receives devastating news on the Jewish refugees.
Every single one of the visas is denied, including the two hundred and ten people
they have chosen the night before. The President is infuriated and throws a fit in his office.
As he continues to do so, he starts coughing until he faints and collapses on the floor.
In his presidential suite, he lays quietly in bed as the doctor gives instructions to his wife.
Aurora is enraged at the fact that her husband is still stressing about the refugees.
She suggests the vice president to do his work on his behalf, but Quezon does not
agree one little bit. Despite his current condition, he still wants to work in bed.
Meanwhile, Roxas visits Osmeña and discusses the refugee issue to get more votes
and with regards to the political elections. Regardless of the matter,
the Vice President feels as if the country should have a new leader.
Being the loving and caring wife Aurora is to her husband, she prepares a hot beverage for
Quezon in the kitchen. When she arrives in their room, she is exasperated seeing the bed empty.
She storms inside her husband's office and lectures him. They have a deep conversation
on the President's health. He still wants to be able to do more despite everything.
No matter the glory that is continuously given by his people, Quezon wants to do the right
thing. He doesn't want to be worshipped, he wants his family to be proud of him.
Hours pass and Quezon continues to work. His Vice President visits his office and speaks
with him in a genuine manner. Osmeña tells him about the party's many opinions towards
the current leader of the Philippines. Quezon enlightens his Vice President by lecturing him
about how the Americans continue to treat their countrymen. Their land continues to be under the
control of these people, and the President wants nothing more but their country's Independence.
Vice President Osmeña sees clearly and gives his utmost support.
A great plan is about to unfold. The President goes live on the radio to discuss the matter of a
great injustice in the Philippines to the Filipino people. He informs his people about the American
Administration and the fact that they continue to dictate the country's every move. He announces to
the Filipino nation that their motherland should be led by a Filipino and not by anyone else.
After the wakeup call from the Philippine President, the people take it to the streets
and rally. Men and women from all walks of life are taking the streets of Manila in protest of
its borders being controlled by the United States. Strikes are breaking out all across
the country with many industries refusing to open their shops until the matter is resolved.
The arousing speech of Manuel Quezon succeeds and they are now in a boardroom to discuss a hearing
with the members of the state department regarding the recent rallies of the Philippine nation.
One of the members includes Cartwright who continues to be bigoted by discriminating
and looking down on people who are not of the American descent.
He has reason to believe that the refugees that enter the Philippines will be able
to make their way to the United States of America if they step foot in Philippine soil.
They continue to deliberate about the matter at hand, the Filipinos yearn to help their fellow
being escape tyranny, persecution, prejudice, and hatred. McNutt duly informs his fellow
Americans about how the United States is also an independent country in its own.
His inspiration speech convinces the state department members. The President also stands up
to them by speaking on behalf of a Filipino and how they are treated differently by Americans.
After the hearing, The President, the High Commissioner, and the Lieutenant Colonel
enter the office of Alex Freid to give him the great news about the two hundred and ten visas
that have just recently been approved by the United States Consul. An even greater
news surprises Freid as Quezon tells him about additional one thousand visas for another set
of refugees they can accept in the country. They celebrate their success with a toast.
That night, Aurora announces to Quezon and his aides about the refugees. They slowly but
carefully arrive by river taxis in Marikina, the Quezon family's own home. Maria and Freid stand
by the platform to welcome and every single Jewish man and woman leaving the river taxis.
Going back to the present time in 1944, in Saranac Cure Cottage in New York.
Aurora reminds her dearest husband about what he did six years ago,
when not a single person batted an eye on the predicament. Aurora promises him that every
single Filipino who lived on that day about his sacrifices and hardships in spite of his exile.
The movie ends with the Manuel Quezon and his wife leaving the room.
The nurse on duty carefully pushes his wheelchair as they leave for the hall. The dream of the
President-exile of the Philippines to save as many innocent lives as possible. Quezon's game is
not entirely fulfilled due to the invasion of the Japanese in the Philippines. Only 1,200 Jews were
saved; which was far from the thousands Quezon had envisioned rescuing. Manuel Quezon did not live to
see the end of the war. Regardless of his untimely death, the Jews who came to seek refuge in the
Philippines provided moving testimonies about the kindness of President Quezon and his people.