Welcome back to Movie Recap. Today I'm gonna show you a 2018 Philippine historical epic
film called, Goyo: The Boy General. Spoiler’s ahead. Sit back, relax and enjoy the video.
The movie begins at a hill with men racing towards its feet. They are soldiers running
away from the unseen enemy, horror paints their faces as they carry their arms without
aim. One man in particular, a high ranking official as seen by his uniform, is barefoot,
stumbling along the ground as if to reflect the booming sounds that fill the place.
It is the day after General Antonio Luna died. Major Gen. Jose Alejandrino visits Apolinario
Mabini, a former Prime Minister and talks about Gen. Luna’s death. He thinks that
the president ordered Luna’s death. But there’s only one thing that he knows for
sure- the president’s favorite general is the one carrying out the said mission.
General Gregorio del Pilar, or Goyo as what everyone calls him poses in front of the camera.
Napoleon, the photographer, counts to three as Goyo stares into the distance. However,
on the last count, three ladies catch his attention and so the lens clicks with him
looking at the side, towards the ladies.
Julian, Goyo’s older brother calls him to force out information from a boy. The boy
kneels with his hands tied behind him as Julian beats him with a bamboo staff. However, another
soldier, Vicente interrupts and instead, softly talks with the boy calling him by his name,
Angel.
The three soldiers find themselves in front of Don Mariano Nable Jose’s house. Inside
the house, a soldier called Cristobal introduces them to Gen. Luna’s brother, Joaquin and
Jose. The brothers are tied around their wrists much to Goyo’s annoyance. He commands Cristobal
to untie the gentlemen. Don Mariano on another hand, inquires of the
situation seeing the thing with his guests. Goyo tells him it’s the president’s commands.
He then asks about the brothers, Manuel and Jose Bernal being tipped of their stay at
the Don’s house. Don Mariano instead, asks why the inquiry. This time, Julian responds
saying both bothers are accused of treason.
Don Mariano defends the brothers from the accusation. But just as Goyo tells him that
he just needs to confirm things, a door opens. From there, Manuel Bernal runs and jumps out
of the window. Vicente is quick to go outside and pins him on the ground despite the soldiers
that are ready to do the honor. Julian follows suit and gives Manuel a hook
on the face. All of these happens with Angel watching and screaming for his brother Manuel
as two soldiers also hold him in place.
Manuel Bernal finds himself with an offer from Goyo, a chance to fight again in the
name of President Emilio Aguinaldo. However, he laughs at the mockery he sees in Goyo.
He calls him blind and deaf and even spits on the ground. For that, he earns himself
a stomp on his jaw and fists all over his body courtesy of Julian and the guards.
No matter how Goyo tries to persuade Manuel, the man remains steadfast. He points out Goyo
being a man of his idol while he is a man of his principles. Manuel laughs as he calls
Goyo a dog who only follows his master. Again and again, he pokes mockery at Goyo even barking
and howling and laughing despite his battered state. With that, Goyo leaves telling him
to go with Luna.
Night comes and Goyo and Julian join Don Mariano and his children at dinner. There, Goyo subtly
expresses his sentiments towards the don’s oldest daughter, Remedios. She’s the very
reason for Goyo’s return in the house tonight as he saw her and was captivated earlier today.
Another day comes for Goyo. He greets the president, General Emilio Aguinaldo with a
good news: Jose Bernal was taken cared of already. The president commends him for a
“job well-done” and right then and there, promotes him. He is now a Major-General with
the whole province of Pangasinan under his command.
Goyo’s promotion comes with a warning. General Aguinaldo warns him about the Ilocanos and
the group known as, “Guardia de Honor”. Apparently, the latter is preparing to avenge
General Luna’s death.
Joven Hernando, the photographer’s nephew, finds himself becoming a company to Julian
and Vicente. With his uncle being in contract with Goyo, they stay in the general’s house.
Now, he sits with his new found friends as they watch people around them prepare festivities
for Goyo. They also try to flirt with the ladies only to find out that the ladies only
have their eyes for Goyo.
The festival shows every antic Goyo had when he was younger. Everyone laughs at the stage
performances portraying his shrewd little ways all the while praising him for his courage
in the battles he fought. They also have a rendition of his favorite song by the end
of the show.
Julian finds Goyo staring into a distance while his men are having a formation. They
are in front of the mayor’s place where the president stands on a balcony, overlooking
them. Next thing he knows; he is following him.
He finds the younger pointing a gun to an old man. Goyo is accusing him as one with
the Guardia de Honor. Julian however, knows from earlier that the old man is insane and
has no harm with him. As Goyo frees the old man, Julian takes him by the shoulder and
reminds him of who he is. He is the Eagle, the hero of their hometown, Bulacan.
They get back to the soldiers in position. However, Goyo finds out that one lieutenant,
Lt. Torres changed his soldiers’ formation. Thus, he commands to change it again and reprimands
Lt. Torres for that. He tells the lieutenant how no one is supposed to change his orders.
Everyone is stunned including the president.
Another visit comes for Apolinario Mabini in the form of Gen. Aguinaldo. Aguinaldo talks
to him about his negotiation plans with the Americans. Mabini wants nothing to do with
the plan and deems it too trivial for the president to visit him with just that.
An offer to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is what really brings Aguinaldo to Mabini.
The latter however, questions his motive for two reasons: he was once stripped of his position
for one loyal Aguinaldo follower and he is known to criticize the Congress.
Aguinaldo expresses his need for Mabini’s wisdom and his truths. But in response Mabini
asks if the Filipinos can stand the truth and right then, he grabs the topic to ask
about the truth behind Gen. Luna’s death. The question makes Aguinaldo to turn on his
feet and leaves Mabini with a word for his new post being official.
Julian gets a promotion and is set to go back to Bulacan where he will be a military-governor.
It is the night of celebration for his new position and Goyo finds a chance to talk with
Remedios. He takes her hand for a dance. Remedios does not beat around the bush and confronts
him of his women in every town he had been.
On the other side of the hall, Joven gets ahold of evidences of Goyo’s reputation
as a ladies’ man. Earlier, Vicente left him Goyo’s bag. He curiously opens it and
finds several letters, all from women.
Speaking of the ladies’ man, Goyo uses his way with words to woo Remedios. He even suggests
the prospect of marriage with her. However, Remedios asks him to wait. Hence, he asks
for a sign if ever Remedios makes up her mind.
It’s September 1899. Major Gen. Alejandrino arrives in Manila with 13 American prisoners-of-war
in exchange for a meeting with Gen. Otis and Gen. MacArthur. For the revolutionaries, it
is a show of pride and resilience. For Americans, it is just a minor exchange. The Americans
express their reservations in addressing Aguinaldo as the president and call for Filipinos to
surrender.
In another while, Mabini writes a letter to Gen. Aguinaldo on how to properly delegate
the Filipinos into the negotiation. He emphasizes on the value of unity towards sovereignty.
He also reminds the president about the official announcement of his position. Then, he can
guide them towards their freedom.
October 1899, in Nueva Ecija. Goyo finds himself commanding a battle. With gunfire in the background,
he checks their current status with Vicente. With 15 wounded and 20 dead on their side
versus the untouched number of Americans at 100, Vicente tells him they are at a loss.
They retreat and attend to their injured. This time, Vicente is in for a stun as Goyo
declares the battle they just had is a minor one. Hence, he adds that there’s no reason
for the Americans to come at them again.
It’s a fateful night for Goyo as he wakes up from a dream. He sees Manuel Bernal for
the nth time now as he closes his eyes. The man mocks him and repeatedly calls him a dog.
The picture of the battle he just fought also visits him with the eyes of the fallen directed
at him. He decides to get up and not fall asleep anymore.
Goyo gets Julian and Vicente to go out with him. They also drag Joven who is already outside
to the river where the three soldiers dip in. While in the water, Goyo falls into a
trance and sees himself looking at the sky. An eagle spreads its wings in the sky, flying
in grace until a bullet grazes it.
On another hand, Julian and Vicente notice thunder claps making them think there’s
a storm coming. They ignore it and continue to splash in fun until a gunfire breaks it.
It is from one of their soldiers.
Julian and Vicente quickly gets out of the water and finds out the gun owner. It is Julian
and Goyo’s cousin, Juan. He apologizes after a slap lands on his face. Then, they realize
Goyo has not come out of the water yet. Julian rushes to the river leaving some threats to
his cousin if ever Goyo had taken the bullet.
Goyo comes out of the water after a moment. He gasps as he kneels on the ground, screaming
that he is going to die. Just as he repeats the words, soldiers come looking for him with
a message. He needs to go to Bayambang to assemble as Americans have been attacking
from different directions. Only then that they realize that what they are hearing is
actually the anthem of war- the sound of firearms.
November 12, 1899, Aguinaldo and Goyo meets Gen. Alejandrino in the latter’s house.
Aguinaldo, lays out his battle plan all the while ignoring Alejandrino’s remarks. Aguinaldo
commands Alejandrino to take care of the weaponry while his troops will search for a certain
Gen. Tinio who still has a large brigade with him.
Goyo and Aguinaldo’s brigade assembles in Santa Barbara to march up north. Luna’s
men are also with them. They divide the troops into two: the first with the vanguard under
Goyo’s command and the second with the rear guard. Aguinaldo and his wife will be with
the first group and his mother and son will be with the second.
Three weeks later, Joven finds himself writing to his father just as he always does. But
this time, he cannot mail it. He writes about everything they went through for the past
three weeks and his waning hope to survive.
Americans have been before and after them anywhere they go. As a result, they cannot
join forces with General Tinio. They lose soldiers and horses with every day that passes
by. They endure hunger and exhaustion as they climb mountains to mountains.
The rear ends up lagging behind and far from the vanguard and so has persist more to catch
up despite the desperate need for rest. Joven is among them.
Another fateful night falls for Goyo as the vanguard rests and have their fill from their
last horse. He is talking with Felicidad, his ex-lover and Aguinaldo’s younger sister,
when Vicente comes to him and asks him if he heard the shots. He confirms it but brushes
them off as the sounds of nature, maybe of bamboos hitting each other. Well, what he
thinks and brushes off as bamboos are indeed gunshots. The Americans get a hold of the
rear guard. Only Joven and a few men were able to get to the vanguard.
Town after town of rejects and refusals, they are now walking towards Mount Tirad. Beyond
the mountain is where they can find refuge. While walking, Goyo remembers about the letter
Remedios gave her before he left Dagupan. It’s in a handkerchief embroidered with
the name Dolores, Remedios’s younger sister who handed him the letter.
Goyo gets a sense of renewal from the letter. He looks up ahead of him and runs towards
the mountain of Tirad. From there, he surveys the area around and sees hope from his point
of view. Vicente runs to check on him and he shows him his vision.
They reach a village as the villagers accommodate all of them. There, the soldiers assemble
as Vicente announces the need for 60 men to build trenches at the Tirad Pass and defend
it. Several of Goyo’s men stand up while Vicente has to call out more by their name.
Luna’s men however, remain quiet and seated. Anger makes Vicente to curse at them and question
their manhood. At that moment, one man calls out to Goyo and addresses him formally. It
is Lieutenant Garcia, an Ilocano. In his dialect, he calls out for Luna’s soldiers and some
of them stand showing unity with him.
However, even with the number of men from Luna’s soldiers, they still need one more.
This time, a boy not more than 15 runs towards Lt. Garcia. He is Garcia’s son and he completes
the 60 men of Tirad Pass.
December 1, 1899 in Tirad Pass. Trenches are built and the soldiers are ready to fight.
Lt. Garcia entrusts his son, Kiko to Joven who promises to take care of the young boy.
Night falls on them as each soldier does his thing to prepare for the war on the next day.
Morning comes and they take their positions waiting for the Americans. Not long after,
a line of white men in green marches along a trail. The first man in the line gets the
first bullet on his leg alarming everyone behind him. With a higher vantage point, they
intimidate the Americans into calling another company.
Their vantage point however, gradually proves to be nothing with every missed shot they
fire that allows the Americans to move forward. One by one, Goyo’s men fall as the Americans
continue to plan their take over. They even get one Filipino to lead them into the Tirad
Pass by a short route.
Lieutenant Garcia falls, too and more men as Americans start to penetrate the pass.
Goyo, stands to check the number of Americans they are yet to face. Two soldiers, Lt. Carrasco
and Guerrero go with him at the ridge. After a few gunshots, Carrasco calls for him and
reminds him to keep his head down.
“Let’s finish this,” Goyo utters as a bullet then gets him in the face and instantly
takes his life. The news of his death pulls soldiers out of their posts as they run to
save themselves. Vicente and his cousin Juan, however, remains loyal and brave fighting
till the last moment when they all have to retreat.
The Americans strip Goyo of his uniform, pins and everything, leaving him bare on the ground.
Vicente and Carrasco later returns to rest him on his grave.
The movie ends with Felicidad weeping by Goyo’s grave while the Americans watch over them.
A certain Captain Quezon, greets Gen. Aguinaldo at the Malacañang Palace after he surrenders
himself to the Americans. A general has ordered him to do so if that means talking with Aguinaldo.
Lastly, Remedios reads the last letter Goyo has for her. The letter speaks of Goyo’s
pride choosing honor, duty and sacrifice for his country in the last moment of his life.