1911, the Movie-A Tribute to the Heroes of China’s Democratic Revolution

Updated Movie Review
October 12, 2011  

1911, the Movie-A Tribute to the Heroes of China’s Democratic Revolution

By Arturo P. Garcia

What a way and  time to remember, the centenary of China’s 1911 Revolution that overthrew one of the world’s longest empire- China's Qing Dynasty than to watch it in a movie.

This is a patriotic movie from Jackie Chan,who played the historical figure of the "eight fingered" General  Huang Xing.He was just  like the greatest Filipino General Antonio Luna. Like Luna, Huang has no formal military schooling. They both learned military tactics from friends in Japan and in Luna's case in Europe.  But unlike Luna, Huang led the uprisings. Luna disdained the  Katipunan but later joined the army of the 1st Republic and fought both the Spanish and American colonialist.

I tip my hat to actor Jackie Chan for his acting and portrayal of a Chinese revolutionary patriot in pursuit of change. He acted as historical figure , the Chinese revolutionary patriot and General  Huang Xing and did his part well. This was his first serious film and he did justice to his historical role.

Of all places, we watched it in the Chinese Grumman theater, the first time I watch a movie in that place. I use to frequent the area but only during anti war or immigration rights demonstrations.

The 1911 Revolution Against the Qing Dynasty

For me, it is a good history lesson about China and  the story of the Tongmenghui ( Unity League) , a revolutionary organization just like the Katipunan led by Dr. Sun Yat Sen  ( Sun Wen in the film) and Huang Xing.  In 1904 Sun Yat-sen came about with the goal to establish a Republic, and to distribute land equally among the people.

I realized i still have a lot to learn about the history of China for i only knew its history about its revolution form 1927 to 1949 and the later events after it. It is a humbling experience for me.

One of Sun's major legacy was the creation of his political philosophy of the Three Principles of the People, This  included the principle of nationalism (minzu), of democracy (minquan), and of welfare (minsheng,).

He led raising funds for the revolution and on August 20, 1905 Sun joined forces with revolutionary Chinese students studying in Tokyo, Japan to form the unified group Tongmenghui ( or United League) which sponsored uprisings in China.

By 1906 the number of Tongmenghui members reached 963 people. In 1907 there were a total of four uprisings that failed.

From Failures to Success

The movie concentrated on the failed April 27, 1911 revolutionary General Huang Xing led a second Guangzhou ( also known as Canton. Filipinos has its local noodles called the Pancit Canton ) uprising known as the Yellow Flower Mound Revolt . The revolt failed and ended in disaster; the bodies of only 87 revolutionaries were ever found. The revolutionaries are remembered as the martyrs of the 1911 revolution.

The movie also depicted the October 10, 1911 a military uprising in Wuchang, in Hubei province led again by  General Huang Xing  At the time Sun had no direct involvement as he was still in exile. Huang was in charge of the revolution that ended over 2000 years of imperial rule in China.

The movie also showed the triumphant return of Sun after he learned of the success of the revolution from the United States. After this event October 10 became known as the commemoration of the “Double Ten”

Historical Inaccuracies and Inconsistencies

The movie conducted liberalism when it primariy shows that Sun was in San Francisco fund raising. and the movie watchers might think that the rebels were in the United States. While the truth, the base of their operations was in Singapore.

Another scene was that Sun learned of the Wuchang Uprising in San Francisco in a library when he read the news about the October 10 uprising in China,, while the true story was he was in Colorado at the time. They romanticize it that as if he was in San Francisco. 

Another  historical inaccuracy, the movie did not speak of the partnership between Filipino revolutionaries and the Chinese counterparts led by Sun and Huang Xing. They did not underscore that in the 1911 uprising in Guangzhou, they used the arms bought by the Katipunan from Japan and were smuggled to China.

Sun borrowed the Katipunan arms stocked piled in Japan thru his friend Filipino revolutionary Mariano Ponce. the arms were paid by the Katipunan and was not able to reach the Philippines during the 1896 Revolution. The arms was smuggled into China thru the port of Canton. Mao Zedong knows this fact that he made a point to repay the debt of gratitude to the Filipino people and help the later revolution in the Philippines.

Another inconsistency in the movie was the role of the Empress Dowager. Joan Chen was to beautiful and young to portray an aging Empress. But she did all right in her hysterics.  But what they really underscore was the betrayal of the militarist

The film really made a good  portrayal of the Qing General Yuan Shi Kai who was double dealer and who later proclaimed himself as China’s Emperor replacing the Qing Dynasty and who became a puppet of British and Japanese Imperialist.

For me who has shallow tear ducts, I have to fight back tears and drink a lot of water in order not to cry while watching the movie. It is really moving watching the sacrifices of the Chinese revolutionaries. They sacrificed  all for systemic change and their ardent desire and selflessness is really exemplary.

Although the ending was tragic. For the reactionaries and the militarist won in the end,  it showed the determination of people who desired change not to stop working for a meaningful change just like what Sun and Huang during their numerous  exile and return to struggle over and over again despite the many failures.

It’s better version of Amigo, a film about the US imperialist war in the Philippines. Maybe because the Chinese government was involved and the whole Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)  acted as extras in a historical film of epic proportion. A great way to celebrate the bourgeois national democratic revolution of 1911.

A lot bloodier though for China really has a bloody history from the building of the Great Wall to its unification of a nation and an empire and the revolutions from which the new modern China was born.

It is really worth watching.

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Bagong Lider-Mandirigmang Malaweg sa Makabagong Panahon- Ka Baylon (Jose Asco)

Pagpupugay


Bagong Lider-Mandirigmang Malaweg sa Makabagong Panahon- Ka Baylon (Jose Asco)


Ni Jacinto Luna


Buong giting na nagpupugay ang sambayang Pilipino sa kagitingan ni Ka. Jose ‘Ka Baylon” Asco .


Isang magiting na mandirigmang Malaweg sa bagong panahon. Ipinagpatuloy niya ang magiting na tradisyon ng pakikipaglaban ng mga rebolusyonaryong lider na lumaban sa mga Kolonyalistang Kastila  tulad ni Magalat ( 1595), Magtannga ng Itawes at Ines Carinugan ng Silangang Kaitawisan. Nasawi si ka Baylon habang lumalaban sa pusod ng Kaitawisan sa Piat, Cagayan. Siya at ang at apat pang mga mandirigma ng NPA ay nagbuwis ng buhay sa labanan sa kapatagan ng Itawes  sa Sityo Talinganay, Barangay Sto. Domingo, Piat, Cagayan noong Mayo 12, 2011.


Ang Malaweg ay isang maliit na tribong minorya na nakabase sa Zinandungan Valley sa pagitan ng Kalinga at Cagayan. Tinawag silang Malaweg ( ibig sabihin sa Kastila ay Masamang Tubig--Mal at Ueg ( Ilog ) sa salitang Itawes).


May sariling kabihasnan ngunit iba sa tribong Itawes na nasa Kabundukang Silangan at Kanlurang kapatagan ng Cagayan. Ang mga Malaweg sa kapatagan ng Cagayan ang pinakahuling nagapi ng mga Kastila. Ngunit ang mga nasa bundok lalo na sa Zinandungan Valley ay nanatiling malaya. Napailalim lamang sila sa panahon ng pananakop ng mga Amerikano.


Si Ka. Baylon Isa siyang magsasakang ulila na sa mga magulang na nakatira noon sa Barangay Bato, Rizal, Cagayan. Ang lugar na ito ay nasa bukana ng Zinandungang Valley sa may kapatagan ng Itawes. Kalaunan, naging foreman siya ng Redwood Logging Company, isang trabahong nagdala sa kanya sa liblib ng mga kagubatan palapit sa mga mandirigma ng New People’s Army na nagpamulat at nagpakilos sa kanya sa rebolusyon. Noong 1979, sumampa siya sa NPA.


Pundador ng NPA


Nakasama siya sa mga unang buong SYP na kumilos sa Kanlurang Cagayan sa may  Zinandungan Valley at Santo Nino. Isa siya sa mga nagpundar ng kilusang magsasaka sa lugar na ito hanggang sa lumaganap ang kilusan sa buong lambak ng Cagayan at sa Kalinga-Apayao.


Elementarya lamang ang kanyang natapos, ngunit naaral niya ang kalagayan ng lipunan at ibinahagi ito sa masang magsasakang sinamahan niya sa paglaban hanggang sa huling hininga.


Pinakamagandang biro niya na di malimutan ng lahat at nagkakatawanan kapag ikinukuwento niya na ;” Ang kaklase kong si Mayor Raul Dela Cruz,( isang malaking panginoong may-lupa sa Rizal, Cagayan na kabilang sa Pamilyang Villaflor at Sequi  sa lalawigan ng Cagayan)  sa elementarya ay nangogopya lang sa akin lalo na aritmeteka.” Patunay na kahit mahirap, magaling si Ka. Baylon kahit hindi siya nakapagtapos, Patunay ang mga mahahalagang  tungkulin ginampanan niya sa kilusan mula 1979-2011.


Nang buuin ang Unang Platung Partisano sa Cagayan at Apayao  sa Southwest Front (SWF) noong 1985, isa siya sa nahirang na mamuno sa Sangay ng Partido na mamahala sa pakikibakang masa at pakikidigmang partisano sa panahong ng SCO.


Nanatili siyang matibay na timon at angkla sa pagpupundar ng Partido at sa pagsusulong ng rebolusyon sa Cagayan Valley at rehiyon ng Ilocos bago, sa panahon ng SCO at sa pagsusulong sa Kilusang ng Pagwawasto. Ginampanan niya ang lahat ng tungkuling iniatang sa kanya sa abot ng kanyang makakaya, tungkuling pang-organisasyon, pampulitika o pangmilitar man ang mga ito. Kabilang sa mga pusisyong hinawakan niya ay ang pagiging isa sa namumuno sa Roger Baccud Front noong 1986, South Party Committe-Cagayan noong 1988.


Haligi ng Pagtutuwid


Gumanap siya sa Apayao Party Committee noong 1993, Northwest Cagayan Party Committee noong 1995, at sa panahon ng kamatayan ay bilang kagawad ng Komiteng Larangan sa Danilo Ben Front-West Cagayan. Kahit maari nang magpahinga dahil sa edad at kalagayang pangkalusugan, pinili niyang gumampan ng gawain sa larangang gerilya. Gumabay at nagsanay siya sa mga bagong kadre at kasapi ng Partido, naging mahusay na kumander ng platung gerilya


Binigo ni Ka Baylon ang maraming pagsubok sa kanyang katatagan, hindi lang ang mga panloob na mga kontradiksyon sa isip o sakit sa katawan. Nanatili siyang matibay kahit dekada na siyang pinasusuko ng kaaway, sa pamamagitan ng suhol man o karahasan.


Tinawanan niya ang mga alok sa kanya ng pagsurender, napoot siya sa pagdidiin sa kanyang mga anak at kapamilya upang sumuko siya, kabilang ang pagpaslang ng militar sa kanyang bagong-panganak na asawang si Maria ‘Ka Rema’ Gubat noong 2001. Sa mahigit 33 taong pagsisilbi niya sa mamamayan, hindi siya nanlamig sa paglaban ni isang saglit. Magiting na tradisyon ng tribong Malaweg.


Magiting siyang naging inspirasyon hindi lang sa mga kapwa namumuno at pinamumunuan, kundi pati sa masang anakpawis sa buong rehiyon.
Nakasaludo ang mga kadre at kasapi ng Partido Komunista, mga komander at mandirigma ng NPA, at buong rebolusyonaryong puersa sa Cagayan Valley sa naging buhay at kamatayan ni Kasamang Jose Asco.


Buhay at kamatayan itong di mamamantsahan anumang putik ang ibato ng reaksyunaryong rehimen sa rebolusyonaryong kilusan, isang kasaysayan na magsisilbing bantayog na kailanma’y nakatirik at di magigiba sa dibdib ng uring api, gaya ng kanyang prinsipyo na ating pagliliyabin hanggang sa pananagumpay ng rebolusyon.


Mabuhay ang ala-ala ni Ka Jose Asco at lahat ng rebolusyonaryong martir!


Mabuhay si Ka. Baylon!


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BOOK REVIEW

“ THE PHILIPPINE WAR 1899-1902: A PRO IMPERIALIST BOOK IN THE POST MODERNIST TIME
By Arturo P. Garcia

Author Brian McAllister Linn in his book, “The Philippine War, 1899-1902 “ (427 pages) explains how he draws his conclusions on how the United States won this war or how the Filipinos lost this.

But his questions remained, and this focused to the so-called myth of on how the United States won the war: “ by civilizing Filipinos with a Krag remains resilient.” That is why he took pains to dispute this fact.

As an American author, he calls for a “ reevaluation of military operations” (maybe calling a good war) during the Philippine War. He calls it “ long overdue”. He calls for “ a study of the war, stripping it of ideological blinders so it can offer great insight into complexities of localized guerilla war and indigenous resistance to foreign control.”

Yet like all the academics, in his bibliography he calls historical writing as often summarized as” explaining what happened and why. But he says, in the case of the Philippine –American conflict the “what happened was subordinated to the “ why”

That is a tacit admission he used Imperialist or American works, army records and used Filipinos sources or the participants sources that he called as” limited”.

He was really convinced that’s the “Filipino side awaits a scholar. “ For him, the works of Filipino scholars as a rich source of the war history of the Filipino American War is never enough.

He admitted that he used mostly American books and war records and used the Filipino sources as secondary or not at all. He just mentioned them as perfunctorily as a scholar does but never gave the Filipino side merit for their heroic struggle.

Using the successful American Revolution as an example, he chided the Filipino side for “not having a Natahnael Greene who can combine partisan with regular to achieve campaign or strategic goal.”

He said that “the revolutionaries fought a holding action, the best they can hoe for was their opponents would tire.” He called it “ a short sighted policy.

As usual, blaming the individual leadership, he heaped all the blame to General Emilio Aguinaldo. Praising the Imperialist, he said” What gave the Americans military forces was not their numbers but their effectiveness. Part of these had to do with weapons.”

He never admitted that the Philippines was the first American Vietnam. The only difference is that America lost the Vietnam War (1954-1975) as they lost the Korean War (1950-1954) so they cherish their victory over the Filipinos as a precious one.

The writer was so cruel and very vicious to the greatest Filipino general- Antonio Luna. His few pages that mentioned the gallant defense and offensives of the Army of the Republic led by Luna was riddled with innuendoes from all his enemies.

He never mentioned that Luna gave the Americans a hard time and broke the boast of the Americans that they can beat the Filipinos within “one week” It took them sixteen years to subjugate the Philippines and the myth that they destroyed the Filipino resistance within four years is the myth that Linn is trying to perpetuate up to know.

But what can we expect on the jaundiced eyes of pro-Imperialist authors like Linn.

He readily brushed aside that the Filipinos lost more than a million people fighting for their own Republic, which he conveniently called another myth.

He might be right because one lasting legacy that the Americans left us is that there is no study of Filipino military history even its prime military school-the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), has no nationalist orientation much more the study of the Philippine military history

They are just good in just changing names like the naming the PMA Camp Henry Allen to Fort Gregorio Del Pilar as they did to Camp Murphy to Camp Aguinaldo and Fort McKinley to Fort Bonifacio.

Thus, it is incumbent for Filipinos and Filipino Americans to study their own history and rewrite it in the own perceptions. Until then, authors like Linn will run amuck and brand themselves as authorities on the history of Filipinos.

They will continue to treat us as “lost souls” as the Spanish conquistadores wrote the history of the Philippines filled with heretic, bandits and witches as they Christianized and turned Filipinos as civilized people.

******