1898, Our Last Men in the Philippines

Released 24th November 2016, 1898, Our Last Men in the Philippines is a Spanish film based upon the 337 day ‘Siege of Baler’ in the Philippines. Entering the 20th Century, the Spanish Empire had practically collapsed in the wake of a war with America which subsequently meant that many settlements within the Spanish colonies were not only cut off from gaining much-needed imports, but some were deserted by Spain entirely. This betrayal in the wake of the collapse is poignantly illustrated through this film from the perspective of a large cast. Luis Tosar and Javier Gutiérrez as Teniente Martin Cerezo and Sargento Jimeno Costa help to highlight the blind nationalism of soldiers who remain loyal til desolation.

We also receive Álvaro Cervantes as protagonist Soldado Carlos; your standard soldier who has dreams and respects his fellow soldiers. Álvaro’s performance brilliantly conveys the harrowing effects of war and the fears from every angle in such a scenario. The theme of religion is also strongly presented throughout the film with Álex Catalán’s purposeful cinematography and the character of Fray Carmelo; performed by Karra Elejalde. The film constantly confronts the flaws and contradictions of religion and nationalism between each of the characters; these social components are flawed and yet the film also makes a great effort to reflect the positive features of these components.

The only real problem with tackling so many ideas from differing perspectives is that the pacing sometimes slows down from time to time, it doesn’t hinder the experience too bad, however. The soundtrack, when infrequently utilised, wasn’t overtly memorable or unique; simply serving the film in a basic manner. That said, the film makes up for its basic soundscape in its visualisation of a warzone from appropriate gore to wide shots to desolated areas. Overall this film could be improved in some technical areas but the writing and performances really manage to elevate the film as a harrowing yet hopeful war film.