Baler.

Hello. It's been long.

Perhaps another opportunity to produce a cheesy narration of how much I miss 2008 will present itself in the near future. Or perhaps not. Perhaps it would rightfully be a billion of the few regrets I've ever had in my life, and joy in the dawn of a new year whence I can as soon forget about every shit that occured in last year's thrombosis.

Regrets? From a young age i've always thought that surrendering to a throbbing impulse would be the smartest thing to do. Regrets were lethal. Suffering the consequences of a deed is a breeze in comparison to the injustice of a painful pimple in the mind which never failed to acknowledge its wretched presence.

But in the dusk of 2008, I got tired of it. I got tired of the consequences. Reinforcing sense would blot out those mind monsters. In an amusing turn of reflection, I even regretted having no regrets. But...

Well, the real subject of my post is a movie I watched recently. A movie which you probably would never witness, but has captured my mind and heart in a way no other movie has ever done.

And it's very, very annoying.

This period movie is entitled Baler - a place in the Phil that has existed for 3245646424588 years but I had never known of until this. Baler is where the usual forbidden romance between a half Spanish soldier and the daughter of a katipunero - one of the rebels who aim to drive the Spaniards out of the country and so gain independence - unraveled. I was going to say slowly unraveled but technically, it wasn't slow, but it needn't be.

Well, I enjoyed watching both the leading man and the leading lady. They had chemistry, you see. And eyes. It's always eyes. I have this theory that a movie of romance only needs these three things; a video camera, a love story and eyes.

Anyway, the reason behind my encapturement is what I'm gonna cover now. It's a heartbreaking story based on historical events. It starts with cliched romance which makes your chest twist uncomfortably, then BAM. War. The main troops of Spain were forced to surrender and leave the country. At a small town called Baler, rebel troops were gathering, unknown to the Spaniards situated there. Neither knew of the capital's victory. The troops attacked, greatly outnumbering the Spaniards, who fled to the church, which they used as a fortress. They faced a seige, including lead man, Celso, who only then found out lead lady, Feliza's connection to one of the leaders of the rebels. So yeah. Feliza realizes she's pregnant with Celso's son while he was stuck inside. Which I assumed was a preparation for a happy ending. It was gonna be my favourite movie. I was already contemplating on that. And then, right at the end, when everything was already gonna be happy and we could almost make out the dawn of a new beautiful future at the horizon,

Celso is killed.

And more so, it's in the most annoying manner- through the betrayal of a cowardly comrade and the stubborn pride of his commander.

Shit. It's like giving a starving lion a large piece of meat and taking it away right before his teeth sink into the juicy life-completing flesh. I can't believe someone can write such a thing and still stand guiltless. How can you give a man a child, and then kill him! It's inhumane! It's inhumane! I can't stand it.

I couldn't sleep the night I watched it. I was contemplating on whether I was stuck in an odd harsh nightmare, or if not, how in the world I could change the conclusion of that injustice so that I may lay peacefully in bed with the comfort that there is still some good in this world. How could they kill him! He can't die... No...

And that's why I said it captured my heart and mind like no other had. Because I still can't get over it, even now!

IT'S INHUMANE.