The movie has one of the best and captivating openings I ever saw. In addition to the stories being interesting, the camera work is remarkable and contributes to the metaphor of capturing the spirit of Cuba. The camera smoothly floats without bounds like a spirit around the vibrant scene. In addition to the great opening, the cameras continue to impress and float spirit-like periodically. The movie flows with artistic beauty and places us in a trance between the sights and sounds (as the music is very much part of the culture itself).
All of the stories have an element of anti-American sentiment, which shouldn't be a surprise. Regardless of one's own view of communism the movie allows us to learn about the people and culture of Cuba. The first two stories are more about the injustices and abuses of power that come with capitalism; the last two stories are about events that shape revolutionaries and how they are trying to right the injustices. All in all, I am Cuba is captivating and is sure to please those who enjoy artistic world cinema.
|
Lucia(1968) Director: Humberto Solas;"Lucia" is a Cuban film about three women that all share the same name. They live in different time periods but they share some a few things in common. All of the stories are essentially love stories but not the type that could be considered a storybook romance with the happy ending. With each story, the class Lucia belongs in decreases, with the first Lucia being in the upper class to the final Lucia being in the working class. Also, revolutionaries affect all of the women and we learn a bit about Cuban history along the way. The first story, and my favorite one, takes place in 1865. The revolution is against Spain and our Lucia wants to meet the man of her dreams but he turns out to have a sinister side. I thought this one had it all -- as there was romance, intrigue, and action, all the while being beautiful, tragic and intense. There are also a few surprises that keep me in suspense. The second story takes place in 1932 and of course is about revolutionaries. This time Lucia has a boy friend that is part of a group of adamant revolutionaries. This story was my least favorite of the three and I thought the point was to show that even when revolutionaries win the war, things could all go back to being just like they were very easily. It is possible that this story was just setting up that message for the final story. The last story is set in the 1960s. The revolution is over and Lucia will be faced with a challenge that may not be new but one that is less socially acceptable at this point in history. Lucia meets a man and gets married but he ends up being overly protective and controlling. Lucia is locked up in her own home and her husband doesn’t want her to have any guests when he isn’t there to supervise, including her own mother. Oil is thrown into the fire when a young man is sent to their home to teach Lucia to read. Although this movie has three distinct stories because the stories merge into a common theme and it runs over two and a half hours in length it has the feeling of an epic. There are many messages in this film but the one that stands out is that it shows as much as things change with time, some things stay exactly the same (we see women gossiping in 1865 and in the 1960s their chatter is no different). I would say "Lucia" is a movie that could easy fit the description of masterpiece.
|
Sergio thinks most of the people he knows are underdeveloped. His ex-wife and parents have left Cuba to go to the United States, and he doesn't mind, in fact he nearly pities them and this movie shows us why. He is artistic and thinks of himself as Europeanized, thus more advanced than others on some level but he doesn't gloat about it or show off. Sergio is a little cynical but maybe he is realistic also. Best if all, at times he is very funny.
The film mixes video footage and still photography that tells us about Cuba and life there. It sheds light on how the country was influenced by Spain, the United States and the Soviet Union. One has to also give it some credit as the film doesn't create an entirely a rosy portrait of the Cuban government under Castro and shows how the wealthy had their property confiscated.
The way the story in Memories of Under Development blends personal history with the history of a country works well. If you enjoy art house films or have interest in learning about Cuba, I would say it is worth checking out Memories of Under Development.
We really do not know much of David other than from the opening sequence in which he promises to wait to have sex to his girlfriend until after marriage but she jilts him shortly later. David expects Diego to do something similar and not make advances on him. So the story is about putting aside sexuality and just being friends, accepting someone for who they are. Their common interests bring them together and both teach each other about life.
The story doesn't have too many characters and is fairly simple yet the way the film explores unlikely friendship is amazing. Strawberries and Chocolate is a Cuban film so for those who are not familiar with Cuba may find this movie a bit exotic just because of this (and there are a few parts with love spells and fortune telling). I think the acting is great and the story should appeal to those who like dramas.