If the style is a remnant of New Wave influences, it at least points to a feeling of uncertainty and moral doubt in the aftermath of the Cuban revolution. It's the fall of a self-elected aristocrat who can't move forward nor back. The bits and pieces of narration form a view of a society forever on the verge of creating itself.

Took a lot from the French Nouvelle Vague, in a very good way.

"A stirring blend of narrative fiction, still photography and rare documentary footage." - Ed Gonzalez

The movie has a brilliant microcosmic version of itself in a scene where Sergio visits Ernest Hemingways residence, and ponders Cubas excistence through Hemingways relative indifference to it. This theme flows elegantly throughout the movie, and makes it a ponderous, if not quite hypnotic affair.

Comparisons to Godard or other New Wave filmmakers are superficial at best. This is not merely a French bourgeois's Marxist pseudo-intellectual ramblings, it's a very human story shot in the midst of post-revolutionary material and psychological turmoil, and the malaise provoked by the cyclical nature of underdevelopment (pretty words I KNOW). I'm surprised at how few rankings this movie's got at this site, don't know if it's a distribution thing in the US or what.

#353

376

I was expecting a more overtly political film but was pleasantly surprised to find a fundamentally human story. It's still political to the core, but presents it as part of Sergio's meditation on life and doesn't pretend to provide any easy answers. It reminded me a bit of Hiroshima mon Amour in it's light treatment of a heavy subject and contemplative tone. Very interesting and worth watching.

# 375

The style is kind of a New Wave/semi-documentary hybrid... seemingly quite influenced by Godard. Like Godard, it gets rather wordy at times, and not having any knowledge of the Cuban revolution I was a bit lost at times. I wasn't quite sure where Alea's sympathies lay: was I supposed to like Sergio or not? I couldn't tell, but perhaps this adds to the film's complexity. Interesting and well-done, but as someone who generally likes to keep politics out of his movies it wasn't really my bag.

358

Feels like a Cuban 'Forrest Gump' (that's not an insult in this case) with some New Wave thrown in for good measure. Interesting overall (mostly the politics), though I felt my mind drifting in parts.

This film brings up some interesting thoughts about the "underdevelopment" of certain societies and people themselves. It almost feels like a French New Wave film. I like it.