Naqoyqatsi

Amazon.com

Whether your intellect is completely engaged or passively detached, any viewing of Naqoyqatsi is likely to provoke a fascinating response. You can view it as a magnificent, visually stimulating music video (as critic Roger Ebert suggested you should), or in context as the third and most unsettling film in director Godfrey Reggio's "qatsi" trilogy, each titled from the Hopi language, and preceded by Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi ("Life out of Balance" and "Life in Transformation," respectively). "Life as War" is the translation of this film's title, and Reggio's theme is not one of conventional warfare, but of daily life as warfare in the age of rapidly evolving technology. The entire trilogy views humankind as a blight on the pristine nature of Earth, but here the theme is taken to its inevitable extreme: a constant flow of new and archival images--manipulated with solarization, digital enhancements, thermal effects, 2-D and 3-D animation, etc.--combine to convey athletic and military regimentation, culminating in the doomsday flowering of missiles, rockets, and all varieties of nuclear weaponry. The cumulative effect, when combined with Philip Glass's mesmerizing score (his best of the trilogy, with cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma) is one of doom-laden portent, but, as Stephen Holden observed in the New York Times, the film is also arrestingly beautiful as it weaves its hypnotic, apocalyptic spell. For those who wish to delve further, Reggio, Glass, and editor/visual designer Jon Kane provide valuable insight in a bonus panel discussion. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Miramax Home Entertainment and Oscar(R)-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Best Director, TRAFFIC, 2000) present NAQOYQATSI ("Life As War"), from filmmaker Godfrey Reggio, in collaboration with composer Phillip Glass, whose original score features renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In this cinematic concert -- the concluding film of the Qatsi Trilogy preceded by the critically acclaimed KOYAANISQATSI ("Life Out Of Balance"), and POWAQQATSI ("Life In Transformation") -- mesmerizing images reanimated from everyday reality, then visually altered with state-of-the-art digital techniques, chronicle the shift from a world organized by the principles of nature to one dominated by technology, the synthetic, and the virtual. Extremes of intimacy and spectacle, tragedy and hope, fuse in a tidal wave of visuals and music, giving rise to a unique artistic experience that reflects Reggio's visions of a brave new globalized world.

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous and Stunning.......2007-08-19

Loved it, even though I'm still not sure what the message is!

Koyaanis was straightforward, simple and impactful. Strongest entry in the series.

Powaq was too esoteric. Unless you knew intimately what the locations, cultures, rituals and routines the film depicted were, you were missing the point, as I always have.

Naqoy returns to the subject of the USA, but I'm not sure what Reggio is saying. I expected something immediate and impactful, as Koyaanis had been, but instead I'm puzzled and feel the meaning to be very vague.

Maybe it's a matter of cracking the code. I hate to say it, but the film needs a commentary track by Reggio in which he deliniates what the images mean to him and why he chose them!

For all that, it's still a deep, beautiful, and confounding film. It certainly twists my mind around, but in a way too ineffable to understand.

Music video or feature film?.......2007-05-18

Having read some other reviews here, I have to agree with their basic criticism. Then again, perhaps this film should not so much be critisised as a feature film, but as a music video, or in fact a video installation that took the wrong door. Watching this as a feature film is unbearable for anyone with a sense of plot. Also, it has so many flashy effects that there should be a seizure warning on the package. But the film certainly goes well as a background for Phil Glass' very enjoyable music, or for running it in the background during a weird, geeky party you are having in an abandoned Detroit warehouse...

very, very disappointing... and bad.......2007-01-23

The first film in this trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi, is a classic.
The second, Powaqatsi, is not as good but still worth watching.

Naqoyaqaatsi, to quote some other reviewers, is just 'a mishmash of computer-treated footage, signifying nothing'... 'all quite forgettable'... except that the feeling of disillusionment and disappointment is hard to forget... The absence of Ron Fricke and his incredible cinematography that mad the other films so great stops this from even being interesting.
Don't waste your time.

Amazing........2007-01-12

If you have not watched this yet and have any inclination to, PLEASE DO. It is not a "movie with a plot" so to speak, but a film/documentation of society and culture. I love it. (But watch Kooyanisqatsi first. ) In comparison, it is what Kooyannisqatsi would have been had it been made 20 years later. I think it's brilliant.

Very disappointing end to the series.......2006-12-13

The first film in this trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi, is a classic, and features what is possibly the best score Philip Glass ever wrote for anything.

The second, Powaqatsi, is not as good but still worth watching.

This third installment offers none of the thought-provoking imagery of the first two films. It's just a mishmash of computer-treated footage, signifying nothing, and all quite forgettable. I wonder what went wrong?

Don't waste your time.

Average customer rating:

Fascinating Look At Some Serious A**holes
YOU DO NEED A WEATHERMAN (PERSON) TO KNOW WHICH WAY THE WIND BLOWS
Interesting potrayal of indigenous revolutionaries
Spotlight on a Disturbing Era in History
Important that we remember

The Weather Underground
Starring: Charles Manson , Martin Luther King , Billy Ayers , Todd Gitlin , and Kathleen Cleaver
Director: Sam Green (II) , and Bill Siegel
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ASIN: B0001LYFKO
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Amazon.com

The key players in the radical movement known as the Weather Underground are skillfully brought to life in this Oscar-nominated documentary. The Weathermen were born of sixties protest, but took their scheme to overthrow the U.S. government to especially violent extremes. Never a well-populated movement, the Underground petered out as its leaders aged during the seventies; by decade's end, weary of hiding, most of them had turned themselves over to the authorities. That journey, by which a fire-breathing revolutionary such as Bernadine Dohrn became a (still fiery) gray-haired wife and mother, is an intriguing one. This film, rich in period footage (and some unnecessary sensationalism) captures the era somewhat broadly. But the present-day interviews with the participants, contrasted with their radical selves, provides an exceptionally detailed look inside the organization itself. It's not a nostalgic look back, and the overall mood is sobering rather than celebratory. Lili Taylor provides the narration. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating Look At Some Serious A**holes.......2007-07-03

The Weather Underground is a well done documentary about the movement of the same name. It produces a somewhat sympathetic portrait of some really screwed up people who thought that terrorism was the way to justice. Probably a little too sympathetic; some other posters have noted the absence of several quotes by members of the group praising the Manson murders, for example.

What is really disturbing about this film is how completely unrepentant many of them are. Bernardine Dohrn in particular strikes me as someone who should to this day be considered very dangerous. For some of these folks, it is clear that the only 'regrets' that they had was that they didn't kill more people.

Despite that, the movie is worth watching. I loved some of the music, it gets very moody, and does a good job of documenting the implosion of the Student Left. You may come away from it thinking that they were very brave revolutionaries, or you may decide, like I did, that they are a truly pathetic bunch of malcontents who don't deserve any sympathy. But it's an eye-opening movie and highly recommended.

YOU DO NEED A WEATHERMAN (PERSON) TO KNOW WHICH WAY THE WIND BLOWS.......2007-06-26

In a time when I, among others, are questioning where the extra-parliamentary opposition to the Iraq War is going and why it has not made more of an impact on American society it was rather refreshing to view this documentary about the seemingly forgotten Weather Underground that as things got grimmer dramatically epitomized one aspect of opposition to the Vietnam War. If opposition to the Iraq war is the political fight of my old age Vietnam was the fight of my youth and in this film brought back very strong memories of why I fought tooth and nail against it. And the people portrayed in this film, the core of the Weather Underground, while not politically kindred spirits then or now, were certainly on the same page as I was- a no holds- barred fight against the American Empire. We lost that round, and there were reasons for that, but that kind of attitude is what it takes to bring down the monster. But a revolutionary strategy is needed. That is where we parted company.

One of the political highlights of the film is centered on the 1969 Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Convention that was a watershed in the student anti-war protest movement. That was the genesis of the Weathermen but it was also the genesis of the Progressive Labor Party-led faction that wanted to bring the anti-war message to the working class by linking up the student movement with the fight against capitalism. In short, to get to those who were, or were to be, the rank and file soldiers in Vietnam or who worked in the factories. In either case the point that was missed , as the Old Left had argued all along and which we had previously dismissed out of hand, was that it was the masses of working people who were central to `bringing the war home' and the fight against capitalism. That task still confronts us today.

One of the paradoxical things about this film is that the Weather Underground survivors interviewed had only a vague notion about what went wrong. This was clearly detailed in the remarks of Mark Rudd, a central leader, when he stated that the Weathermen were trying to create a communist cadre. He also stated, however, that after going underground he realized that he was out of the loop as far as being politically effective. And that is the point. There is no virtue in underground activity if it is not necessary, romantic as that may be. To the extent that any of us read history in those days it was certainly not about the origins of the Russian revolutionary movement in the 19th century. If we had we would have found that the above-mentioned fight in 1969 was also fought out by that movement. Mass action vs. individual acts, heroic or otherwise, of terror. The Weather strategy of acting as the American component of the world-wide revolutionary movement to bring the Empire to its knees certainly had (and still does) have a very appealing quality. However, a moral gesture did not (and will not) bring this beast down. While the Weather Underground was made up a small group of very appealing subjective revolutionaries its political/moral strategy led to a dead end. The lesson to be learned; you most definitely do need weather people to know which way the winds blow. Start with Karl Marx.

Interesting potrayal of indigenous revolutionaries.......2007-05-24

Some fascinating facets of young revolutionaries - the collective emotion that makes them to act/ organize, the power they wield on the society to bring in the change (especially students), the problems in pursuing a unified objective and misinterpretation of these objectives by some, which eventually kills of the revoltion.
I also found it interesting that some of the struggles on the 60's and 70's continue to be the struggles of today's generation also.

Spotlight on a Disturbing Era in History.......2007-05-15

The Weather Underground were a symptom of the idealism of the 60's gone belly up. The peaceful protests and activism that was the hallmark of the 60's, in the views of the members of the Weather Underground were "ineffective" so they turned to violence and terrorism as a means to combat it and only ended up alienating people and causing destruction. That said, their history is a worthy topic, though it is more than a little unnerving to see them reminesce about the past without realizing the severity of their actions. The true voice of reason is this film, is Todd Gitlin who although still a strong liberal activist continues to condemn the Weather Underground for what they did. I can't say this film supports what they did but it tends to cast them in a more favorable light than they deserve and to see that some of them are now college professors didn't exactly thrill me. However, as a primer in how the campaign for social justice and equality in the 60's fell apart and divided into factions, this is an excellent film. There is archival footage, the most fascinating of which is a clip from Emile D'Antonio's "Underground" which captured the Weather Underground while they were still "active" and in hiding in the early 70's and brought the unwelcome attention of the FBI. That said, the "Weather Underground" whatever side one takes, might make some people take off their rose colored glasses as to some of the excesses of that era and its long term consequences.

Important that we remember.......2007-02-07

I was a relatively young part of the era to which this excellent documentary refers. I never got into the violent dimension of it--but nor do I claim to be a "pacifist." So there's lots to reflect on...

The Students for a Democratic Society was, as people from that era remember, a "radical" group during an era in which the United States was exterminating Vietnamese peasants while subjugating black activists at home. A faction of the SDS, the Weather Underground, unhappy with the glacial rate of change, in essence took over the organization and fostered violence.

The FBI kept tabs on them--for reasons not without some justification. Some of their leaders were constructing a bomb to be used at an officers club when a short circuit detonated the bomb. Those working on it were killed. Then the FBI knew they had a target.

Todd Gitlin, who'd been the president of the more "moderate" SDS, comments repeatedly throughout the film. Needless to say, he disapproved of the direction the Weather Underground was taking them. He argues that when they plot to bomb essentially innocent people, they become like, say, Hitler or Stalin. It becomes a "religious" cause that needs little more justification. (Yeah, there was the youth-culture dimension of it too, the rejection of monogamy, the "free sex," much of which was pretty naive.)

After the self-destruction of some of the Weathermen, the remaining faction decided that the bombing wasn't inappropriate, just the killing of the innocent was. So they bombed various institutions over the next few years to make their point--while making sure no one would be needlessly hurt. In the meantime, eloquent Black Panther leader Fred Hampton was murdered by the authorities, and the Weather Underground endeared that cause.

I should add what the film does: that later in "the era," there were activities that made the movement look bad, e.g., that Manson family and Altamont. I'm glad the producers didn't lose track of those tidbits on many of which we (mistakenly) reflect more than we do on the positive results of the era.

The Weather Underground members went truly underground to come out many years later.

All in all, this was a superb documentary. As one can imagine, those who were active in the movement then have "mixed feelings" about them now described best, perhaps, by Mark Rudd. Did they make mistakes? Of course they did. Do they proclaim that "all we did was wrong"? No! That's among the dimensions of their movement that I appreciate.

It's important to recognize how wrong the US foreign policy was in that era (something for which we'll be paying for decades if not centuries.) So something doubtless needed to be done.

I note too that, aside from one character, still in prison in NY for an event in which some were killed after his Weather affiliation, they are all employed in causes of many kinds, i.e., they didn't all become insurance company executives, which is the stereotype on which those who decry the 60s movements rely. And another very important dimension the film covers is that most of the Weather Underground were NOT prosecuted and jailed despite some of their activities. It seems the FBI had broken so many laws in tailing the activists that the bureau couldn't pursue a case against them! (There was coverage too of the group in Media, PA who broke into the FBI office there and exposed to the media the questionable and clearly illegal activities of the FBI. It should make one reflect on the surveillance that is being rationalized today ostensibly based on "terror" threats!)

I recommend this for students today--many of whom are more sold on the Super Bowl than on Iraq--for people who want to recollect an era and its causes without all the fluff the pop media attach to it. There's always something to learn and this film offers a few dimensions of that learning and, again, much on which to reflect.

General Idi Amin Dada - Criterion Collection

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Idiot Amin at its "best" ...
Much More Complex Than Previously Thought
"Triumph of the Will" for the 1970's
Idi Amin- in true form
Amazing, Hilarious, Troubling, & Frightening

General Idi Amin Dada - Criterion Collection
Starring: Idi Amin , Fidel Castro , and Golda Meir
Director: Barbet Schroeder
Manufacturer: Criterion
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ASIN: B000063N7E
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Amazon.com

When Barbet Schroeder released his documentary General Idi Amin Dada in 1974, it must have been quite a sensation. Amin gave full cooperation to Schroeder (the documentary carries the subtitle "Self Portrait"), sitting for numerous interviews, stage-managing a series of public appearances in front of adoring crowds, and even scoring the film with his accordion music. Is this joking, amiable "man of the people" the same dictator who put 300,000 people to death between 1971 and 1979? Perhaps it's his anti-Semitic ravings, or his fetish for artillery and military finery, or the aggression that drifts through almost every speech, but there's a schism between the media-managed image and the weirdness and violence churning under his wide smile. Periodic narration strips the façade off a few staged scenes and underscores others with historical background. But apart from the opening footage of a chilling state-sanctioned execution, Schroeder lets the schizophrenic portrait stand on its own: a preening, vain, psychotic clown as aspiring Hitler. It's a curious document, one Amin first embraced, then denounced, but almost 30 years later it isn't enough to answer the questions surrounding this brutal despot. --Sean Axmaker

Description

In 1971, the small African nation of Uganda was taken over by self-styled dictator General Idi Amin Dada, beginning an eight-year reign of terror that would result in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. In this chilling yet darkly comic documentary, director Barbet Schroeder turns his cameras on the infamous tyrant, revealing the dynamic, charming, and appallingly dangerous man whose fanatical neuroses held an entire nation in their grip. Made with the full support and participation of the infamous dictator, General Idi Amin Dada provides a candid and disturbing portrait of one of the 20th century's most notorious figures.

Customer Reviews:

Idiot Amin at its "best" ..........2007-08-16

The movie shows a black meat blob so decadent, that it looks more than a comedy for Klu-Klux-Clan members who need a proof for racistic actions. The scenes are of a higher situative sarcasm as the worst black comedy can ever present. Nevertheless the documentation is boring as well and this leads to MINUS of one star. Normally that trash deserves ZERO. The content is idiotic, that black Nero a miscreation and the whole scenarios not worth a view. Crabfactor: 10 STARS!

Much More Complex Than Previously Thought.......2007-05-18

Having lived in Uganda, on-and-off, for over 5 years, I was under the (false) impression that Idi Amin was simply another ruthless African military dictator. Open and shut. Did Amin govern Uganda with an iron fist? Without a doubt. Were over 300,000 Ugandans murdered during his presidency? It's a historical fact. Was Amin an uneducated, eccentric baffoon? By western standards, yes. However, as you'll be able to observe from this documentary, Amin was very popular throughout black Africa, especially in Uganda. I have spoken with Ugandans whose parents were slaughtered by Amin that still think he was a "great leader of Uganda." When Amin died in 2003, there was a massive popular outcry for him to be given a state funeral in Kampala. How is this possible?
When Amin came to power in 1971, he was the darling of the British government, who described him as a "splendid type." Shortly thereafter, Amin provided a state funeral for the popular and exiled Bugandan king Mutesa. Also, he freed numerous political prisoners who had been wrongfully detained by Milton Obote's regime. He was famous for throwing lavish parties, and personally entertaining guests from all parts of the world. In the begining, Amin was committed to democratic government and free elections. At various points during his administration, he had the financial and military backing of the UK, USA, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Admittedly, Amin was a soilder and not a politician.
While Amin was a murderous African dictator, was he any worse than his contemporaries or his successors in black Africa? Certainly, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and Daniel arap Moi of Kenya have comparable "amounts" of blood on their hands. As cold blooded as this may sound, in the geo-political context of sub-Saharan Africa, Amin's biggest fault was his inability to cover his tracks.
At issue, this documentary is a must see for any serious student of Ugandan history and current affairs. Moreover, it provides a visual medium to observe the many layers of a megalomaniac.

"Triumph of the Will" for the 1970's.......2007-02-26

My review's title is not to imply Barbet Schroeder is a manipulative filmmaker like Leni Riefinstahl, nor to say the film looks at Idi Amin purely in a positive light. (both are far from the truth) It refers to the fact this film, like "Triumph of the Will," looks at a cruel dictator during the height of his power, and while he was alive and well enough to actually partake in the film. Because of this, the documentary holds some historic importance not just for African history, but world history in general.

The documentary is a fairly straightforward one. Some have found it boring, and admittedly there seems to be not much form to it. (although in Schroeder's defense, few documentaries are) Much of it is following Amin around and watching his daily life, as he would probably most like to see it. He gives the film crew a tour of Uganda wildlife, (including a focus on crocadiles) allows them to film a cabinet meeting, and displays a wargame simulating an attack on the Golan Heights. At times it almost seems like Idi Amin is greatly enjoying the limelight - during the wargame he is pointing up to the sky saying, "Film that jet!" or "Film that helicopter!" and the cameraman complies. If you're interested in Idi Amin or African history, then it will interest you and provide insight on a regime that eliminated hundreds of thousands of Ugandan citizens. If you aren't, then it probably will bore you, and be thought of as a cookie-cutter documentary.

The special features include an interview with director Barbet Schroeder on how the film came about and what it was like to work with Idi Amin. Two interesting stories in particular arose from it. One was when Amin and Schroeder were watching Ugandan television footage, and Amin was infuriated that it showed him shaking hands with a foreign diplomat using his left hand. Schroeder replied, "No, that's normal, it happens everywhere - it just means the editor switched the footage around." Amin replied, "Oh! So it was the editor!" What Schroeder hadn't realized was that the cameraman had already been killed, and Amin afterward killed the editor. Schroeder kept his mouth shut after that. The second story involves the film's initial release. Amin was not happy with the original cut, and demanded Schroeder edit the film. When Schroeder refused, Amin rounded up 150 French citizens in Uganda and threatened to kill them unless Schroeder complied. Schroeder did, and the film wasn't restored to its original cut until after Amin had been overthrown in 1978.

A rare personal look into one of the cruelest dictators of the 20th century. I would recommend it to any one interested in the subject matter, most definitely.

Idi Amin- in true form.......2007-01-11

This is a great DVD for anyone researching the character and personality of Idi Amin.

Amazing, Hilarious, Troubling, & Frightening.......2006-10-31

Some of the other reviews have said that the film is not editted properly and 'too slow'. I'm not a film-maker and cannot comment on that other than to say that they are wrong. The film is amazing. I'm not sure if there is ANY other movie or documentary that shows what a serialkiller-cum-dictator-cum-statesman is like. Nowadays people might not know who Idi Amin is, or what he did, so its important to read up a little so you can truely appreciate this movie. He plays accordian? You see him meeting with his 'advisors' (some of whom disappear so after.) You see him play acting like a grown-up boy with toy soldiers. You see his self-appointed royal pedigree and send his support for Nixon! Its fascinating and amazing. This is man that, self-proclaimed, actually ATE some of his rivals (not the whole body I hope). He killed many people directly and by his policies. His ego is outstanding and its an amazing movie. Apparently, there is a new movies coming out about Idi Amin starring Forrest Whitaker. He's a good actor and so I look forward to seeing it. But this is the REAL guy. Its amazing and a feat probably never to happen again.

Average customer rating:

One of the best documentaries on migration
It is the exeption, not the rule, bad example
Shockingly great access, footage and narrative
Understanding Cuba!
Balseros

Balseros
Starring: Bill Clinton , Fidel Castro , Maria Celeste Arraras , Rafael Cano (II) , and Miriam Hernández (II)
Director: Carlos Bosch , and Josep Maria Domènech
Manufacturer: New Video Group
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ASIN: B00092ZT5U
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Description

An Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature, BALSEROS is the heartrending yet triumphant account of seven Cuban refugees--and their families--who risked their lives to venture towards America's shores on homemade rafts. The Village Voice raves that BALSEROS is an "engrossing documentary" with an "extraordinary sense of recording stories as they unfold!" While Presidents Clinton and Fidel Castro argued over the closing of Cuba's coast in the chaotic summer of 1994, nearly 50,000 "balseros" (a slang term for Cuban rafters) set out towards Florida, navigating the shark-infested waters on vessels made of wood, nails, and tar. The television reporting team of Carles Bosch and Josep M. Domènech began filming this remarkable story over those landmark 15 days. Then, as most of the rafters were picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard, Bosch and Domènech continued to follow their lively cast of characters, some of whom were detained for more than a year at the Guantanamo naval base before finally being allowed onto American soil.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best documentaries on migration.......2007-06-18

The movie documents the lives of half a dozen Cubans as they struggle to escape their wretched lives to reach the land of dreams. Seen in a braoder context, I could immediately relate to the hopes and aspirations of people in various corners of the third world as they seek to make a home in the West.
Most interesting was to note how fragile human relationships are - majority of these 6 Cubans who finally make it to America find loving and living with people against all promises made to loved ones when departing. Since this documentary tracks the lives of these people across several years, it provides a rich historical context to measure the reality against the dreams that these immigrants had when departing for America.
Thankfully, the movie stays away from any political overtones (as in Castro-bashing, or America/ CIA bashing).

It is the exeption, not the rule, bad example.......2006-05-18

The documentary is one of the few that Fidel Castro will allow to show on the communist Cuban television. It shows the negative side of the balseros immigrants. Completely pessimist and intentional depressing and some times it make fun about Cubans. No a good example. The director picked a very poor town were everybody is black and unlettered. The other ninety percent of the rafter or Balseros, not showed on this documentary of course, are mostly white, blue collar worker, professionals, and artists. I see then all the time. Why this documentary doesn't show to the world that Cuban is the minority more represented on the highest levels of the united stated government. Balseros that came here to work hard, learn the language, make money without selling drugs. It is the type of material that makes happy those that use to ware Che Gevara tee-shirt. I am sorry about my English, I am just a Balsero that came here eight years ago and now I am American citizen, own a hause, have my own insurance business and most at all, I am free and proud to be a cuban balsero.

Shockingly great access, footage and narrative.......2005-09-13

"Balseros" is movie of deep commitment executed by a team of heavily talented reporters and film professionals. The work effort covers a period of almost eight years, starting with the so-called "Balseros" crisis of 1994, when - in shades of the Mariel Boatlift in 1980 - a policy shift by Fidel's government sends thousands of industrious Cubans streaming towards the shores of Florida.

The access the film team has to the island is unprecedented. You see the rafts being crafted and carried through the streets. When protagonist Guillermo Armas rides to the shore with this raft, he's cordoned by a wave of joyous bicyclists. What an amazing scene. In the meantime, the camera captures the seedy and rundown nature of present-day Havana.

Where "Balseros" stands apart is in carrying the film through to 2001, when we see what has become of the seven protagonists. You have to give immense credit to co-directors and writers Carles Bosch & Josep Domènech for the effort and skill in putting together this tale.

And, in a film with standout moments, here's mine: the team takes to the waters to document the journeys. At times, it encounters hauntingly empty rafts. The voice over gently tells you about the implications of an empty raft. All you have to do is juxtapose the flimsiness of some of these vessels vs. the raging currents in the straits and it's not difficult to imagine how these journeys came to a ghostly end.

Good complements to "Balseros" are "Finding Mañana" Mirta Ojito's outstanding 2005 memoir of the the Mariel Boatlift, Reinaldo Arenas' "Before Night Falls" (acclaimed author Arenas also came over in Mariel) and "Azucar Amarga," another great film with outstanding live footage (spliced into a compelling fictional story).

The movie follows seven specific protagonists. I found it hard to distinguish the threads at times, but Spanish producer Bausan Films has an outstanding press package on its web site and it contains a little cheat sheet of the seven, which I'm pasting in here because I think it'll really help your watching of the film:

MÉRICYS GONZALEZ
HER JOURNEY
AUGUST 1994
Builds a raft in Havana
SEPTEMBER 1994
She sets off to sea. The raft is wrecked and she returns to Cuba
FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
She obtains a legal visa and goes to Albuquerque, New Mexico to join her sister

OSCAR DEL VALLE
HIS JOURNEY
AUGUST 1994
Builds a raft in Havana
SEPTEMBER 1994
Goes to sea and in U.S. waters is picked up and sent to the naval base at Guantanamo
OCTOBER/DECEMBER 1995
Accepted in the U.S.A. he is sent to the Bronx
FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
He has moved to York (Pennsylvania)

RAFAEL CANO
HIS JOURNEY
AUGUST 1994
Builds a raft and is thrown out of it
SEPTEMBER 1994
In a "new" raft he sets out to sea and is detained in U.S. waters. He is taken to Guantanamo
OCTOBER/DECEMBER 1995
Accepted into the U.S. he is sent to Miami
JUNE 1996
He goes to Nebraska
FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
The TV program broadcast nationally from Miami, Gran Impacto, sets out to find him

MÍRIAM HERNÁNDEZ
HER JOURNEY
AUGUST 1994
Builds a raft in Batabanó (in southern Cuba)
SEPTEMBER 1994
She sets out to sea and is detained in U.S. waters and sent to the naval base in Guantanamo
OCTOBER/DECEMBER 1995
Accepted in the U.S. she is sent to Miami
FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
She is still waiting for her daughter, who is now eight years old, and who Miriam still has not been able to bring from Cuba

GUILLERMO ARMAS
HIS JOURNEY
AUGUST 1994
Builds a raft in Havana
SEPTEMBER 1994
Sets out to sea and is detained in U.S. waters and sent to the naval base at Guantanamo
MAY 1995
Accepted in the U.S. he is sent to Miami
FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
He lives with his wife and daughter in Miami

JUAN CARLOS AND MISCLAIDA
THEIR JOURNEYS
AUGUST 1994
They build a raft in Havana
SEPTEMBER 1994
They set out to sea and are detained in U.S. waters and sent to the naval base at Guantanamo
OCTOBER/DECEMBER 1995
Accepted in the U.S. they are sent to Granby, Connecticut
FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
They have separated. He lives in Granby. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Understanding Cuba!.......2005-09-05

An excellent account of how cubans escaped communist Cuba in 1994 building rafts and sailing across to their dream of America.
It follows the lives for 5 people who made the crossing. The film follows their struggle on arriving in America and looks at their lives 6 years on.
This is a True Story which is still happening today.
The film is in Spanish but there are subtitles.
Get the hankies ready!

Balseros.......2005-08-16

If you are Cuban this movie will mean the world to you. My husband and I are Cuban and this movie really moved us. These people depicted, are our people, they are the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, uncle, aunts and cousins we have left behind when our families left the island. And they want to be free too, but like everything in life, freedom comes with a price and some people don't want to pay the price no matter what the benefit. Whether you were born in Cuba or another country, everyone should see this movie and be grateful we live in the United States of America.

Average customer rating:

Fidel by Victor Huggo Martin
This movie gave a good insight on Fidel.
Long Movie, but worth it.
Fidel Castro: the Cuban Nightmare of Almost Half a Century
A man who started off good, gained power and kept it for no reason but to remain in power.

Fidel
Starring: Víctor Huggo Martin , Gael García Bernal , Patricia Velasquez , Cecilia Suárez , and Maurice Compte
Director: David Attwood
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B0000640RU
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Product Description

In 1959 Fidel Castro's tiny band of rebels toppled a corrupt Cuban dictatorship. Forty years later Castro remains in power incredibly surviving a CIA-led invasion a missile crisis eight assassination attempts nine U.S. presidents and the fall ofFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 707729115199 Manufacturer No: 11519

Customer Reviews:

Fidel by Victor Huggo Martin.......2007-01-10

Most excellent and even handed biography of Fidel Castro. Entertaining and lively, yet true to all other sources of information I have encountered about Castro and Cuba. I have watched "Fidel" many times and each time am charmed by the swashbuckling representation of Castro's takeover of Cuba later sobered by the realities of his rule. Also excellent role for Gael Garcia Bernal as Che in all too abbreviated sequel to Motorcycle Diaries.

This movie gave a good insight on Fidel........2006-11-10

Being that this was a TV mini-series through the production of Showtime it was pretty good. To me the first two hours of this movie was great. There are some very strong performances all round, and the activities are well researched and offer a fairly objective view of events. Obviously, many events are skirted over in order to fit the running time, but what is shown is a fairly accurate portrayal of history. The violence in particular is extremely well done, offering a very realistic portrayal of gunfire and its consequences, instead of some needlessly flashy OTT action.

The problem comes towards the 2nd half of the movie as Castro (played by Victor Huggo Martin) takes power of Cuba. Suddenly, the time-line lurches drastically to try and mention important events. The films low budget shows itself up as the film spans years and events with little or no regard to objective film making.

The movie is about Fidel, however, over the second half we suddenly cut to a very badly filmed sequence showing the death of Che Guevara (played by Gael García Bernal). Whilst certainly an important part of Fidel's life, the narrative shift from Fidel to Che seems clunky and out of place with the rest of the film. As a fan of Gael Garcia Bernal, I was especially interested in his character. However, I was left especially disappointed by Che's one-dimensional portrayal.

The desire to portray Fidel in a bad light, sacrifices the characterizations of the first half of the movie, and instead offers a clumsily scripted/filmed series of events designed to show Fidel in a bad light. The film should've ended when he took power. As it is, the final hour and a half ruin an otherwise great movie.

Grand Ideals and Theory Run Amok That pretty much sums up nearly every Communist revolution from Lenin to Fidel. This film showed that Fidel was living in the communist dream world, where everything would be alright as long as people sacrificed "For the Revolution!" What happened was crop shortages, political prisons getting filled with people who became just as oppressed under Castro as they had under Batista.

This movie showed the simple truth. As long as men are men, Communism can never work.

Long Movie, but worth it........2006-08-15

This Film does a great job of giving the viewer much insight to the other perspective: Fidel's. Also his motives, attitude toward the United States and his way of thinking. It is a rather long movie, but one must consider that the film must cover a large portion of history that is also very detailed. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Fidel Castro: the Cuban Nightmare of Almost Half a Century.......2006-07-12

Fidel Castro is committed to abstract Marxist principles. In his way of looking at the world, The revolution of the masses is historically inevitable and will result in an utopian paradise. Faith in class consciousness is all that is required. But what if things don't go smoothly? Well, it is then obvious that the people are being victimized by reactionary propaganda. A totalitarian government is required to protect the misguided hoi polloi from itself. Is this the mindset of Castro in 2006? No, these were his essential antidemocratic views in the early 1950s. One only had to listen carefully. Alas, few did.

This over three hour movie clearly shows how Fidel Castro pulled the wool over a large number of gullible Cuban left-wingers. These middle class useful idiots never asked the number one logically unavoidable question. Why was there a need for a violent revolution? Foreign investment capital ceaselessly flowed into the country. The Cuban economy was growing and improving the lives of most citizens. Fulgencio Batista was admittedly a scoundrel. Nonetheless, wouldn't a milder approach be more appropriate? In many respects, Batista was insufficiently ruthless. He, after all, did not kill Castro and his comrades when he had the chance. An adversarial press and radio programs consistently took Batista to task. How can anyone realistically assert that all hope was lost? Is "Fidel" too long of a movie? It is if you plan to view it in one sitting. I wouldn't advise doing this. This is not a five star production. There is enough here, though, to make it a worthwhile experience. You might also wish to see Andy Garcia's currently released "The Lost City."

David Thomson
Flares into Darkness

A man who started off good, gained power and kept it for no reason but to remain in power........2006-06-12

Almost like a book. When you have an interesting person and stick to the facts, you automatically have a good story.

This the actors do as the acting here is quite good. Victor Hugo Martin played extremely well.

Warning it is quite long film over 3 hours but I could have watched another three hours. I wish they had shown more of the Cuban crisis and Fidel Castro in the 1970s

Average customer rating:

True Propaganda.
Misleading, Inaccurate and Grossly Distorts the Truth
A refreshing look at a figure we hear many lies about
A unique perspective
Social Bully, Lamb Disguise

Fidel: The Untold Story
Starring: Fidel Castro , Alice Walker , Nelson Mandela , Ted Turner , and Elián González (II)
Director: Estela Bravo
Manufacturer: First Run Features
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ASIN: B00009IAYC
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Customer Reviews:

True Propaganda. .......2007-03-25

This movie was somewhat astounding to me as, from the very beginning, it makes a point of depicting Fidel Castro in the kindest of lights. We see him as a man and a man alone which, frankly, is not an honest way to portray him. Certainly, humanizing him is appropriate as a human being is exactly what this mass murderer is, but to treat him as an underdog is to miss the real point of his reign--regardless of what Harry Belafonte might think. The increased poverty and suffering of the Cuban population that he produced is what should be remembered first and foremost. I refer viewers to Ron Radosh's memoirs if they'd like to know what its like in Cuba in the eyes of a disinterested third party or the other excellent works written about him like Against All Hope or Inside the Pirate's Den. In Cuba today, the arrests continue as does Castro's repulsive totalitarian regime. I do not wish death upon Mr. Castro, but hope Revolucion! ends as soon as possible.

Misleading, Inaccurate and Grossly Distorts the Truth.......2007-02-28

Being an American myself who has actually visited Cuba within the last year, I find the other reviews of this documentary to be completely misguided. Like them, I first saw this documentary and believed that Castro wasn't actually such a bad guy, but that the U.S. and Cuban exiles were biased and portrayed him as a monster. When I met several Cuban exiles who emotionally told me the stories of how they had their houses taken away by Castro and how their parents were tortured and placed in rat-infested prisons for simply expressing their support democracy, I thought these Cuban exiles were exaggerating. However, after I visited Cuba last year, I have to painfully admit that these people were correct in the stories they told me. I went to Cuba expecting to see racial equality, free healthcare and free education, as people like Ted Turner and Steven Spielberg had claimed existed in Cuba. What I learned from actually speaking to people in Cuba during my trip was a competely different picture from that portrayed of Castro in this documentary. Not to mention, I expected to see beautiful, exotic buildings. However, what I actually saw was building after building in Havana crumbling, with no electricity and on average, there were five to six families living in one two-story house. In one house I visited, the roof was partially torn off, one family of three lived under the staircase, two families lived in the kitchen, and three families lived upstairs, which consisted of two bedrooms and one closet. Very, very sad. Each day they had to wait in a line for two hours to just to get one ration of bread and rice. When I asked one of the mothers about the school system she explained that all children who attended were required to denounce any "counterrevolutionary activity" they saw at home to their teachers. As a result, many Cuban parents went to jail because one of their children notified authorities that their parents were "disagreeing" with the government some way. Imagine being placed in jail because U.S. law states your child must tell his third grade teacher he overheard you say "I disagree with the Iraq war and dislike President Bush" at your kitchen table. I also learned that when school children participate in a government march for the communist party they're given a coupon, which must be given to their teachers the following day to prove they participated. If they don't turn in their your coupon, the teacher will make a notation on a report card that each Cuban student carries from kindergarten until he graduates from high school. In addition to information about the student participation in all political activities, the report card also has information about his family including whether his parents belong to the Communist Party, a Committee for the Defense of the Revolution or the CTC or Confederation of Cuban Workers. In pre-Castro Cuba, the CTC used to represent Cuban workers and demand new benefits and better salaries for them. In Castro's Cuba, however, the CTC, exploits the workers, treating them as if they were slaves. The poor Cuban workers have to pay a fee to the CTC from their meager salaries in order to be "represented" by them. I was in such shock to learn these facts that I am now firmly convinced there is no such thing as a "free educational system" in Cuba.

As my conversations with Havana locals turned to the issue of free healthcare, praised by many ignorant Americans (myself having been one of them before this trip), I became even more distraught at the truth about healthcare in Cuba. The truth is that Castro has built excellent health facilities for the use of FOREIGNERS who pay hard currency for medical services. However, Cuban citizens are not even allowed to visit those facilities ! Cubans who require medical attention must go to other hospitals, that lack the most minimum requirements needed to take care of their patients. Most hospitals are filthy and patients have to bring their own towels, bed sheets, pillows, or they have to lay down on dirty bare mattresses stained with blood and other body fluids. Next time you hear someone say that Cubans receive "excellent free healthcare" (as I once used to say) please think again because that is simply not true. I spoke to five people whose family members died while attempting to "float" to Florida on dangerous, man-made rafts because they were so desperate to escape Fidel Castro's regime. Most people I spoke to were afraid to answer my question "Do you like Castro?" But their silence and weary down-turned eyes spoke volumes about the truth. Most people HATE Castro and think he is selfish, oppressive monster who has banked millions of dollars while the Cuban people starve and wait in line for rations of bread. I came back from my trip to Cuba a changed person. I felt so stupid and ignorant for having believed this documentary and other statements made by American actors and directors such as Sydney Pollack, Danny Glover, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson and Kevin Costner, that portrayed Castro as "brilliant" and Cuba as having "excellent healthcare and education." If you watch this documentary you should also watch the movie "The Lost City." This movie is the story of a Cuban family during the Cuban Revolution and ACCURATELY shows you both pre-Castro and post-Castro Cuba. It depicts how Castro's government slowly began eliminating free press any semblance of property rights and freedom. The movie is fair because it portrays both points of view--one brother in the movie supports Castro and the other disagrees with Castro. The cab driver I had while I was in Havana told me that, being 75 years old, he had experienced both pre-Castro and post-Castro Cuba. When Castro took power he was poor and believed in socialism and the revolution. But now, 45 years later, he is no better off than he was before. At least before Castro, he told me, he had better healthcare, a better house and freedom to express his religious beliefs (Castro closed all churches and essentially banned religion) and political beliefs. Perhaps the saddest part of my trip, which still resonates in my head today, was how this old man just kept repeating over and over "I should have left in 1959. I should have known. I should have known. Now I am old and cannot leave. I'll never be free."

A refreshing look at a figure we hear many lies about.......2007-02-21

America never gets the real story- should be required viewing.

A unique perspective.......2006-08-11

What is so rewarding about this traditional-style documentary is the humanization of Castro, a figure made grotesque and often demonized in the United States by a very small minority of persons. Regardless of how you perceive "socialism", this documentary shows Castro from a relatively positive profile and therefore his and Cuba's history from a unique perspective. Americans will be surprised to discover that in many parts of the globe Castro is considered a great hero, whereas here he is portrayed as equal parts monster and tyrant. No mention is made of repressive measures or political prisoners however, an interesting omission, but given the fact that almost all reports and documentaries focus exclusively on his "repression" and the fate of political prisoners, it is somewhat understandable. Even the uneducated would benefit from seeing this documentary, and would probably think of Castro in a different light.

Social Bully, Lamb Disguise.......2006-05-24

If you are interested in the psychology of social bullies, a.k.a. dictators, do not miss this one.
The documentary will add some unseen footage of this minor character in the gallery of Stalin, Hitler, etc. Also you can exercise your brain pondering why people that seem to be normal and even intelligent in some cases, can have such a limited field vision as to laud this, and by extension any, dictator.
The director of the documentary, Estela Bravo, is a non Cuban filmmaker with strong leftist bias, that for many years has been the darling of the only governmental Cuban studios, and has been given access to material totally out of boundaries to the own Cuban filmmakers.
And that is the norm in The Island of Dr. Fidel: foreigners with propaganda potential get the white glove, nationals are sub-citizens in their own country.

Shame on you Fidel Castro. One only hopes that Estela on the side has been hiding some real relevant material to be shown after the dictator's "biological solution".

CHE: Rise and Fall (Che Guevara: The Documentary)

Average customer rating:

Priceless!
Inaccurate, Misleading Documentary Which Omits True Facts
The untold story

CHE: Rise and Fall (Che Guevara: The Documentary)
Director: Eduardo Montes-Bradley
Manufacturer: EMB Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EDZQSE
Release Date: 2006-07-13

Product Description

"CHE:Rise and Fall", from the crib to the grave; from the early summers in Alta Gracia to Mexico and then Sierra Maestra; from the days as a bureaucrat in post-revolutionary Havana to the jungles on Congo and Bolivia. "CHE: Rise and Fall", saga and myth. Guevara's trials and tribulations evoked by old friends and comrades unveil a unique Che, not so divine yet irreplaceable. "CHE: Rise and Fall", was entirely shot in Cuba while the remains of the guerrilla fighter were being airlifted from Vallegrande, a one horse town somewhere in Bolivia, thirty years after his execution. Alberto Granados, Che's motorcycle companion, joins the three surviving members of Guevara's Iron Guard and other key witnesses to bring about a chilling testimony. "CHE: Rise and Fall" of one of the greatest legends of the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews:

Priceless!.......2007-05-17

This is the most extraordinary documentary I have ever seen of CHE and I have seen them all. To be able to see and listen to Granado himself was priceless. The interviews with Che's bodyguards it's intense and it shows. The First Times when most of them saw Che as tango singer out of Argentine movies it's amazing. Another relevant aspect of this film is the process of transformation of Ernesto Guevara into CHE, the How and When. Details such as those explore in connection with CHE as a photographer himself are quite unique. In my humble opinion this is a must see that complements other views on the subject. Thank you for making it! Congrats! MT

Inaccurate, Misleading Documentary Which Omits True Facts.......2007-02-28

Being an American myself who has actually visited Cuba within the last year, I find the other reviews of this documentary to be completely misguided. Like them, I first saw this documentary and believed that Castro and Che weren't such a bad guys, but that the U.S. and Cuban exiles were biased and portrayed them as monsters. When I met several Cuban exiles who emotionally told me the stories of how they had their houses taken away by Castro and how their parents were tortured and placed in rat-infested prisons for simply expressing their support democracy, I thought these Cuban exiles were exaggerating. However, after I visited Cuba last year, I have to painfully admit that these people were correct in the stories they told me. I went to Cuba expecting to see racial equality, free healthcare and free education, as people like Ted Turner and Steven Spielberg had claimed existed in Cuba. What I learned from actually speaking to people in Cuba during my trip was a completely different picture from that portrayed of Castro in this documentary. Not to mention, I expected to see beautiful, exotic buildings. However, what I actually saw was building after building in Havana crumbling, with no electricity and on average, there were five to six families living in one two-story house. In one house I visited, the roof was partially torn off, one family of three lived under the staircase, two families lived in the kitchen, and three families lived upstairs, which consisted of two bedrooms and one closet. Very, very sad. Each day they had to wait in a line for two hours to just to get one ration of bread and rice. When I asked one of the mothers about the school system she explained that all children who attended were required to denounce any "counterrevolutionary activity" they saw at home to their teachers. As a result, many Cuban parents went to jail because one of their children notified authorities that their parents were "disagreeing" with the government some way. Imagine being placed in jail because U.S. law states your child must tell his third grade teacher he overheard you say "I disagree with the Iraq war and dislike President Bush" at your kitchen table. I also learned that when school children participate in a government march for the communist party they're given a coupon, which must be given to their teachers the following day to prove they participated. If they don't turn in their your coupon, the teacher will make a notation on a report card that each Cuban student carries from kindergarten until he graduates from high school. In addition to information about the student participation in all political activities, the report card also has information about his family including whether his parents belong to the Communist Party, a Committee for the Defense of the Revolution or the CTC or Confederation of Cuban Workers. In pre-Castro Cuba, the CTC used to represent Cuban workers and demand new benefits and better salaries for them. In Castro's Cuba, however, the CTC, exploits the workers, treating them as if they were slaves. The poor Cuban workers have to pay a fee to the CTC from their meager salaries in order to be "represented" by them. I was in such shock to learn these facts that I am now firmly convinced there is no such thing as a "free educational system" in Cuba.

As my conversations with Havana locals turned to the issue of free healthcare, praised by many ignorant Americans (myself having been one of them before this trip), I became even more distraught at the truth about healthcare in Cuba. The truth is that Castro has built excellent health facilities for the use of FOREIGNERS who pay hard currency for medical services. However, Cuban citizens are not even allowed to visit those facilities ! Cubans who require medical attention must go to other hospitals, that lack the most minimum requirements needed to take care of their patients. Most hospitals are filthy and patients have to bring their own towels, bed sheets, pillows, or they have to lay down on dirty bare mattresses stained with blood and other body fluids. Next time you hear someone say that Cubans receive "excellent free healthcare" (as I once used to say) please think again because that is simply not true. I spoke to five people whose family members died while attempting to "float" to Florida on dangerous, man-made rafts because they were so desperate to escape Fidel Castro's regime. Most people I spoke to were afraid to answer my question "Do you like Castro?" But their silence and weary down-turned eyes spoke volumes about the truth. Most people HATE Castro and think he is selfish, oppressive monster who has banked millions of dollars while the Cuban people starve and wait in line for rations of bread. I was shocked to read in a Forbes magazine article dated 5/5/06 that Castro's estimated fortune last year was $900 million.

I came back from my trip to Cuba a changed person. I felt so stupid and ignorant for having believed this documentary and other statements made by American writers, actors and directors such as Alice Walker, Sydney Pollack, Danny Glover, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson and Kevin Costner, that portrayed Castro as "brilliant" and Cuba as having "excellent healthcare and education." If you watch this documentary you should also watch the movie "The Lost City." This movie is the story of a Cuban family during the Cuban Revolution and ACCURATELY shows you both pre-Castro and post-Castro Cuba. It depicts how Castro's government slowly began eliminating free press any semblance of property rights and freedom. The movie is fair because it portrays both points of view--one brother in the movie supports Castro and the other disagrees with Castro. The cab driver I had while I was in Havana told me that, being 75 years old, he had experienced both pre-Castro and post-Castro Cuba. When Castro took power he was poor and believed in socialism and the revolution. But now, 45 years later, he is no better off than he was before. At least before Castro, he told me, he had better healthcare, a better house and freedom to express his religious beliefs (Castro closed all churches and essentially banned religion) and political beliefs. Perhaps the saddest part of my trip, which still resonates in my head today, was how this old man just kept repeating over and over "I should have left in 1959. I should have known. I should have known. Now I am old and cannot leave. I'll never be free."

The untold story.......2006-04-01

"Che: Rise and Fall" is the most complete work yet produced on the trials and tribulations of argentine born Ernesto Che Guevara. The documentary is structured in three main acts. The first relates to the early years in Argentina, his friendship with Alberto Granado and the preparations for the long journey through South America on a motorcycle. The adventure served as the argument to another film "The Motorcycle Diaries". The second half of the First Act focuses on the Cuban Revolution and the relationship between Guevara and Fidel Castro. The Second Act brings the audience closer to the period in Guevara spent in Africa fighting a Revolutionary War, and last but not least, we are confronted with the final days of Che in Bolivia. Che: Rise and Fall" brings out for the first time the testimony of Alberto Granado himself at a crucial time when the remains of Guevara were being brought back to Cuba after thirty years in an unmarked grave somewhere in Bolivia. The documentary is a must see for all those concern with Latin American History and the Twentieth Century. Stephen Kaplan.

Biography - Fidel Castro: El Comandante (A&E DVD Archives)

Average customer rating:

Even-handed view of Castro and his revolution
Reviews Here Say More re Castro's Struggles Than Film
An excellent and candid look at Castro
Reveals the inner regrets, hopes, desires of the man

Biography - Fidel Castro: El Comandante (A&E DVD Archives)
Starring: Biography
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007WFUD8
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Product Description

He stood defiantly at the center of some of the worst crises of the Cold War. After nearly 40 years of rule, he remains one of the most controversial political figures of the century.

System Requirements:

Running Time 50 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Even-handed view of Castro and his revolution.......2004-12-24

No single person can more polarize the American political climate than Fidel Castro does. A small number of anti-Castro Cuban exiles in south Florida still wield political power far beyond their numbers, even though it has been over four decades since any of them set foot on Cuban soil. A trade embargo that was imposed by President Kennedy, largely as a temporary measure, is still in place and the shrillness of the rhetoric has not abated. Despite all the U. S. efforts to topple him, Castro remains the undisputed leader of Cuba, and there is reason to believe that much of this is due to his popularity among the population.
This tape takes an even-handed view of this fascinating man. Like so many of the successful revolutionaries down through history, he was born into the privileged classes and showed his rebelliousness at a very early age. One of his confidants testifies that Castro adopted an anti-American stance because he knew that it would tap into the deep resentment that the Cuban people had against their powerful neighbor to the north. Few people realize that Cuba of the fifties was the decadent playground of the American elite. Havana was the sin city paradise, with gambling and prostitution rampant. Castro's removal of the "sin capitol" feature of Havana was very popular with the Cubans, developing a sense of Cuban national pride.
Some of the impressive successes of Castro's revolution are also described. The health care system of Cuba is one of the best in the world and he also embarked on a very effective program of universal literacy. While he is a dictator, unlike some of the others around the world, he did not use his political power to amass a fortune in foreign banks. It is also true that he jailed his political opponents and had many executed and the American government has spared few expenses in trumpeting these events.
This shows the fundamentals of power politics at its' worst. Since Castro was a communist, he is considered by the U. S. government to be an evil enemy. However, when you contrast his actions with those of the military dictators who seized power in countries such as Argentina and Chile, then he is comparatively speaking an improvement. The U. S. turned a blind eye to the mass killings in Argentina and Chile because those leaders were anti-Communist.
Much has been argued about the many tragedies of the death of John Kennedy. Many believe that he would have avoided the extensive American military involvement in Southeast Asia, and there is evidence to support this. I was not aware that only days before his death, Kennedy had sent a message to Castro telling him that he was willing to negotiate an end to the hostilities. This would include a removal of the embargo and a restoration of full diplomatic relations. In fact, the messenger, a French journalist, was in Castro's office when Castro received the phone call informing him of Kennedy's death. Yet another sad consequence of Kennedy's early death.
Fidel Castro is a survivor, in many ways he is a person of exceptional political skills. That is a clear message that you get from this tape. It is also clear that Castro wanted to retain political power above all things and much of what he has done was due to political necessity rather than ideological conviction. Like so many other biographical sketches of the dominant people of history, as you watch it, you cannot help but ask many "What if?" questions.

Reviews Here Say More re Castro's Struggles Than Film.......2003-04-29

You should take note of the purported location of the other reviewers on this page. That is significant because their reviews bear little, and most often no, resemblance to the film. One can only wonder if the reviewers are from the exile Cuban community or are their fellow travelers. In my estimation, the relative high ratings that the reviewers gave the film is their attempt to induce you to purchase the film since it mostly trashes Castro and the revolution in Cuba. The only "credit" that film accords to Castro, in rather amorphous and fleeting ways, is:

1. The universal health care system in Cuba.

2. The elimination of illiteracy in Cuba (although one pundit in the film makes the dubious claim that literacy in Cuba is not universal).

3. The low infant mortality rate in Cuba.

4. The rise of Cuban nationalistic pride.

These, of course, are not small accomplishments for a third world country subject to 44 years of an American embargo, invasion by CIA trained forces, frequent acts of sabotage and provocation by violent elements in the exile community, numerous CIA inspired assassination attempts on Castro and other members of the Cuban leadership, frequent diplomatic bullying of other nations by the US State Department to accede to US policies regarding Cuba (esp. 3rd world countries dependant on US aid), an unremitting barrage of US inspired radio propaganda to the Cuban people to resist their government, apparent and unrelenting dissemination of disinformation about Cuba as is, arguably, indicated by the reviews appearing here and so on and so on. As should be expected, the film makes little of these moral crimes against the Cuban people. Nor does the film seem to interview people clearly sympathetic to Castro.

Castro is not interviewed once. The reviewer's claims about Barbara Walters interviewing Castro, his singing, etc. are bogus. They are not in the film.

The fact that Castro isn't interviewed is telling: the film does not allow Castro to answer the charges made against him. That way the charges stand unadjudicated, as it were--lurking as potential smears. That is this film's damning liability.

The film does have good scenes from Cuba and some interesting clips of Castro. Otherwise, I recommend that you find a film that is willing to assume the politically risky possibility that Castro and Cuba just might have a perspective.

An excellent and candid look at Castro.......2002-10-20

At times dramatic and at times lifting and humorous. Here you see the full range of the man known as Castro. This candid biography looks at his life: from his upbringing to his development into the man he was when he formed the July26th movement, to a tired fighter still waiting for America to cease its aggression. This documentary shows Castro's brilliance and determination to free Cuba from elitism and US imperialism.

What this documentary does so well, is to explain Castro as a person, as who he is, rather than just a political force. We see the stoic and even stubborn side of Castro, and his humaness pervades the documentary. An excellent documentary in that it illustrates the "other side" which seeks to eliminate the stereotypical McCarthyist viewpoint still practiced by US mass media. An excellent film for Americans and internationals alike. It is an unbiased documentary which stirs debate on both sides (for both supporters and detractors of Castro) which is what really makes it an invaluable and important piece of journalism.

Reveals the inner regrets, hopes, desires of the man.......1999-07-03

Halfway through Barbara Walters'interview with Castro, he breaks down, sobbing plaintively. As Walters, herself starting to cry, hands him a tissue, he speaks softly, his voice cracking, "I always wanted to sing and dance on Broadway. That Andrew Lloyd Weber, he is muy incredible. I always wanted to sing and dance but mi mami, she put her foot down and made me go into guerrilla politics. Weber's music has changed mi vida loco." He then gets up and belts out a Memories in the Moonlight followed by a Don't Cry for me Argentina that would make Ethel Merman cover her ears and blush. This is Castro as you have never seen him. Watch him sing "I'm a Yankee-Doodle-Dandy" and soft shoe on the top of his desk during a meeting with his ministers and assorted foreign diplomats. Watch him imprison his right hand man when he advises Castro that his voice is , well, rather untrained. "Critic, critic, every bendajo here thinks he is such a critic! shrieks Castro as he runs to his bedroom and flings himself onto the pink canopied bed to cry yet again.

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American Experience: Fidel Castro
Starring: Marion Ross
Director: Rocky Collins , and Matthew Collins (III)
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0006IUE0W
Release Date: 2005-02-01

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For most Americans, Fidel Castro is just an aging dictator with a beard who smokes a lot of cigars. But this superb documentary, from PBS's American Experience series, gives a broad and vivid look at the Cuban leader's remarkable life. Though his childhood friends described Castro as crazy and reckless, they also recognized his charisma and ambition. His political aspirations were cut short when he was thrown in prison by then-President Batista, but Batista might have preferred Castro the congressman--instead, Batista's actions turned Castro into a populist revolutionary whose guerrilla tactics overthrew the loathed despot. Castro's reign began with a 600 mile drive across Cuba with his small army; the scruffy leader was greeted with cheering throngs all along the way, for genuine change seemed not only possible but almost within reach. Using a wealth of film and television footage and interviews with writers, former political prisoners, and political analysts from Cuba and the U.S., Fidel Castro depicts this shrewd politician's career with an even hand. The documentary appreciates Castro's accomplishments and admires his sheer political skill (he's been in power longer than any other contemporary leader besides Queen Elizabeth), yet doesn't shy away from the horrific means Castro has routinely used when confronted with trouble (shocking scenes of military executions may disturb some viewers). Few political lives have been this eventful, touching on everything from the Bay of Pigs to the Iran/Contra scandal. Even those who oppose Castro are astonished by how Castro turned this small island into an international force. Fidel Castro is both a revelatory history lesson and an engrossing personal story of brutality and resilience. --Bret Fetzer

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Fidel Castro has survived U.S. hostility, an invasion, several CIA assassination attempts and an economic embargo. His face has become an iconic image worldwide, yet the man himself remains an enigma to all but a few. Through interviews with relatives, childhood friends, fellow rebel leaders, Bay of Pigs veterans, human rights activists and journalists, this program constructs an intimate portrait of the most resilient of leaders.

History Channel Declassified - Castro - The Survivor

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History Channel Declassified - Castro - The Survivor
Starring: Fidel Castro
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NDIARY
Release Date: 2007-04-24

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