Soy Cuba...

Soy Cuba, a 1964 film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, presents the country of Cuba leading up to the revolution. Kalatozov divides the film into four unique stories to illustrate his revolutionary message. The first two stories depict the progression of the Cuban revolution, mainly focused on anti-American imperialism.

In the first story of the film, Kalatozov emphasizes the anti-American/ anti-capitalist sentiment in Cuba through his portrayal of the Americans. In John Charles Chasteen’s book Born in Blood in Fire, he points out that throughout the revolution Cubans wanted to deal less and less with Americans. Chasteen states that “ in Cuba, as in Latin America as a whole, 1950’s anti-imperialist attitudes focused almost exclusively on the United States, and nowhere were anti-imperialist feelings stronger than  among Cuban nationalists” (Chasteen 266). The Americans in the film were portrayed stereotypically. The men came to the city for business, stayed for pleasure, and took what they wanted at whatever cost. For example, in the film, one American comes to the city of Havana and while enjoying the nightlife meets a young woman named Betty (also named Maria). He is intrigued by her crucifix. He has no regard for the sentimental value she places on it, and purchases it from her without care. The crucifix represents the natural resources of Cuba, which the Americans sought to take. This is an example of pre-revolutionary imperialism by the United States. After the American took what he wanted, he fled through the slums of Havana, while the children of the slums cried out “money mister.” As he flees, the narrator asks the American did he get everything he wanted, and why he was running away.

The second story of the film continues the metaphor of imperialism in Cuba. The setting is a sugarcane farm run by Pedro. During the scene, Pedro is notified that his farm has been sold to an American fruit company, United Fruit. The injustices can be seen through Pedro’s actions toward his children. Pedro gives them the last of his money, to go into town and buy Coca-Colas. They are now paying for what once was free to them, sugar water. The Cuban response in this story was an escalation of first story. Instead of Pedro giving in to the Americans, he attempts to retaliate by burning his farm down. He retaliated in a passive guerrilla-like way, destroying the United States’ investment. Susan Eckstein sheds light on these circumstances in her article The Impact of the Cuban Revolution: A Comparative Perspective. Cuba was looking to move away from single crop production, and move towards agricultural diversification and industrialization. Eckstein states, “The revolution… ushered in a government more committed to economic expansion” (Eckstein 504). Che Guevara “had been foremost among those insisting that the sugar-heavy Cuban economy must diversify and industrialize” (Chasteen 271). Unfortunately, they were dependant upon trade (Eckstein 504) with the United States, and Russia was not about to lose export revenue in order to fund the industrialization Cuba. (Chasteen 271).

The last two stories depict the active rebellion of the Cubans. In the third story, there is Enrique who stops the American sailors from manhandling Gloria. This represents the Cubans finally stepping up to the Americans. In the fourth story, a farmer claims his hands are not for killing. However, by the end of the film he finds himself a part of the rebellion, killing. This represents the change in the Cuban attitude. It changed the revolution from being just an ideal, to being a part of their life. This turned something that everyone was talking about, into and idea finally being put into action. Finally, there was revolution.

Que Vive Mexico!

No me gusta la tarea de otros clases. (Hay demasiado!)Yo estoy tomando un descanso. Hasta miercoles!

Gabriela

The 1984 film Gabriela, directed by Bruno Barreto, shows the changing social structures of Brazil as the country attempts to become a more civilized one. Throughout the film the audience is given glimpses at the economy of Brazil at this time. The culture of Brazil is changing to a more economic one. Along with the economic shift, the audience also sees the cultural shift in the role of women and how gender roles evolve throughout the nation.

In Gabriela, the main character is Mr. Nacib. Mr. Nacib owns a bar where all of the men get together and gossip about everything from politics to their economic situation. In Susan Besse’s journal article, The Campaign Against Wife Killing in Brazil, she talks about how during the times when men were being tried for murder that “the courtrooms were filled to capacity with spectators who came to witness the public drama” (Besse 643). Mr. Nacib’s bar was a key element to the movie because historically at this time everybody wanted to gather and socialize about the goings on of the time.

The film starts with Nacib walking into the dentist’s home and finding that the dentist has killed his wife and her lover for their crimes. Besse’s article goes over the importance of the transition in Brazil, from being a society that kills because of passion (very barbaric) to a society that is more modernized and shows acceptance and growth of the European culture. According to John Charles Chasteens’ book, Born in Blood and Fire, he gives insight to the way Brazil looked at the other super nations at this time. Brazil was no longer thousands of miles away from Europe, because now they were connected to Europe by a trans-Atlantic telegraph system. In the movie the advancement of technology can be seen by the building of the port and the hiring of the engineer. Things were definitely changing, and these changes were essential to the views and acceptance of women and the nation.

With the economy moving upwards, there were more job opportunities for the lower classes to move away from the agricultural jobs of farming and into the cities to work.  This also meant more jobs for women. This was very influential toward the gender roles changing throughout this time.An example is how Mr. Nacib, once married to Gabriela, is so happy to do structured things as a couple, like attend a poetry reading together, because it was a part of the social norm. Last week the class saw the patriarchal role of Camila’s dad, which was very traditional. This week, Gabriela shows the audience the evolution of the views of women and Brazil’s evolving social acceptance of their evolving. At the beginning of the film, it is clear that Brazil is accepting of the killing of wives who cheat on their husbands. The Brazilians evolve and become more accepting and less violent. This is shown when Nacib does not kill Gabriela or her lover when he finds them in his house together. Also, the dentist is not let off the hook for his murders in rage. This shows how the thinking of those in Brazil had evolved to a more modern view toward marriage and commitment.

Overall, the movie Gabriela, though not an actual account based on a true story, represents the history of Brazil evolving through time. The movie shows the changing and more accepting gender roles, and the evolution of the economy, and that Brazil was embracing modernization.

Camila

The 1984 film Camila, directed by Maria Luisa Bemberg, is the theatrical account of Camila O’Gorman’s fatal relationship with the priest Ladislao Gutierrez. The movie is based loosely on the actual events in the life of Camila O’Gorman with the changes made for theatrical purposes.
The film opens with the O’Gorman family welcoming home their grandmother. This scene sets the stage for the future interactions between Mr. O’Gorman and his mother. At this time in Latin American history, the father of each household had the power. The father was in control of everyone under his roof and could make decisions about them without their consent. It was his job to “establish a regulatory framework that restricted and protected women and children“(Dore 11).  According to Elizabeth Dore’s One step Forward two Steps Back she states that “Senior men governed females and younger males in their household, a system that sustained the paternalist ideologies of the men that governed the nation and community”(Dore 9). In Camila,   there are many examples of the patriarchal system. In the movie, Mr. O’Gorman has complete control over his family. He chooses the man Camila is to marry, even though she does not love him. Mr. O’Gorman decides what is best for his mother, and does not approve of Camila visiting with her. Mr. O’Gorman also does not approve of the lifestyle Camila lives. She is very free spirited and craves knowledge. Dore also noted that females were allowed a primary education but were not allowed to receive a secondary education which men were allowed to attain. Camila secretly buys books from the town book keeper, who later in the movie is murdered because he opposed the beliefs of the government. A father needed to have control over his family.  Another example of Mr. Gorman’s position  in the household is during the dinner scene. Camila is expressing her feelings about Father Ladislao’s sermon, and her father feels that her actions are out of line. He punishes her by sending her to her room. Lastly, it is important to note that the father would do whatever was needed to better himself in the eyes of the government.  This is why he writes the letter to Rosas to have Ladislao and Camila killed because of their sins.

The political situation in Argentina at this time plays a very big role in the movie.  At this time in Argentinean government changed. At the time of the conception of the movie, the government had finally returned to one being ruled by a President. This allowed Bemberg to reference the previous leader Rosas throughout the movie (Hart 113). The red ribbons that everyone wore hinted at the type of political leader that was present. The red ribbons symbolized their support of Rosas.  This political tension is also what fuels Mr. O’Gorman’s fury when he finds that his daughter ran away and got married to a priest. Mr. O’Gorman’s reputation is tarnished and has to do something to save his name.

This movie somewhat accurately portrays the true account of Camila O’Gorman’s life. According to Hart’s A companion to Latin American Film the changes that were made were for the theatrical production, and most of what the audience sees actually happened but not necessarily in the way portrayed by the movie. The story of Camila O’Gorman clearly portrays the patriarchal society that inhabited most of Latin America and the struggles the countries had when they did not have the best people ruling.