CUBA

US, 1979, 117 minutes, Colour.
Sean Connery, Brooke Adams, Jack Weston, Denholm Elliot, Hector Elizondo, Martin Balsam, Chris Sarandon.
Directed by Richard Lester.

Cuba is an interesting and entertaining film which seems to have disappeared from the television circuit. It was a star vehicle for Sean Connery at the end of the 1970s.

The film takes place in 1958, with Sean Connery as a British officer sent to train the Battista soldiers against Fidel Castro. However, on arrival, he sees that the Battista regime is doomed and that Castro will win. The film offers an interesting background, historically and dramatically, for the Cuban revolution and the emergence of Castro.

However, the film also has a personal story with the Connery character meeting a former lover, played by Brooke Adams, who is now married to a Cuban playboy, played by Chris Sarandon. The question is whether she will leave her husband and leave Cuba with the Englishman or stay. In the meantime, her brother, following Castro, is out to kill the playboy husband.

The film works dramatically well – and offers insight into characters as well as these times.

The film was directed by Richard Lester who achieved great fame in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s. American-born, he was still able to make very British-style films like The Knack and The Beatles films, A Hard Day’s Night and Help. He also made The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers (and fourteen years later The Return of the Musketeers) as well as Superman 2 and Superman 3.

The film was written by Charles Wood who had collaborated with Richard Lester with The Knack, Help, How I Won the War and The Bed-Sitting? Room. Wood brought sardonic tones to his films – he also wrote the screenplay for the satirical The Charge of the Light Brigade directed by Tony Richardson.

1. A picture of war and revolution, the '50s? Pictures of Right and Left in military dictatorships? The impact of changes in Latin America from the '50s to the '80s?

2. The work of Richard Lester, his commercials background, his romances, comedies, action films? The strength of the cast?

3. Star vehicle for Sean Connery? Audience expectations of his style? The strong character actors in supporting cast?

4. The use of Spanish locations? The atmosphere of Cuba: the cities, factories, countryside, the military rule, police barracks, hotels, the casinos? The audience getting a feel of Cuba in the 1950s? The styles, decor? Warfare? The musical score and the blend of romantic background, rousing music?

5. The point of view of the screenplay: Cuba and its '50s affluence, the rule of President Battista, his wealth. indolence as regards the country? The wealthy families and their exploitation? The workers?

6. Castro and the revolutionaries, guerrilla warfare?

7. The influence of the United States? Its financial and business interests? The symbol of Guttmann and his wanting to buy the Epulides' factory? The British as mercenaries - both Daps and Skinner? Cuban loyalties? Castro's success - and the future? The interpretation of the '50s? Audience interpretation from the vantage point of several decades of Castro's regime? Cuba and its place in Latin America? Spanish traditions? Exploitation?

8. The political stances of the '50s and revolution? Castro and the guerrillas? His success at the end? The use of newsreel footage? The glimpse of Castro himself - and his sardonic 'goodbye' to those fleeing at the airport? Audience sympathies for Cuba itself, the characters, situations, ideologies, change?

9. The structure of the film and editing devices: the framework of the flight in and out of Havana? The audience entering with the passengers on the plane? With Daps? Cuba as a special world? Daps and his British background - sure of himself? His drink on the plane, pondering? The contrast with Guttmann and his rumpled anxiety? The C.I.A. accountants and their attitudes? (And the irony of seeing them throughout the film - in the General's office, their finally fixing their accounts when it was too late, the revolution had taken over?) The announcement of the dangerous situation in Cuba? The interspersing of sequences introducing the characters briefly: Juan and his relationship with Teresa? Alex and her marriage, attitude towards Juan, to the factory? The Pulida family - the baptism sequence and Pulida as a wealthy patriarch? The General and his comments about the revolution and employing mercenaries? Teresa's brother and his escape, the violent shooting? The various strands for Cuba in '59? The indication of themes of revolution? The fact that it was too late to stop the revolution at this stage? Themes of change, the people who stayed in Cuba, who left? The General and his attitude, arrogance, tyrannical behaviour? Military style - but gaining his money from the robbing of parking meters, his key and his long chain, playing golf? Wanting to be suave? Natural shrewdness? Pursuit of Dapes, the interview, the comment about buying the best and therefore buying British? His response to Dapes' plan of 'harry and kill'? Military promotions by Battista? His use of Ramirez? Control, arrogance? The banquet and the guerrilla attack? His tank attack at the end? A last stand? The portrait of the military, the disorderly soldiers, their lack of training, sudden shooting, the cutting the ears off victims? The blasting of the tanks? The guerrillas not shooting the soldiers - but trying them for crimes?

10. The glimpse of Battista, his watching Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in a Dracula film on television?

11. Pulida representing the wealthy families, patriarch, arrogance, the factories, rum and cigars as symbolic of Cuba, treatment of his family, workers? A man of control, present at the banquet? His reaction to the takeover and the strikes? He and his wife fleeing - not even stopping for his overcoat?

12. Juan as the spoilt heir of the family? His personal arrogance? An unpleasant character? The sexual liaison with Teresa, his gifts? His attitude towards Alex? The tennis game? His being spurned by his workers? Gambling at the casino? Swimming pool scenes? His being shot at and surviving? His impotence at the time of the revolution? Shot dead in the swimming pool?

13. Teresa and her family background, home sequences, the violent attitudes of her brother, the spurning by her mother, her father in jail? His being executed - and the waiting families with their notices for information, paying bribes - but their being refunded the money? Teresa's brother and his sense of honour, his work in the casino, the shooting of Juan, the wounding of others? His background as a law student? Taking Dapes as hostage? His being humiliated by the guerrillas? His final shooting of Juan - a Cuban of the future?

14. Alex and her position in Cuba, loving her lifestyle, affluence, gowns, tennis, socialising? Being humiliated by Teresa? Her wanting to buy back her mother's emblem? Her knowledge of the workers, the factory? Seeing Robert at the tennis and her reaction? Spurning him at the casino - the stills of her memories, her return? Talking to him, the bonds, the sexual encounter? The 15 years difference and her being her own woman? His not realising this? The clash? The return to the factory, the takeover, her being taken hostage? Present at the battle? Her decision to stay in Cuba - returning to Juan (even though, ironically, he was dead)? At the airport - her loyalties and a Cuban of the future?

15. The factory and the workers, the radio morale for the government, the dwarf reading the news - and his later being on the side of the guerrillas? Propaganda, deals, American money? The walkout? Alex's chauffeur and his egalitarian attitude towards Dapes? The factories and the arms supply?

16. The glimpse of the guerrillas, the fighting and the cane, sudden deaths, the teacher and her role in the military, law students as part of the guerrillas? The final attack, the battles, the blowing up of the gasoline dump, the taking of the military, taking over the city, the airport and Castro's presence?

17. Dapes as focus of the film? The British background, military service in Malaya? Skill in dealing with terrorists? Dapes' arrival, treatment (in contrast with Gutman's)? Wanting to make his own arrangements? Memories of Alex and chasing her? His being helped by Ramirez, the bond between the two men? The interview with the General - harry and kill, buying British? His rejection of the prostitute procured for him? Going to the casino - and the massacre? The training sequence in the cane fields? The General and his weapons? The encounter with Alex, the bond, love, his wanting to possess her? His expectation that she would leave? His not understanding her reaction? His concern to save her, returning to the factory, being taken as hostage? The tank and the battle? His leaving? The film's judgment on British mercenaries - no matter how polished and suave?

18. The contrast with Gutman as the American slob, the plane, the Customs and the airport, looking at the factory, the hotel, the prostitute - and his being robbed, the encounter with Skinner and the deal about the plane, his having to drive the tank, getting out? Skinner as the smoother British equivalent? His home, the old lady watching American commercials, his plane, arms deals, the deal with Gutman, the final flight, putting out the fire, shot at? Parasites on Cuba?

19. The character of the stripper, sleazy atmosphere, advertising - and her walking through the city and the reaction of the nuns? Entertainment, exploitation - and the irony of violence in the casino around her?

20. The important detail - the status quo, the place of religion, money, the Americans and the British? Revolution and change?