Commandante

[MacGregor57]

Hi, first post to site. I am Michael from Scotland. Our newspaper is Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!, check us out at www.revolutionarycommunist.com. Our last issue, 176 had an enthusiastic review of the Stone movie. I plan to write in next issue with my less happy view of the film. Not criticism for its own sake but to create debate. Basically I was not too comfortable with the shiny, happy Castro presented. I like the angry, indignant Castro! How much this was to do with editing, with aiming the movie at US/ European audiences, I don't know. I know the Cuban's are isolated as a socialist country and need every ally they can get. The recent vote against the blockade at the UN where only the US, Israel and the Marshall Islands voted for while 179 voted against, underlines Cuba's solid international standing. Maybe I am just impatient about the tide turning in favour of the oppressed again. I prefer the old Castro taking the floor of the General Assembly, looking the imperialists straight in the eyes and telling the world: "I speak on behalf of the children of the world who do not even have a piece of bread!" What do other comrades think of the movie?

Hasta La Vitoria!

[Commie Girl]

:( sadly, I haven't seen it yet!


How was it? Details!

[Sabocat]

Welcome to the board MacGregor57!

Since your post is concerning Stone's film Commandante, I'm going to move this topic to the Literature and Films forum.

[FistFullOfSteel]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11 2004, 01:16 AM
Hi, first post to site. I am Michael from Scotland. Our newspaper is Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!, check us out at www.revolutionarycommunist.com. Our last issue, 176 had an enthusiastic review of the Stone movie. I plan to write in next issue with my less happy view of the film. Not criticism for its own sake but to create debate. Basically I was not too comfortable with the shiny, happy Castro presented. I like the angry, indignant Castro! How much this was to do with editing, with aiming the movie at US/ European audiences, I don't know. I know the Cuban's are isolated as a socialist country and need every ally they can get. The recent vote against the blockade at the UN where only the US, Israel and the Marshall Islands voted for while 179 voted against, underlines Cuba's solid international standing. Maybe I am just impatient about the tide turning in favour of the oppressed again. I prefer the old Castro taking the floor of the General Assembly, looking the imperialists straight in the eyes and telling the world: "I speak on behalf of the children of the world who do not even have a piece of bread!" What do other comrades think of the movie?

Hasta La Vitoria!
The movie was great,great actor too ;)

at last a movie without lies

[MacGregor57]

The film structure is simple. Castro allowed Stone and his team to film him anywhere. We see Castro going about his duties: meeting overseas students at a medical school for example and sharing a meal with comrades and his son and grandson while Stone asks him about the Bay of Pigs, the Kennedy assasination, the role of the Soviet Union. Answers are interspersed with historic film footage. The comrade who says that the film contains a "good actor" has a point. I cannot disagree, Castro has always been aware of the importance of the media, right from the days of the Sierra Maestra where interviews with journalists would be interupted by an out of breath fighter excitedly announcing the successful opening of a new front somewhere! All setup beforehand! Castro is a master of presentation but he is speaking from commitment and conviction- entirely different from the loathsome crew of spin doctors and "journalists" employed by the multinationals to cover up poverty and injustice.
I just had a call from a comrade who had been to a meeting on Cuba in Glasgow tonight, he made the point there that while 100% behind the Cuban Revolution no one can take Cuba's existence for granted. That revolution was born into a world where there existed powerfull forces that challenged and faced up to imperialism, the Soviet Union, China, the anti imperialist liberation movements in Latin America, Asia and Africa. These forces have been undermined and beaten back and defeated, an incredible setback for the working class and oppressed. Yet the material conditions are at this moment recreating that challenge to imperialism. In those conditions Cuba can begin to break out of isolation. James Petras recently wrote of developing alliances between Cuba and Latin America based on opposition to US Imperialism and the Free Trade Agreement. Cuba is able to access oil from Venezuela to the enormous annoyance of the US and the Columbians fight on! The times are changing and I hope comrade Castro remains around to welcome the resurgence of struggle.

[bubbrubb]

i havent seen it either

the last castro movie is saw was biist and they tried to glorify him too much

is this one any good <_<

[hazard]

as a chelives commandante, I should be consulted for the filming of this picture

its probably just gonna rip me off anyway

you know, as a commandante and all