Fidel

Cuba's Fidel Castro is a survivor. Having outlasted nine U.S. Presidents and survived numerous assassination attempts by the CIA, Castro has ruled Cuba for 43 years and, whether you love him or hate him, he must be considered one of the most important political figures of the 20th century. Fidel, a documentary by Cuban-American journalist, Estella Bravo, is a sympathetic portrait of the Cuban leader that was commissioned by Channel 4 in Britain, and won the Distinguished Achievement for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking from the Urbanworld Film Festival in New York. The film spans a period of 40 years of Castro's rule from his early childhood and college days to his Presidency of Cuba and includes interviews with Harry Belafonte, Nelson Mandela, Alice Walker, Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, Sydney Pollock, and others. Rare footage shows him swimming with his bodyguards, working in the fields cutting sugar cane, visiting his childhood school, hanging out with Ted Turner and Jack Nicholson, and talking with Elian Gonzales, the six-year old boy who became a rallying point for Cuban exiles in Miami.

Released from prison after serving two years of a fifteen-year sentence, Castro took a ragtag army of volunteers and recruited farmers, women, and working people in the mountains to fight a decade-long guerilla war that led to the overthrow of American-backed Fulgencio Batista and his takeover of Cuba in 1959. Unfortunately, Ms. Bravo shows us very little of the war or the reasons behind the popular uprising (better depicted in the Russian film I Am Cuba). Once in power, Castro began a series of agrarian reforms that included nationalizing the foreign refineries, seizing U.S. owned businesses such as Chase Manhattan Bank, United Fruit Company, and Texaco Oil. Added to that, American dismay at the mass trials of those who opposed the revolution led to the establishment of the U.S. embargo in 1960 and Castro's embrace of the Soviet Union, the establishment of a Communist dictatorship, and the suspension of democratic elections.

Though at times revealing, I found Fidel on the whole to be overly simplistic. Ms. Bravo extols Castro's virtues on almost every front including his support for free health care including surgical procedures unavailable in other Third World Countries, and Cuba's universal education for all its citizens up to the tertiary level. These accomplishments are important, yet many contentious issues are simply ignored. Bravo never mentions that homosexuality was considered counterrevolutionary and subject to imprisonment and forced labor until 1988 nor the Human Rights Watch Report in 2000 that states that Cuba has routinely imprisoned and/or harassed "peaceful opponents of the government". I recognize that many of the well documented abuses have come about because of Castro's desire to protect the revolution, knowing full well that the U.S. has channeled millions of dollars to dissidents in hopes of destroying it, yet these are issues that cry out for fuller examination. While Castro has become a symbol of courage and independence for millions of Third World people, he is neither saint nor demon, but a man of deep contradictions and complexities whose full story waits to be told.

Simply put, whether one is pro Fidel or con Fidel, pro-Cuba or con-Cuba this is the best film on Castro and Cuba done. Without delving into the specific politics of Castro this film demonstrates the impact he has on the political theatre of the Americas, former Soviet Union, the Carribean and Africa. The film goes into his relationship to Che and the alliances he sought with other national leaders that sought their independence, Ho Chi Min, Allende, Bishop, Mandela etc. The only thing this film lacks is an in depth view on just how the revolution overtook Bastista. All those who are interested in history would be best to see this film. Estela Bravo was great in including some of the revolutionary icons of the 60's & 70's, although I question Alice Walker as an interviewer, she really did not add very much to what we might know of Fidel. Contrary to the listing here, Ted Turner and Ali were not really interviews. It would have been better to list Angela Davis who gave more insight.

Not everyone's piece of cake, paradoxically,teaches much about the US's own propaganda efforts, by depicting Cuba's attempt at countering it with its own pro-Fidel twist.

Not a movie that will be taken lightly by Cuban exiles, but good documentary sequences by themselves make it worthwhile. And some previously undisclosed information on the USA-Soviet Union accord which lead to the 1963 missile disarmament in Cuba in exchange for the US withdrawal of its Turkey stationed missiles and agreement not to invade Cuba.

Of course, this accord did not cover the numerous attempts at Fidel's assassination by the CIA, as well as the US execution of Chile's democratically elected President Allende, facts now overtly displayed in the CIA's Washington DC museum.

Makes one wonder. There is no Universal good country or bad country. Even visions of the conflicts between cowboys and Indians were much tainted by shining badges under broad white hats imposing justice at a rope's end to the original American savages. Politically incorrect term Natives seems to be much in vogue, deep roots of prejudice, notwithstanding.

There are so many documentaries that talk about how horrible Fidel is, all of the abuses and crimes that Fidel has committed since the Revolution, how the Cubans are so unhappy and mistreated, etc. It's easy for people in the United States to think that no one likes or admires Fidel. This documentary helps explain why he has supporters. Yes, it's a sympathetic look at Fidel and Cuba, and it makes Fidel seem charming. But, there are lots of people in the world who think he IS charming, and don't think of him as a monster. Estela Bravo isn't alone in her admiration. It's interesting to see another perspective and understand that there are two sides to every story. I'm tired of seeing everything slanted from the perspective of Cuban Americans who lost everything in Cuba and hate Fidel with a passion. I think it's healthy to have another perspective, and this film will help you understand the situation between the United States and Cuba more fully.

Loved it. I was 10 years old when Castro kicked out that corrupt dictator Batista. And, this was greeted by elation by the intelligentsia in Manila. After all, the western media lionized him. US educated (New York University?), a lawyer and coming from the landlord class, it was generally assumed that he would be an ally to big business and American strategic interests. The shock came when he confiscated US businesses in Cuba. Then came the media barrage picturing Castro as virtually a reincarnation of Hitler or Stalin. The Philippines then as now, hewed very closely to the US line. But my sympathies were with Castro. What decent Cubans, after all, could accept a Havana dominated by casinos run by American mafia where the nightly entertainment included "fighting fish" (impoverished native Cubans copulating on stage)? Or, having the price of their chief exports - sugar and tobacco - dictated by US banks and trading houses? Worse, to have their country's public utilities like power companies and trains owned and run by foreign corporations? But here it must be clarified that one of Castro's first acts as leader of Cuba was to seek strong economic and strategic ties with the US. It looked like he couldn't get a fair deal which was why he turned to the Soviets who were ever alert to opportunities to undermine US interests.

I didn't know that the fall of the apartheid regime in South Africa was largely caused by Cuban support of revolutionary movements in Angola and Mozambique. Nelson Mandela himself acknowledges this in the film where he greets Castro with a touching song and dance.The Boer government realized that the only way to stem the tide of armed black resistance intruding into South African borders was to accommodate black leaders like Mandela.

But for me, the most enlightening moments of the movie came when I saw and heard the young Castro without the beard. He looked and sounded so kind, honest and sincere. Note how he cried and shed copious tears when he announced the names of the abusive US businesses he was confiscating in the name of the Cuban people. He knew then that the ordinary Americans whom he loved and admired were bound to misunderstand his action and view him as an enemy. I am an excellent judge of character based on looks and demeanor.