Havana (1990)

I first saw this film in 1995, before I became a huge movie fan, so I guess that innocence blinded me to the so-called similarities with "Casablanca" or allegedly poor directorial or acting performances. I saw it for what it was and it marked me for life. I've seen it again many times since then and it is always a beautiful romantic movie set against the backdrop of the Cuban revolution and the end breaks my heart every time. I loved the actors and their performance, the plot, the setting, the soundtrack... everything really. It's in fact one of the few movies I still hold very dear in my soul and that will never change. I found the characters believable and not false in any way. It also made me very interested in Cuba and its history. I really don't understand what was expected from this movie and why the harsh reactions back when it was released. All I say is, watch it and make up your own mind. I believe it is worth it. Enjoy!

I did not see this movie when it first came out 21 years ago, but saw it recently on a cable television station.Having been in my 30s when Cuba had its revolution, I was truly amazed at how accurately the film portrayed the regime of Batista. It was corrupt and brutally treated the citizens of that island country. I appreciated the acting of Redford --- actually underplaying the role. The gambling casinos in Cuba were actually run by the Mafia and made billions for them and for Batista. The photography was excellent When it was obvious that the Castro forces were winning the war, the Batista followers fled to South Florida. I truly wish I had seen this picture when it first came out.

This film only has 4 problems with it, that I can see. 1. Its raison d'être. 2. The screenplay. 3. The acting. 4. The directing. The actors, devoid of any visible passion, sleepwalk through their lines. The attempted "style" Pollack seems to be shooting for rings as tinny and artificial as Hollywood. The Left-loving and sun-damaged Redford does his best to act debonair, but maybe a bit too much. Lena is stunning as always, but her Prozac-induced acting serves only to make the film mildly amusing...and very mildly at that. The movie was doomed before Pollack ever yelled "action." It's as if a film school teacher hastily threw together a bunch of ingredients straight out of Casablanca, then instructed "only make it set in Havana...go!" and expected a masterpiece. Asking a viewer who's not a socialist himself to care about a cause as nefarious as Castro's Communist Cuba is a stretch for anyone with a modicum of patriotism and knowledge of history, no matter how beautiful the leading couple may try to be or how many gratuitous flesh scenes are thrown in. The parallels to the classic "Casablanca" are numerous and haranguing; from the film's city name to the suave man-about-town leading character who wonders if he should sacrifice his personal desires for a(n allegedly) greater cause, to his illicit love interest's being a married Swedish woman loyal to her husband's political passion. Besides being a shameless rip-off of an actually good motion picture, this film flops because it fails to make us care about anyone in it. Other than left-wing ideologues, who would ever feel moved to care about an adulterous gambler and a couple of communist revolutionaries? Victor Laszlo was on a valid mission--to combat the radical politics of worldwide domination, tyranny and murder. Rick and Ilsa fell in love before he ever found out about her marriage, and we cared because we felt they belonged together, yet understood the more compelling cause that forced them to remain apart. This film tried to copy a similar formula with the cause of Communist revolution, but we all know the results: a dictator far more murderous than Batista, who has kept his country mired in misery and mediocrity ever since.

Still boyish Redford plays Jack Weil, a professional gambler who falls in love with a Swedish-American-Mexican (?) expat when turning up in Batista-era Cuba to deal the hand of his life. Tough luck, as the lady (Lina Olin as Roberta Duran, who delivers a worthy effort) is married to a local revolutionary. When Roberta and her husband Arturo are arrested by the regime, Jack's life takes a turn. Sounds like a good plot with all the ingredients that make for a great historic romance? Sure, but Pollack's handling of the matter is far from brilliant. For one, the set looks quirky at all times and no attempts at Film Noir lighting would change that. It actually starts with the art deco typeset in the opener, which is rather reminiscent of late seventies' Florida decadence than of pre-revolutionary Cuba. Too slick all the way, as are the character depictions. Unlike similar movies where the characters' inner turmoil is echoed by the chaos that surrounds them (most famously, "Gone with the Wind"), "Havana" never comes to grips with the setting it has chosen. From there on (and maybe even as a direct result thereof), the rest is mainly static, phoney and unconvincing, as is, most notably, the depiction of army manouevres. SPOILER: At some point, two cranky airplanes drop their bombs on an empty corn field, even prompting the character of Lina to wonder aloud who they're shooting at... Unwittingly hilarious. Partly reminiscent of "Under the Volcano" (Mexican revolution, decadence, impossible love affair...), though that was at least partly redeemed by a grand finale. And yes, it is clearly a (sad) remake of "Casablanca". And no, despite the heavy-handed hint in the dialogues, Olin is not Garbo.