OK lets get it out of the way. This film has some amazing shots, thats a fact. The shot down the side of a building and into the pool, or through the building and out above the street, are the most memorable but it has a bunch of lesser shots that are still amazing.
That said after a while its all the same, the film is pretty much the same tracking shot repeated over and over. And in the end it seems that even though the film appeared to be taking on a serious subject the filmmaker was more concerned with his camera. Its constantly canted just to be so, quick pans all over the place are plentiful and characters make tons of unnecessary movements just to give the camera something fancy to do.
IMO the way the films put together a Italian Neo-Realist but made by a Russian about Cuba instead and with added propaganda.
without the camera work(which IMO gets old after a while) it wouldn't be half the film it is. But then again maybe it could have been more if all the focus wasn't on the visuals.
Oh and the dialogue as well as the dubbing can be horrible at times, and in most versions there's a Russian voice over you cant turn off.
Also the films depiction of Americans is a freaking insult.
But this is still a must see film for any true fans of cinema though, if just to witness some truly amazing shots.
That said after a while its all the same, the film is pretty much the same tracking shot repeated over and over. And in the end it seems that even though the film appeared to be taking on a serious subject the filmmaker was more concerned with his camera. Its constantly canted just to be so, quick pans all over the place are plentiful and characters make tons of unnecessary movements just to give the camera something fancy to do.
IMO the way the films put together a Italian Neo-Realist but made by a Russian about Cuba instead and with added propaganda.
without the camera work(which IMO gets old after a while) it wouldn't be half the film it is. But then again maybe it could have been more if all the focus wasn't on the visuals.
Oh and the dialogue as well as the dubbing can be horrible at times, and in most versions there's a Russian voice over you cant turn off.
Also the films depiction of Americans is a freaking insult.
But this is still a must see film for any true fans of cinema though, if just to witness some truly amazing shots.