La muerte de un burócrata (1966)

A young man attempts to fight the system in an entertaining account of bureaucracy amok and the tyranny of red tape.

Director:

Tomás Gutiérrez Alea

Writers:

Alfredo L. Del Cueto, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea (story),

Stars:

Salvador Wood, Silvia Planas, Manuel Estanillo

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Salvador Wood	...	Nephew
Silvia Planas	...	Aunt
Manuel Estanillo	...	Bureaucrat
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Omar Alfonso	...	Cojimar
Tania Alvarado
Pedro Pablo Astorga
Alicia Bustamante
Gaspar De Santelices	...	Nephew's boss
Rafael Díaz
Roberto Gacio
Carlos Gargallo
Elsa Montero	...	Sabor
Rolando de los Reyes
Fausto Rodríguez
Luis Romay	...	El Zorro

Storyline

A Cuban worker dies accidentally and is buried together with his union card. It soon turns out that the widow will absolutely need the card for claiming her pension. Young nephew starts his hilarious fight against the authorities in order to disinter and rebury his uncle and retrieve the precious document.

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Plot Keywords:

red tape | bureaucracy | nightmare | bureaucrat | cuba | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Cuba

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

24 July 1966 (Cuba)

Also Known As:

Death of a Bureaucrat

Company Credits

Production Co:

Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

User Reviews

How many films from 1966 are still relevant today?

Forget post-revolutionary Cuba; right here in America, in 2000, there is enough bureaucracy for the comedic lessons of Alea's great film about people's propensity to conform at all costs to absurd restrictions from 'above' and cause misery to others rather than risk the slightest insecurity to themselves, to be driven home painfully. This is a really funny film but one that makes you think, like Tati's 'Playtime,' Fellini's early films or some of Bunuel's. This film is deeply critical and ridicules everything that is part and parcel of government enforced socialism. You can't fault Castro for not having a sense of humor, if he agreed to release this film. Leo Beower's understated music is, as always, excellent.