Fidel (TV 2002)

Fidel Castro rises to power in Cuba.

Director:

David Attwood

Writer:

Stephen Tolkin (teleplay)

Stars:

Víctor Huggo Martin, Gael García Bernal, Patricia Velasquez

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Víctor Huggo Martin	...	Fidel Castro
Gael García Bernal	...	Che Guevara
Patricia Velasquez	...	Mirta
Cecilia Suárez	...	Celia Sanchez
Maurice Compte	...	Raul Castro
Margarita Rosa de Francisco	...	Naty Revuelta (as Margarita d'Francisco)
Enrique Arce	...	Rafael
José María Yazpik	...	Camilo Cienfuegos
Manuel Sevilla	...	Abel Santamaria
Alejandra Gollas	...	Haydeé Santamaría (as Alejandra Gollás)
Ernesto Godoy	...	Huber Matos
Guillermo Díaz	...	Universo Sanchez
Tony Plana	...	Gen. Fulgencio Battista
Mel Rodriguez	...	Calixto Morales
Bobby Plasencia	...	Faustino Perez

Storyline

Fact-based (?) drama about the rise of Fidel Castro from a respected lawyer in Cuba to rabble-rousing dissident to power-hungry ruler of his nation. One wonders about the facts in this very homogenized presentation though. The story goes something like this: Fidel meets future wife, gets married, has a child, political aspirations get in way of family, Fidel has a politically-motivated affair, gets thrown in jail, gets expelled from the country, comes back and fights out of the jungle for a few years, casts then leader Baptistsa out of power and seizes leadership. Once seizing power, he kills everyone who opposes him or disagrees with him - although once again this aspect is very watered down. The promised idea of a free election is also quickly dismissed as not in the people's best interests. Fidel's immense popularity with the people at the time of his coming into power is depicted, but the anti-Castro thought is only briefly touched upon in a discussion with a former restaurant ...

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Plot Keywords:

cuba | fidel castro | cuban | one word title | che guevara | 

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Taglines:

He fought for freedom. He settled for power.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fidel & Che

Filming Locations:

Dominican Republic

Company Credits

Production Co:

Showtime Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

206 min 151 min (video)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gael García Bernal's close friend, actor Diego Luna, has a cameo in the film. He's seen for just a few seconds in the assault on the Moncada Barracks, where he's shot.

User Reviews

I couldn't bear watching it.

I was very surprised, and disappointed, at what I thought was a very amateurishly acted movie. I expected something dynamic, controversial, and last but not least, interesting. Instead the acting seemed wooden (I can't think of a better way to describe it), the characters, unlike their real-life counterparts, devoid of life. The word "amateurish" kept popping into my head as I watched what I could of it - then I just gave up. I'm assuming the actors and creative staff must know what they're doing, but it just didn't come together in this "production". I was almost embarrassed for all the people involved in the making of this film.