638 Ways to Kill Castro (2006) (TV)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Dollan Cannell

Release Date:

28 November 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Dollan Cannell's documentary on the hundreds of alleged plots to assassinate Fidel Castro, and a look at the evolution of Cuban politics. |

Plot Keywords:

Fidel Castro | Assassination Attempt | Dictator | Interview | Government

Cast

Wayne Smith	...	Himself
Enrique Encinosa	...	Himself
Enrique Ovares	...	Himself (as Enrique O'Varez)
Fabian Escalante	...	Himself
Antonio Veciana	...	Himself
Robert Maheu	...	Himself
E. Howard Hunt	...	Himself (as Howard Hunt)
Félix Rodríguez	...	Himself
Ann Louise Bardach	...	Herself
Roseanne Nenninger Persaud	...	Herself (as Roseanne Persaud)
Sharon Persaud	...	Herself
Orlando Bosch	...	Himself
Luis Clemente Faustino Posada Carriles	...	Himself (as Luis Posada)
Rodolfo Frómeta Caballero	...	Himself (as Rodolfo Frómeta)
Teresita Frómeta	...	Himself

Runtime:

78 min | Finland:75 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Company:

Silver River Productions

Entertaining, but unfocused documentary

638 Ways to Kill Castro screened at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. It is a fun and entertaining film to watch, but the lightheartedness and focus on the silliest of the plots against Castro often seems to undermine the audience's ability to take the film and the issues they are raising seriously. The choice of editing in footage from old black and white crime noir movies into a documentary to illustrate plots to kill Castro is an odd one that seems to detract from the factual nature of the documentary.

The film starts by focusing on the humorous nature of the CIA and Cuban exile plots against Castro and then seems to turn suddenly to the subject of terrorist acts by the anti-Castro groups. The two subjects really seem to be separate, albeit related, ones. The film's style and approach mocks the anti-Castro groups even though their actions and their influence in American politics is very serious. These groups are easy targets, because they are so outlandish and often ridiculous. On the other hand, they give short shrift to genuine reasons that the anti-Castro groups hate the Cuban dictator and what he's done to their country. In so doing the film portrays Castro as a heroic figure and mostly ignores the human rights violations of his regime. Just because the anti-Castro groups are ridiculous, doesn't mean that Castro should be viewed as the savior of Cuba.

Late in the film, the documentary focuses on the fundamental contradictions between the U.S. "War on Terror" and its support of anti-Castro "terrorists." This would have made a much more substantive topic for a documentary than the putting so much focus on the many silly plots against Castro. While the documentary provides a good window on an important subject, it could have been a much better and more informative film than it ended up if the film makers were more focused and less interested in mocking the anti-Castro groups and U.S. policy.