image001                                                                UNC-CH and Duke Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Video Collection/Outreach Office

                                                Contact Information: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

                                                3200 FedEx Global Education Center

                                                Phone: (919) 843-8888          Fax: (919) 962-0398

                                                Email: LA_films@unc.edu

 

 

UN HOMBRE DE EXÍTO

(A Successful Man)

 

109 minutes

Directed by: Humberto Solás

 

Overview:

This is the story of two upper-class brothers, Javier and Darío, who participate in the struggle to overthrow Machado during his dictatorship in the 1930s.  Darío is a revolutionary true to his ideals, while Javier is a social climber and opportunist.  Javier charts his way to the top through alliances with dictators and politicians, becoming a government informer and eventually a congressman during the Batista regime.  He causes his brother’s murder and his mother’s subsequent suicide.  The film traces twentieth-century Cuban history until 1959 through the life of Javier, exploring the trajectory of a political and economic class that benefited from Cuba’s neocolonial relationship with the US.  With the revolution, this class would lose their privileged position as the masses became thou foundation of the new society.  Leading themes in the film include the accommodation of the Cuban elite and the Catholic Church tot he dictatorial governments in Cuba before 1959 and the achievements of success through betrayal.  The film points the US influence on Cuban internal politics, as well as the corruption that was part of the system. 

 

Strengths and Weaknesses:

This film gives a very good account of some of the major events that led to the Cuban Revolution.  The narrative is easy to follow, one the viewer situates the characters in their proper context.  The cinematography and acting are professionally done.  The film’s full spirit is complemented by a successful blend of the music popular during each of the decades chartered by the film, from 1932 to 1959. 

Some evaluators felt that the script is overly ambitious, attempting to cover too extensive a period of Cuban history, with too many characters for audience to keep track of.  This weakens the focus on the psychological contrast between commitment and opportunism.  One evaluator found the ending of the film a bit confusing. 

 

Introducing the Tape:

The film presupposes knowledge of Cuban history.  Students should be introduced to the events (1924-1959) both national and international, in order to have an understanding of the context of the various years that the narrative covers.  Developments leading to the Machado dictatorship should be examined.  The theme that should be developed is the behavior of the political and economic elites during this period and their lack of scruples as they used every opportunity for self-aggrandizement.  The role of the US is contributing to this state of affairs must also be examined.

 

How to Borrow this Video:

The videos owned by the UNC-Duke Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies are housed in the Outreach Office of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  They are lent free of charge.  For information on films and reservations, please visit http://isa.unc.edu/film/films_main.asp.

 

References:

Ranucci, Karen, ed. A Guide to Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino-Made Film and Video. Lanham, MD. Scarecrow Press. 1998.