I Am Cuba

A 1964 black & white production with enough style to fuel more than a few of today's purportedly cutting-edge efforts, I Am Cuba is a hallucinogenic view of Batista's crumbling, decadently hedonistic, "capitalist" (say it with derision) empire. Four interrelated stories trace the fall of the bourgeoisie (deeply romanticized) and the beginnings of Fidel's Cuba (deeply romanticized). Highly recommended for larger independent and foreign film collections. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Nov. 27, 2007—Milestone/New Yorker, 3 discs, 141 min., in Spanish & Russian w/English subtitles, not rated, $44.95—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1964's I Am Cuba (The Ultimate Edition) sports a great transfer. DVD extras include the 102-minute comprehensive documentary “A Film About Mikhail Kalatozov” on the life and career of the titular director, the 91-minute “making-of” documentary “The Siberian Mammoth,” a 31-minute CUNY City Cinematheque interview with screenwriter Yevgeny Yevtushenko, an interview with filmmaker Martin Scorsese (26 min.), the Cuban version of the film's opening credits (5 min.), a stills gallery, an “I Am Cuba: The True Story” booklet, and trailers. Bottom line: neatly packaged in a cigar box, this ultimate edition of an incredible film is highly recommended.]