Cuba

A problematic romance; a less problematic revolution. Sean Connery (the first James Bond!) and Brooke Adams (a past Railroad Square guest who first rose to prominence in Terrence Malick’s Days Of Heaven) star in Richard Lester’s (best known for A Hard Days Night, The Three Musketeers, and Robin And Marian) knowing, sharp, beautiful, underrated and offbeat anti-romance set against the Cuban revolution.

“A political film within which no one speaks about politics and a love story in which no one speaks about love,” as Lester put it, Cuba follows Connery’s mercenary British officer to Cuba to help train Batista’s army against Castro and Guevara’s strengthening guerrilla movement while attempting to revivify a lost love affair with Adams’ Alexandra, now married to a corrupt plantation owner.

Said director Steven Soderburgh of Lester’s characteristic mix of the humorous, the romantically anti-romantic and the heroically anti-heroic, “That’s a fascinating movie….The things that people disliked about it when it came out are what makes it interesting now, its refusal to sort of play to the idea of a war-torn romance. An absolute refusal to be sentimental or easy about anything. Brooke Adams’ character was really fascinating. Here’s a woman who says ‘Look, I don’t know what little fantasy you’ve got in your head, but don’t play it out on me, because I’m not that.’ And this guy (Sean Connery) who’s wrestling with the fact that the kind of guy he is, is obsolete now…It’s a really interesting movie.”

And a beautiful one that should dazzle in this gorgeous, rare 35 mm print screening! (R, 1979. 122 min.)

Tickets: $9 for adults, $5 for students.
Series Pass: $50 (admits one to all 7 screenings)