Memories of Underdevelopment

Introduction

The fifth film by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, based on the novel by Edmundo Desnoe, Memories of Underdevelopment (Memorias del subdesarrollo, 1968), follows an aspiring bourgeois writer, Sergio (Sergio Corrieri) who decides to stay in Cuba following the revolution.

His parents and ex-wife leave for the US and Sergio spends his time wandering around Havana, contemplating the state of underdevelopment in Cuba, both as a country and as a populace and his relationships with two women, Elena and Hanna.

The film starts just after the Bay of Pigs invasion and ends just before the Cuban Missile Crisis, showing Cuba in a transitory state.

Video

Memories of Underdevelopment is a beautifully shot film, which makes it all the more disappointing that the transfer is so poor, with all the flecks and blemishes of the source material and it appears that no restoration work has taken place.

Audio

A very clear Dolby Digital 2.0 mono soundtrack, with the occasional 'pop', but the dialogue is fine and the subtitles very good - a necessary feature for non-Spanish speakers!

Conclusion

Critically lauded upon its release, including being awarded a Rosenthal Award (which Alea was unable to collect, due to being refused a visa by the US government), Memories of Underdevelopment is one of the best films to come out of post-revolutionary Cuba. Alea uses an array of cinematic methods to tell the story, including stock footage of the Bay of Pigs prisoners, newsreels of the impending nuclear crisis and documentary footage of a real debate about underdevelopment in Cuba and Latin America.

I had to study this film at University and, because the DVD was not available in this country, we had to have a special screening, so it's pleasing that Mr Bongo Films have released it. It is a shame that the transfer is so poor and there are no extra features bar a gallery containing six pictures, but it is a terrific film and an important document of a pivotal point in 20th century history.