{"id":127,"date":"2006-04-01T13:12:24","date_gmt":"2006-04-01T20:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=127"},"modified":"2021-01-27T20:22:44","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T03:22:44","slug":"memories-of-underdevelopment-1968","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=127","title":{"rendered":"Memories of Underdevelopment (1968)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Everything happens to me too early or too late.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Underdevelopment-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Underdevelopment-Poster-212x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-47254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Underdevelopment-Poster-212x300.jpg 212w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Underdevelopment-Poster-91x128.jpg 91w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Underdevelopment-Poster.jpg 708w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn apolitical bourgeois writer named Sergio (Sergio Carmona Mendoyo) remains in Cuba after the revolution, despite the fact that his parents and ex-wife have fled to America. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Character Studies<\/li>\n<li>Class Relations<\/li>\n<li>Cuba<\/li>\n<li>Writers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review:<\/strong><br \/>\nThis enigmatic, complicated film &#8212; the first from &#8220;post-revolutionary Cuba to be released in the United States&#8221; &#8212; focuses on one man&#8217;s personal attempt to make sense of the rapid changes occurring in his country.  Director Tomas Gutierrez Alea draws overt parallels between Sergio&#8217;s &#8220;underdeveloped&#8221; new girlfriend (Daisy Granados):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Girlfriend.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Girlfriend-1024x614.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-66469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Girlfriend-1024x614.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Girlfriend-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Girlfriend-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Girlfriend-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Girlfriend-450x270.png 450w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Girlfriend.png 1503w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; the &#8220;underdeveloped&#8221; nation of post-revolutionary Cuba, and Sergio&#8217;s own &#8220;underdeveloped&#8221; sense of political agency. As Peary notes, it&#8217;s &#8220;hard for us to figure out Alea&#8217;s feeling towards his protagonist&#8221; &#8212; is he capable of being radicalized? &#8212; but Alea&#8217;s supplementary use of documentary footage astutely shows &#8220;the need for the revolution in Cuba and the need to preserve&#8221; its positive changes. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A rare portrait of post-revolutionary bourgeoisie in Cuba<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-of-Underdevelopment-Looking.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-of-Underdevelopment-Looking-1024x626.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"391\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-66467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-of-Underdevelopment-Looking-1024x626.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-of-Underdevelopment-Looking-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-of-Underdevelopment-Looking-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-of-Underdevelopment-Looking-768x469.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-of-Underdevelopment-Looking-442x270.png 442w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-of-Underdevelopment-Looking.png 1501w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>An eclectic mix of stills, documentary footage, freeze frames, and fictional narrative<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Documentary2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Documentary2-1024x625.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"391\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-66468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Documentary2-1024x625.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Documentary2-300x183.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Documentary2-128x78.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Documentary2-768x468.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Documentary2-443x270.png 443w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/04\/Memories-Documentary2.png 1497w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes.  This movie holds a special place in Cuban film history.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historically Relevant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0063291\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/01\/11\/movies\/tomas-gutierrez-aleas-memories-of-underdevelopment-cuba.html?searchResultPosition=3\">NY Times Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Everything happens to me too early or too late.&#8221; Synopsis: An apolitical bourgeois writer named Sergio (Sergio Carmona Mendoyo) remains in Cuba after the revolution, despite the fact that his parents and ex-wife have fled to America. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:: Character Studies Class Relations Cuba Writers Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: This enigmatic, complicated film &#8212; the first from &#8220;post-revolutionary Cuba to be released in the United States&#8221; &#8212; focuses on one man&#8217;s personal attempt to make sense of&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=127\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=127"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66470,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127\/revisions\/66470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}