破碎的上帝

Los dioses rotos, directed and written by Ernesto Daranas, has become one of the most talked about movie since it was released across Cuba in December. Daranas film offers a modern version of the values represented by Alberto Yarini, the most famous Cuban pimp at the turn of 20th century. Near the end of the film, Laura, a university professor who delves into the Havana underworld says, "Like a reoccurring cycle of reincarnations, Alberto Yarini returns to be crowned in San Isidro, Belen, Jesus Maria, Colon, and Guanabacoa. His power of seduction captivated the soul of a culture that both criticizes and reveres him. I don't want to be sacrilegious...and in fact, I would like it be the other way around." This is precisely the ambiguity between adoration for those whose passions plunge them into the abyss and the rationality of the intellectual who seeks understanding. The first colossal achievement of Los dioses rotos is presenting a story that immediately grabs hold of the spectator, supported by a montage of close-ups, the deft use of archival material and perfect placing of the plot's turning points. Secondly, is the gradual development of complex characters, people who are trapped and scarred by their adverse fate, a key element in tragedies.