Posted: Mon 31 Jul 2006 05:35 Post subject: In Cuba, Dancing the Night Away in 'La Tropical'
Quote:
June 2, 2006
MOVIE REVIEW
In Cuba, Dancing the Night Away in 'La Tropical'
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
NY Times
"La Tropical," David Turnley's sinuous black-and-white documentary about an open-air dance club on the outskirts of Havana, places passion and rhythm before politics and history. Yet Mr. Turnley, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, uses his stunning monochromatic images to build sociological context for a place where working-class Cubans come to dance, drink and hook up.
Originally a brewery, the club took off in the 1940's with a black clientele excluded from Cuba's white dance halls. Poking at the island's enduring racism — light-skinned men are still the gold standard as far as fathering children is concerned — Mr. Turnley elicits frank opinions from both light-skinned and black interviewees, while acknowledging that the blacks gained most from Castro's revolution.
But the jagged politics of race and class are secondary to the film's irresistible soundtrack and effervescent images: watching a 77-year-old woman dance joyously in the middle of a downpour, or ecstatic musicians writhe in costumes of satin and lamé, it's difficult to recall the daily deprivations of most islanders' lives.
Crammed with comments from patrons and performers, "La Tropical" is a sensual celebration of people for whom dancing is the "most important nonreligious ritual." Lodged in a mass of sweating, spandex-clad bodies, Mr. Turnley's camera peeks up skirts and gazes, enthralled, at quivering female rumps. Cubans, we are told, are always in motion; watching this film, you can believe it.
La Tropical
Opens today in Manhattan
Produced and directed by David Turnley; in Spanish and English, with English subtitles; director of photography, Mr. Turnley; edited by Chris Horn; released by Fabrication Films. At the Village East, Second Avenue at 12th Street, East Village. Running time: 93 minutes. This film is not rated.
This movie is now out on DVD. I saw it this past weekend. If you have Netflix, I recommend putting it in you Netflix queue.
The film was a little disjointed for me and there could have been more coverage of music and longer interviews with some of the people profiled in the film, but it was worth seeing nonetheless, especially some of the racial commentary.
Hopefully in a few days I'll be able to post some clips from the film. In the mean time, content yourself with a youtube trailer of the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsyiWcIzZSc
Years ago (1980s esp.), several gov't housing complexes (called Projects) in New Orleans would have open-air party-dances at night. The residents would just pullout sound systems, large radios, drive up vehicles, etc and throw impromtu 'block parties' with dancing and music.
It probably stopped in most areas years before Katrina as the city gov't has been tearing down most of these Projects to build mixed-use housing.
It was also probably was too dangerous to do (gangs, increased crime, etc) from the 1990s on.
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