Tomas gutierrez aleas the last supper plays as part of film forums ongoing series the hour of liberation. A pious plantation owner attempts to teach christianity to 12 of his slaves by inviting them to participate in a reenactment of the last supper. The movie the last supper provides audiences an excellent opportunity to truly understand the hardships slaves had to endure. He tells them how glad he is to share the meal before he suffers. Like the earlier film, it seems to say more than one ever expects to. As a cuban of african descent, this film is believable. The last supper is about death resurrection, not only about the death and resurrection of freedom, but also of repression. An incomplete list of films produced in cuba in year order. The last supper is set on a sugar plantation in late 18th century cuba during the easter holy week. Karen jaehne, quoting pastor vega, another cuban director, has noted that the last supper is one in a series of films attempting to reevaluate the role of the.
It stars cameron diaz, ron eldard, annabeth gish, jonathan penner and courtney b. The film brings into sharp focus the religious and ethical hypocrisies used by the ruling class to justify slavery. He announces one will betray him and they argue about who it. The last supper is one in a series of films attempting to reevaluate the role of the blacks in cubas national development. The film s centerpiece is the extraordinary last supper presided over by the count, who begins by washing and kissing the feet of the 12 slaves while each, in turn, giggles and panics at the lunatic behavior of the master. During this time, judas iscariot has decided to betray jesus to the religious authorities.
An unabashed exercise in cinema stylistics, i am cuba is procastroantibatista rhetoric dressed up in the finest clothes. On the thursday of holy week, we commemorate the last supper. Jesus sends peter and john ahead to prepare the passover meal. Just because the anglos in this country acted one way, did not mean that spaniards in another country. A spanish count is celebrated for his devotion to the faith, and sincerely believes he is. The writers think of alea fondly when they went to hear him speak at the eleventh annual meeting of the association of third world studies held in tacoma in 1993, where alea discussed the filmmakers option to show. The last supper attempts to be witty, poignant, and smartly satirical, but instead its dull, uninteresting, and supremely stupid. The director of the film the last supper once remarked that reconstructing the lives of afrocubans is the most difficult aspect of cubas history. He encourages them to follow his example for those around them. Enhance your familys last supper table or prayer space with a decorated table mat. Using the dinner bread and wine, he teaches about giving his body and blood as a sacrifice. The plantation owner decides to recreate the biblical last supper using twelve of the slaves working in his sugarcane fields, hoping to thus teach the slaves about christianity. The print was confiscated by the batista regime after its first screening at the. The script is written with liberal cliches galore, with a.
This oscar nominated film is the story of two men who are opposites, one gay, the other straight, one a fierce communist, the other a fierce. The 50 best catholic movies of all time crisis magazines list of perennial catholic classics. Why do you think that this is so, and what evidence are we able to use to reconstruct their lives. Allegra sees nothing wrong or unusual about keeping. In his misguided attempt to enlighten his slaves, the count. In the christian scriptures we read that on this day, the night before he died, jesus celebrated the jewish passover pesach in an upper room with his friends. A cuban filmmakers brutal satire of religion and colonialism. All though based on an actual event that occurred in the 1740s, the plot is laid out in the style of the jesus concept during the last supper a biblical tale about astrology explained as a last meal shared by a mythical character prophet. Both set in spanish colonial cuba, the films study contradictions and hypocrisy in cubas past of imperialism, religion, and slavery. Materials 1 linen table napkin or piece of material. The last supper is set on a sugar plantation in late 18th century cuba. The last supper 1976 a pious plantation owner attempts to teach christianity to 12 of his slaves by inviting them to participate in a reenactment of the last supper. The plantation owner also known as the count invites 12 random slaves to supper, hoping to teach the slaves about christianity and jesus christ. Cuba response paper topics jacksonville university.
Gene siskel film center gene siskel film center 2005 nov 11 1 page 6 program note the last supper karen jaehne university of california press journals division. In the first part, we glimpse the world of the plantation owned by a count nelson villagra. Based on a purportedly true incident, the film stars nelson allegra as an 18th century cuban landowner. The last supper is a 1995 american black comedy film directed by stacy title. The last supper lu chuans epic demands rigorous attention from anyone unfamiliar with chinese history, making expansion beyond fest and arthouse venues unlikely. The last supper 1976 directed by tomas gutierrezalea. The setup and rebellion ending are a bit obvious and heavy handed, but the long, theatrical middle, where the master and slaves slowly get drunk and reveal themselves, and the complex contradictions of religion and commerce has moments of real brilliance. Watch the last supper a dark, compelling 1976 cuban. The film tells the story of a pious plantation owner during cubas spanish colonial period. Vance as five liberal graduate school students who invite a string of extreme conservatives to dinner in order to murder them. For an az list of films currently on wikipedia see category.
As when he prayed over the bread and fish, he thanks god for the blessing of the fruit of the vine that god brings forth. Most of them however like so many other germans at. Books can state facts and offer descriptions, however, this movie provides the opportunity to see deeper than. The overseer don manuel bursts into the slave barracks shouting. Set in the 18th century, this celebrated film from cuba is photographed with a lush color palette.
As fidel castro steps down, it is hoped that there is hope for the country and its future. The plantation owner decides to recreate the biblical last supper. Method iron the napkin to remove any wrinkles and spread it out with. Since the fall of the soviet union and the end of cubas lifeline of economic subsidies from moscow. Instituto cubano del arte e industrias cinematograficos. Artist finds plenty of room in castros cuba world news. Imagining himself in the christ role, the slaveowner stages a formal dinner a last supper by inviting 12 black slaves to dine with him.
On the day adolf hitler comes to power, the germanjewish family glickstein comes together for a family dinner. The film follows an eighteenthcentury plantation owner who reenacts the last supper in an attempt to indoctrinate the individuals he enslaved. The last supper is mentioned briefly as a film in which alea plumbed the ideological roots of cubas experience of slavery. As jesus and his disciples prepare for the passover meal, jesus washes his disciples feet. Besides the many who became victims of his oppressive regime, there are the artists who found every work a struggle with the government. At the feast of unleavened bread, jesus eats the passover meal with his 12 disciples. The film effectively presents a moral irony as a pious slaveholder decides to improve his soul and. The film is a dazzling moral tale of a pious lateeighteenthcentury slaveholder who decides to improve his soul and instruct his slaves in the glories of christianity by inviting twelve of them to participate in a reenactment of the last supper. The film premiered at the 1995 toronto international film festival. This is especially true of filmmaking where more than a few.
His most recent film, released last year and, like strawberry, codirected by juan carlos tabio, was guantanamera, a comedy about the effort of moving a coffin from one end of cuba to. A startlingly beautiful masterpiece that is based on an incident from cuban history. The last supper from jesus film project videos the. Gutierrez alea usually made contemporary films that addressed. Yet, such actions although apparently eccentric are also an attempt to quell the passions of slaves by.