Educational Media Reviews Online

Fidel Castro is, without a doubt, one of the most controversial and captivating figures of the twentieth century. As indicated by the title of this documentary, he has become a living legend viewed contrastively as hero or dictator. Although the recent history of Cuba plays a role in this work, this documentary instead focuses on the individual as it recounts the life and times of Fidel Castro from childhood through the present day. Castro: Man and Myth is based on the book Fidel Castro, a Biography (2004) by Volker Skierka, originally published in German in 2001 using resources not previously accessible, such as those in the former German Democratic Republic’s archives on Cuba. Skierka also co-directed and co-produced this documentary.

Of special note is this documentary’s effective use of contemporary interviews with friends and foes alike to capture the many facets of this singular personality in order to develop some insight into the personality and character of Castro. Huber Matos, former revolutionary and current Cuban exile, for example, shares his personal experiences of the early days of the Cuban Revolution to portray Castro as being complicit in the disappearance of Camilo Cienfuegos, a fellow revolutionary. Other interviewees include Mikhail Gorbachev, George Herbert Walker Bush, Miguel Barnet (Cuban author), Phillip Agee (former CIA agent), Raúl Corrales (photographer of Castro), Wayne Smith (US Diplomat), Melba Hernández (comrade and revolutionary), Norberto Fuentes (Cuban author in exile), Alina Fernández (exiled daughter of Castro), and Aleida Guevara (daughter of Ernesto “Che” Guevara). Historical footage includes portions of a television interview of Castro by Edward R. Murrow along with segments of other historical interviews with Castro. Of particular interest to this reviewer is the segment detailing Castro’s role as pawn in the Cold War posturing of the United States and the Soviet Union.

This documentary is well researched and fascinating. This critical portrayal is evenhanded as much as possible in that it does not seek to romanticize or condemn the Cuban Revolution or the figure of Castro. Instead, it seeks to present their successes and failures without passion. Instructors intent on providing their students with varying viewpoints on this polemic figure may wish to consider sharing these additional recent documentaries with their classes: Estela Bravo’s sympathetic 2002 documentary Fidel: The Untold Story and PBS Home Video’s 2004 title Fidel Castro: American Experience. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/castro/peopleevents/p_castro.html

Occasional mispronunciations of Spanish-language personal and place names are minor distractions from the content. Otherwise, the sound and picture quality are excellent. Although mostly in color, historical black and white news footage completes this biography.

This documentary is recommended for high school students, college students, adult viewers, and the libraries that serve them.