Tomás Gutierrez Alea nicknamed “Titón” directed one of the most visionary and influential Cuban films to date. The movie made its début screening in 1968 during a time of political tension between East and West. Titón adapted Edmundo Desnoes novel Memorias del Subdesarrollo to the big screen, the story of a Cuban Aristocrat who after the triumph of the Cuban revolution decides to stay behind as he watches he close ones immigrate out of the island. Sergio, our protagonist is a man of culture, a “pessimist” as he watches on a series of politically driven events unfold. “Esta gran humanidad ha dicho basta y echado a andar… y no parará hasta llegar a Miami."
The story is narrated in part through Sergio’s perspective and his commentary on world affairs of the time and on the Cuban revolution. There are times where the story is narrated ever so briefly through the character of Pablo, Sergio’s close friend who predicts nothing but disasters in regards to the island. Also the character of Elena, a young female who sleeps with Sergio only to accuse him of taking advantage of her, in turn Elena’s family drags this argument all the way to the Cuban judicial system. Once more Sergio’s inner monolog takes is the main basis for the films narration, "yo he visto mucho para ser inocente". Lastly there is Noemí, a young girl Sergio employs to clean up his house. Noemí relationship with Sergio at times can be an intimate one though they appear to be just fantasies of Sergio and not a reality. Even so he treats her as more than a friend as they way the speak to each other is informal.
Memorias del Subdesarrollo, like Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-up is a psychedelic experience, the ending of the film being the best example. As Sergio approaches the camera until he is directly in front of the lens out of focus a voice over starts up, ¿quién eres tu Sergio? tu no eres nadie! Memorisas del Subdesarrollo also has a humorist approach to its social commentary on Cuban society and the revolution. I guess in a way you would have to be of Cuban decent to get these jokes but in the end the movie does a good job at depicting the story of a character who does not belong in the world he lives in. a character that is very much detached and who may not have ever been there.
However, Memories of Underdevelopment also has an additional voice, that of the documentaries. This is also a major difference between Blowup and MofU. In Blowup one is trapped in a subjective world. (We are not even sure if the corpse he sees in the park actually existed!). In MofU there is a voice and a world outside the character's conscience.
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