Bitter Sugar (1996) User Reviews (27)

Despair in paradise

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 8 January 2006]

Leon Ichaso's "Azucar Amarga" came and went without much fanfare. This was a film made with little money and without any big distributor to give it more exposure in the American market. The film is critical of the way Cuba, as a society, started the current trend after the loss of patronage of the old Soviet Union in the late eighties. In order to get the badly needed hard currency, Cuba opened its doors to a massive invasion of international tourism, mainly from Europe and South America. With that, the US dollar was legalized. The results can be seen in this film that examines that society.

First of all, for those that have expressed their skepticism about the young people injecting themselves with AIDS infected blood, obviously, they haven't read the accounts by different world newspapers, and the New York Times, locally. This is a phenomenon that desperate people will resort to in order to escape the fact they are looked down in their own society for daring to be different.

The other aspect one sees in the film is the prostitution being practiced among young women with college education as a way to make ends meet. This kind of sex tourism is being practiced in the island. European men flock to Cuba in search of beautiful women they couldn't otherwise afford in their own countries. Yolanda, the beautiful woman in the film, turns to the Italian Claudio as a way to have things she couldn't have otherwise.

Another issue in the film involves the equality the revolution promised. When Gustavo and Yolanda go to the beach bar to get a cold drink, they are turned away. Since everything must be paid in dollars, it's clear the two young lovers don't belong. The hotels are basically for tourists that can pay and not the poor locals. Gustavo's father is another typical example of how some professionals, trying to get access to dollars, go into tourist oriented jobs like playing piano in hotel lounges. Thomas, is a psychiatrist whose job in the local currency equals about a few dollars a month!

Leon Ichaso and his collaborators clearly know what they are talking about. The result is a film that is an eye opener about what the reality is in that unfortunate land. The revolution might have started with good intentions, but after more than forty years the only way to make it out of there is either to marry a foreigner, or take to the open seas and hope they make it to either Miami, or Central America, if the sharks don't get to them first.

Claudio Chea's black and white cinematography works well in the film. The music score is pleasant. Rene Lavan, Mayte Villain, Miguel Gutierrez and the rest of the cast respond well to the direction Mr. Ichaso gave them. This is a film that tries to make sense of what's going on in that country.

Unique perspective on Cuba

[DAW-8 · 8/10 · 1 September 2008]

Bitter Sugar addresses MORE problems associated with politics and economic systems than almost any film from any country in a single film (There should be some award for such achievements...). One of the greatest things it accomplishes is illustrating the problems with BOTH ideal-socialist Cuba (which is gradually disappearing) and the alternative, open-market Cuba that is gradually developing in the 1990s. The bad side of a socialist state/society is clearly shown with the Gustavo's naive belief in the party and promises from the party that never pay off, as well as the imprisonment of cultural/political subversives such as his brother. On the capitalist side, there is the creeping inequality associated with capitalism, which metes out privilege and opportunity to the highest bidder, thus turning the nationalist dream on its head, turning national against national, as seen in the tourist hotels and bars where locals can't afford goods and services or are turned away. This capitalism colonizes even emotions such as love, or at least sex plus the semblance of emotional presence and attachment (which some say IS love), which can be exchanged for opportunity: Gustavo's girlfriend has all the talent but no opportunity to achieve her 'ideal' career as socialism promises. This film shows how there is no perfect way out, no utopia, no perfect system.

The relationships between the characters, though cliché (a couple, two brothers, father-son) and simple, work very well. Neither Gustavo nor his girlfriend are ideologues, they each come to realize that their choice is neither simple, nor certain in terms of where it will lead them. Few films have effectively shown how complicated personal politics really are in socialist/communist states. Most either just show the ruthlessness of the state, or the humanity of an individual or group of individuals against the state, without contradictions.

This film is neither pro- nor anti- Castro. Or it is both/and. This is Cuban national cinema; made for the Cuban nation as opposed to the Cuban state. It is a critical reflection on the new Cuba, and thus indirectly states that socialist Cuba may be no worse, at the same time as it is a critical reflection on socialist Cuba. It addresses almost the major problems contemporary Cubans face, and the contradictions between them and in the solutions to them.

If we want to engage in a debate about the bias of the film, maybe considering the director/writer is a good place to start. Leon Ichaso is Cuban-born. He directed a few episodes of Miami Vice (politically left or right? anyone?), made a few films about salsa musicians and their personal struggles or struggles to be true to their culture, a documentary about Muhammad Ali, and most recently, the TV series about terrorists in LA 'Sleeper Cell'. Only this last one, in my opinion, definitively puts him in a political camp (right wing, obviously).

Beautifully shot and a great sound track

[clarkca · 7/10 · 11 July 2003]

It was a good movie, entertaining and informative. The black and white was great and the music even better. What a great sound track. I also thought the performance of the Father was the best of the movie.

I thought the other reviews were interesting in that so many were either Castro Apologists or not, not a lot of middle ground.

While the movie may have some factual problems, (like Prague, etc.) I thought it actually soft pedaled how bad things are in Cuba, when women don't even have money for feminine hygiene products. The movie, "When Night Falls" is harder hitting than this one and more substantial. Nevertheless, this movie does a decent job of saying, that Freedom is worth dying for and Tyranny often isn't worth living under. Even Castro's own daughter calls him a tyrant.

It was filmed in Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic with footage from Havana.

Extremely accurate

[rcharding · 21 January 2003]

It is amazing how many people are ready to criticize this movie when they have NO direct knowledge of Cuba or its sociopolitical situation.

Myself, I have been to Cuba, traveled its highways, walked many of its cities and towns' streets, and had long conversations with the common people as well as government officials.

As a result, I can tell everyone reading this that in no uncertain terms that the problems portrayed in Azucar Amarga are very real. The prostitution, tourist aparteid, and growing dispair shown in this film are completely accurate.

Cuba is a country coming apart at the seams due to its contridictory existence as a communist state embracing the capitalist tourism industry to survive. Those Cuban with access to tourist dollars are surviving and those without access now beg in the streets. It is heart-wrenching but true.

Please avoid snap judgements of this film's accuracy until you too have spent weeks living the Cuban experience. Until then, you know nothing.

Excellent. the real truth about Cuban present regimen

[betrayed · 10/10 · 23 July 2005]

I have seen this film on numerous occasions. It brings back memories of the suffering of Cuba under communism, while the world remains silence. The performance of every single actor in my opinion is superior. Many people, probably does not know that Rene Lavan came to USA during the Mariel boat lift, as a child and grew up in Miami. Mr. Ichaso theme is accurate and to the point. I never understood, why it did not stay longer in the movies. The musical score is fabulous. If this was a foreign film, why it was not considered as such. This film should have competed with foreign productions. It was done by foreigners in the land of the freedom

things can get bitter in many respects

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 2 July 2007]

When I rented Leon Ichaso's "Azucar amarga" (or "Bitter Sugar"), I didn't realize that it was an American movie critical of Cuba's government; I assumed that it was a Cuban-made film. It portrays young ardent Communist Gustavo in Havana who has to start questioning his ideals due to events surrounding him: his love interest Yolanda wants to flee to Miami, his father can make more money performing for tourists, and his brother injects himself with AIDS-infected blood as a protest. A pretty bleak look at a society that Michael Moore practically glorified in "Sicko".

Personally, I think that if anyone's going to criticize Castro's government, they should still remind people of Fulgencio Batista's brutality, which this movie doesn't. But it's still worth seeing, just as a look inside the present-day Cuba, and what people sometimes have to do to get by.

Outstanding Film!! A Must See!!

[johnandritzy · 10/10 · 30 August 2006]

I couldn't stop thinking about this film after watching it. It is remarkable how life has deteriorated in Cuba since I left in 1980 at the tender age of fifteen. This was the same year Lavan left the island on the Mariel boat lift. My family moved to Chicago, not Miami, so I quickly blended into American society and 'forgot'about Cuba. Family members who left post Mariel often described the conditions there, but I could never bring myself to fathom so much of it was real. I'm extremely grateful to be an American citizen living the American dream. However, my heart 'cries' for the many young people who are trapped in an obsolete communist society where they can't even afford to have dreams. This movie forced me to consider how the lives of my young nieces and nephews might have turned out. My father fought for Cuba's Revolution; he was a young idealist revolutionary just like Gustavo. Dad left the island in 1986 after years of disillusionment. People who haven't lived 'it' can't comprehend it. I'm always fascinated by those individuals who are quick to criticize anti-Castro voices, even though they've never actually experienced life in an oppressive regime. How could they possibly understand that living there is like living in an insane asylum? The AIDS facility were Gustavo's brother was forcibly interned is nothing more than a microcosm of the entire island of Cuba where people hopelessly and aimlessly exist. Not live, but exist. I give this movie the highest rating. It deserves it.

Bitter Sugar

[Spuzzlightyear · 6/10 · 25 March 2012]

Just OK drama here exploring the hardships of living in Cuba. Gustavo tries to eak out a living in Havana while waiting to go abroad with a scholarship, his dad gets a job at a swanky tourist resort because his psychiatrist job doesn't pay enough and his brother seems to do nothing but protest all day long. Meanwhile, Gustavo has his eye on a cute little brunette, but even, yes, she has some secrets. While it's intentions are certainly genuine, I think this was a wee bit too much politics to cram into one movie. Gustavo's problems are interesting, but his brother's are just a bit unnecessary, distracting and, quite frankly, over the top to be in this movie. The cinematography is excellent and whatnot but the story could have used a little simmering down.

Excellent

[yamian · 10/10 · 28 May 2004]

I have read most of the commentaries here, before writing my own, and I could make a pattern: whenever somebody makes a very negative commentary about the film, at the same time shows that is not Cuban or has lack of knowledge about Cuba's reality. First of all, let's say it: it is true that the film is not 100% accurate, but we are not talking about a documentary. Secondly, for all those people worried about the AIDS shot, I'm very sorry to tell you that this was a true story. Thirdly, most of the Cubans that I have known, including myself, have somehow had a Gustavo inside, and/or have lived pieces of this story by themselves. The story is a mixture of reality and fantasy (after all is always like this in any art), that anyone that has passed in Cuba part of his/her life during the same years that the film shows will feel it very close. Some people could be lucky and never have seen anything like the ones that are depicted, but as I'm telling you, this was just luck. Many, many Cubans have suffered or still suffer on their own flesh these atrocities.

Watch with a grain of salt

[mgonzaleznoemi · 7/10 · 10 June 2020]

Although this film does depict the struggles that Cubans face in long lines, tourism versus professional jobs, prostitution that arose from opening up the country again to Americans and other foreigners (after the Revolution, it was at a record low), it is incredibly one-sided. It talks about the woes of the country without depicting the positives. Therefore, for anybody starting to learn about Cuba, I highly recommend to watch more informative films. I need not warn about the dangers of basing information based on a one-sided film that makes you presents a complex country through a narrow lens. This film reflects the perspective of the director who was exiled from Cuba. It is a good start, but other perspectives need to be considered. Films I would recommend that are both incredibly engaging and tell a more holistic story from multiple perspectives: Fresa y Chocolate, Lista de Espera, Guantanamera, and Viva Cuba, to name a few.

The worst film I´ve ever seen

[cainita · 1/10 · 16 February 2001]

I saw this awful film three years ago, here, in Madrid. It was at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and I was studying journalism then. I know a lot of Cuban people (here in Spain there is a lot of Cuban population), and all of them said that it was "a very disgusting leaflet perpetrated by the exiled Cuban from Miami". It was quite surprising, ´cause they all were firmly disparaging about Castro´s regime, but they explained me that the film only tried to impact the theatre, without showing the real problems people have in Cuba. Now, I work as a journalist, and I continue believing the same. In the news agency where I work we have Cuban´s correspondents who tell us about how they live, about how they are... Today, the English band 'Manic Street Preachers' are going to perform in the Karl Marx theatre, in Cuba (uauh!). Rock is not dead, even there. I can´t believe that 36 people really thought this film deserves a 10. Maybe there are a lot of Ichaso´s friends at the web.

Provoking and mesmerizing

[mariaanton · 10/10 · 13 November 2000]

This is a beautiful and provoking movie. I enjoyed both the passion and the look of the film, which oozes sensuality and a deep feeling for "country" and "justice". It is the true story of what happens with dictatorial regimes attempt to shape the lives of human beings. Great!!

One-sided trash

[tom-1203 · 3/10 · 15 May 2005]

This film sets out to be nothing more than a crass criticism of Cuba's Communist state, with the plot strung along by a tepid and saccharine romance. There's really no artistic vision here - most of the direction is trying to be "classic", but then you get "heady" bursts of realism with some wobbly camera-work during a protest march. The soundtrack's not bad, some of the acting's pretty good, but everything in the film is designed to be easy to watch, and keep you just engaged enough so you can learn about how terrible Castro is.

And this criticism isn't to deny that the regime has its problems. I can't claim any direct knowledge of Cuba, but I am aware of the oppression, and the poverty. But this film doesn't want to explore any of these issues. Why is Cuba prostituting itself (literally) to foreign capital? Well the American embargo would have had its crushing effects on Cuba's economy long before if it hadn't been for the Soviet subsidy. It *is* far more damaging, if you're going to have a tourist industry, to have an apartheid system in an attempt to stop the tourist economy "polluting" your political system, but what drove Cuba to its reliance on tourism in the first place? And what really gets me about this film is they're clearly looking to America for liberation. Did everyone forget that America propped up Batista, under which the Cubans were not only unfree but starving? Oh yeah, the USA's got a great track record of bringing freedom to Latin America - Pinochet in Chile, the contras in Nicaragua. And even its liberation of Panama came after propping up the vicious dictatorship of Torrijos then Noriega for 30-odd years. And what does it say about America that impoverished Cuba has higher literacy rates and comparable life expectancy? Cubans enjoy health care which the 40 million impoverished Americans who can't afford health insurance can only dream of.

The film addressed none of these issues, and it's not that I mind a film taking a position, how can it not? But give your viewer some credit, don't just expect them to swallow it whole. Just showing particularly extreme manifestations of protest doesn't automatically win your case. This is a Miami-Cuban's caricature of modern Cuba, scribbled in 5 minutes. You think for the effort they've put in it could be something more substantial.

Sweetness.

[tfrizzell · 18 April 2003]

"Azucar Amarga" (translated "Bitter Sugar") was a totally ignored foreign language film gem that never really found an audience when it was initially released in 1996. It is modern-day Cuba and two young adults (Rene Lavan and Matye Vilan) seem to be finding love with one another. Lavan believes in Castro's Cuba and the Revolution. He also dreams of going to university in Prague to become an aeronautical engineer. He quickly falls in love with Vilan, but her life and opportunities do not seem near as bright. She realizes that Cuba is not the place for her and that the United States (namely Miami) is the key to her overall survival. Lavan just dismisses what he feels are distorted views from Vilan until he becomes an enemy in the Cuban machine due to his younger brother's wild antics (played superbly by scene-stealer Larry Villanueva). Villanueva is disenchanted by the fact that he is unable to play the music he loves in his band and also the fact that he (and no one in the country for that matter) has any say in turbulent Cuba. He takes drastic measures (intentionally infecting himself with AIDS via blood from a syringe) to get his message across to the peoples of his homeland. And of course later on Vilan becomes little more than a glorified prostitute to foreigners at a high-class Cuban resort that does not allow Lavan in. In the end, all will make life-altering decisions to escape their lives in Cuba. "Bitter Sugar" is one of those raw foreign films that works because of outstanding writing and solid direction. The performers are all perfect as well. Vilan is illuminating in a film of darkness. Her amazing beauty and versatility makes a lasting impression. She is the most memorable part in a film full of solid memories. Shot entirely in black-and-white, the production creates a tone that makes the audience feel the hopelessness and depression of a country that has somewhat found itself in limbo since Castro's takeover on December 31, 1959. 5 stars out of 5.

Fascinating political film

[philip1983 · 9/10 · 18 January 2004]

A heartwrenching drama, and touching film for a political disaster at the doorstep of the U.S...this film is a must for anyone interested in using the cinema to know today's Cuba through an extremely tragic but realistic story

A reflection of the Cuban reality.

[claudia-mendoza28 · 10/10 · 25 November 2013]

It disgusts me to see how many people dare to say that this film does not reflect Cuba's reality. Well, I can tell you from first hand as a 16 year old Cuban who lived JUST about ENOUGH of that regime at the age of 11, and I can tell you this is not HALF of what goes on in Cuba, this movie made me cry my eyes out because it breaks my heart to see what people are willing to do in order to free themselves of what a man's greed put us through and who ever doesn't believe me I challenge them to try to survive a month in Cuba with in the same career you have here, just the amount a Cuban would get paid and then we'll talk. Nurses make: $14.00 a month and neurosurgeons: $27.00 a month, I think I have said enough with that. It's a heart wrecking reality that affects anyone who understands it, but if you are not experienced enough to understand it like I do because although I might be short of age I have lived many things that many people haven't. I beg you to not insult the grief my country and my people suffer, and consider how painful it is to see your country falling apart and tearing down moral values with it. People willing to risk their lives looking for a better horizon like my mother who was lucky and blessed to have made it through, but please don't forget all those grave less souls whose bodies lay at the bottom of the ocean or in a sharks belly, or simply in a Cuban cell... This movie is simply a mirror of a few yet horrifying truth that the Cuban society faces today, and 50 years ago.

Excellent Film About Life in Cuba Post 1959: Paradise Lost

[rudyrudeboy79 · 10/10 · 19 February 2020]

After reading some of the reviews for "Bitter Sugar" (Azúcar Amarga), I was taken aback by how some reviewers stated that it was not a good film because of how it depicted the way Cubans live in Cuba today. Yes, the film is from 1996, and we are currently in 2020, but the film still projects what many Cubans still feel about their life in Cuba. (I can't begin to tell you how much this film resonated with me when I first saw it in a theater in 1996 in Beverly Hills, California.)

You can only know about this subject matter if you have actually lived in Cuba. I don't think reading about or seeing a documentary about Cuba will instill a correct perspective in an individual who is not from Cuba. By having lived there, you saw how things changed for the worse, how life became a struggle for everyday existence and how many decided to leave and go to another country where they could continue their way of life like they had before the revolution of 1959. Those that stayed behind in Cuba, either could not find the means to leave or had hope that the revolution would make things better. Those that left, especially for the USA, had to deal with abandoning their country and beginning a new life in a foreign country with a vastly different language and culture. It was not easy to reestablish yourself with no money and little connections, except for the few family members that had already arrived in previous years. Adjusting to the American life was not easy, but after 50 years (I left in August of 1969) of living in America, I have truly embraced an American life without letting go of my Cuban culture and ties to Cuba.

And here we are in 2020, and guess what, life in Cuba is the same as depicted in 1996 in "Bitter Sugar" (Azúcar Amarga). It is sad to know that Cuba was once one of the most advanced Latin American countries in Latin America (the Cuban dollar was a few cents more valuable than the dollar!), and now it is one of the poorest countries due to the revolution, which basically destroyed all the good that had been developed and created in Cuba. I always say that if you defend the communist regime that Cuba (the only communist country in the western hemisphere) has had for over 51 years, then you truly should live in Cuba so you can reap the glory of its communist regime.

Finally, in closing, if you are going to state that "Bitter Sugar" (Azúcar Amarga) does not represent life in Cuba, whether it is depicted in 1996 or today, make sure you know what you are taking about, because empty comments insults people like me that are from Cuba and lived in the land you know so little about.

Very bitter sugar and film too

[esteban1747 · 3/10 · 29 December 2002]

A film with several shortcomings: 1. I can assert that when a scholarship is given in Cuba to study in the country or outside the country this is accomplished nearly immediately. The plot is ran during the end of 80s- beginning of 90s, so it was wrong to show Czechoslovakia giving a scholarship in aeronautics. The latter was always studied by Cubans in the former USSR but not in Prague. So it was wrong to include something here that may not happen at all. 2. If you do not like the Cuban government as it was the case of Gustavo's father, how can you have a big portrait of Fidel Castro in his house's hall? Nobody compels you to have a portrait of any Cuban leader in your house, this is up to you. 3. To me it is stupid to show someone getting HIV as a protest against the government. If you want to protest and to die for such a cause go to the street and do something more valuable against the regime, but do not kill yourself. 4. Gustavo was supposedly a good young communist but probably with a "double standard of morale" otherwise he would have not gone to eat leftovers in the restaurant where his father was playing piano. If you compare this film with Cuban ones like "Guantanamera", "Fresa y Chocolate" and "Lista de espera" we will all agree that these films have more realistic critics of what's going in Cuba than "Azúcar Amarga".

An explanation of the government of Cuba

[nmrolan · 1 May 2000]

I felt that this movie was a great example of the Cuban government. This movie shows through a love story that the Cuban government is killing its' own people. The movie had many great examples of how the government treats its' people and that they see other opportunties outside of their own country. One major part of the movie is that many people want to leave Cuba to come into the United States for a better life. The movie can be directly related to the case today of Elian Gonzalez. The debate over where he should go, Miami or Cuba. This movie did a nice job of portraying Socialism in Cuba throughout the movie. I really enjoyed this movie because I learned a lot about the Cuban government but I also enjoyed the movie.

A very shocking movie.

[JIVM · 20 May 1999]

This was, indeed, a very shocking movie. It shows the life inside Cuba as no movie has done before. The scene in which Bobby and his friends infect themselfs with AIDS is very disturbing since you know there´s no other way the authorities are going to listen to them. Also, the fact that the movie is filmed in black and white gives a more penetrating feeling.

Recommended movie!

[cmaguir · 8 May 2000]

This movie is a great movie. It tells the story of Cuba through the eyes of those who are for Fidel and those who are against him. It also has a love story. The two lovers believe opposite ways when it comes to Cuba, but they still love each other. I highly recommend this movie for both its drama and its information on Cuba.

Not a Cuban Movie

[rockmen43 · 27 December 2002]

I would like to say that this is not a Cuban movie as identified in many video stores and the IMDB. This is a film made by exiles. I think it somewhat does reflect many things true in Cuba. They do have a reverse pyramid there as displayed by the young man that was educated resorting to serving drinks to tourists. The educated people don't make as much money as a low skill worker in tourism. Prostitution as portrayed in the movie is highly accurate. The exiles that made this movie definitely have good information of contemporary Cuba, which I can't say about most exiles. Most exiles have a very ignorant impression of cuba (see the 'Elian' conflict). Some of the story lines were a bit over the top: The needle injection; the ridiculous ending. But the work situation and problems of 'jineterismo'(prostitution) are very acurately portrayed. These exiles can't be from Miami. Miami would make a movie similar to '1984'.

Watching this movie is enjoyable and educational

[d4dawnie · 30 April 2000]

I enjoyed this movie very much. I think it is a good resource to learn about Cuba. The constant battle between Neo-liberalism and Socialism was done very well, and I learned so much about the two systems. All of the different characters are affected in different ways by both systems and shows the strong emotion throughout.

This movie has love that cannot be, rebellion, and a family that struggles to make it. It is in black in white, which is very effective because none of the points in the movie are black and white. There is always a shade of gray. The music is enjoyable and really keeps the movie flowing at a steady pace.

This movie is a great way to learn about Cuba and is enjoyable to watch as well. I highly recommend it.

Economics in Cuba

[Shonnie-2 · 4 May 2000]

Azúcar Armarga is a very interesting film to see now. With the focus on Elian and Cuba, this film portrays the importance of socialism and neo-liberalism economics that currently effects conditions in Cuba. It represents the conflict of the Cuban people between their heritage and a better life.

an insult to intelligence

[luciano-10 · 6 March 2004]

This is definitely the worst movie I've seen in many years; apart from the absolute lack of cinematographic value, this exercise of fascist stupidity can only make you laugh as the "movie" advances. The stereotypes portrayed in Azucar Amarga are so difficult to believe that one wonders if the director (or whoever provided the money) has some kind of problem.

Well, i guess there are a lot of people in this country who are now enlightened with their knowledge of world cinema an Latin American politics. Good for you. I'm only sorry for having spent my time watching this instead of doing something else.