We Were Strangers

This film is an astounding anomaly to Hollywood film-making, in that it is openly supportive of armed revolutionary terrorism, even if it means the death of innocent people. And since it was made in 1949, by Columbia Pictures, just as the Hollywood Blacklist was beginning, it is even more unusual.

The quality of the film is first-rate—a taut, well-constructed thriller, with convincing characterizations by the actors and strong direction by John Huston. The fact that it is about Cuba, made 10 years before the victory of the Fidel Castro-led revolutionary forces, is more coincidence.

The revolutionaries are seen as intense fanatics, yes, but each with a justification for their zeal. They are seen as different from each other, occasionally at odds, but essentially united in their purpose. They openly discuss the rights and wrongs of revolutionary violence, and come to a consensus to go ahead.

Jennifer Jones is impressive, as are Gilbert Roland, Pedro Armendariz, and John Garfield. I can't think of another studio-made American feature like this one, worth seeing for both its quality and its unique place in American movies.

Stars China Valdés (Jennifer Jones), a young woman who works in an American bank in Havana, is generally non-political. However, she decides to join the revolutionary forces to avenge the murder of her activist brother. Another of the revolutionaries, an American entertainment promoter named Tony Fenner (John Garfield), convinces her to hold off on her assassination, as he believes he has come up with a plan that can wipe out all the major government leaders in one fell swoop. Along with China and Tony, the Chief of the revolutionaries joins a team of four non-related men - Guillermo (Gilbert Roland) , Miguel (Wally Cassell) , Ramón Sánchez (David Bond) and Toto (José Pérez). However, the Cuban Secret Police chief (Pedro Armendariz) and the dictator's military complicate the plan's execution. The group schemes a plan to kill the President but the Cuban Secret Police chief is behind them. With a band of dedicated revolutionaries, they begin digging an underground tunnel. China Valdes...a woman of violent hates and fierce loves. Tony Fenner...a tough guy with a conscience..

A thriller with dramatic elements, including intrigue, tension and romance. This is one of John Huston's main films , though very obscure, a model of his kind , definitely a must see if you are fan to this great filmmaker. A decent flick in which the intrigue is entertaining on its own , this is one of John Huston's best films , a model of his kind , definitely a must see if you are aficionado to intense dramas. Resulting to be an offbeat story with revolutionary content, about a matter subject not very common in Hollywood, the overthrow of an entire South American government by violent means, nothing less than a strong explosion that eliminates the country's main ministers. Huston broke a new ground with this movie , providing exciting scenes and unforgettable dialogs. The fim depicts a large number of physical challenges facing the team, especially , the digging of a tunnel from China's cellar, across the street to the cemetery so that the bomb can be transported undetected. Describing throughout the emotional challenges which provide the biggest hurdles in carrying out the plan successfully, and usually harassed and pursued by a nasty Cuban Secret Police chief.

It contains atmospheric cinematography in black and white by cameraman Russell Metty, shot on location in La Havana, Cuba and in Columbia studios . Notable production design and art direction with evocative sets . As well as rousing and lively soundtrack by composer George Antheil. This film flopped at the box office and was withdrawn from theaters shortly after it was released. It suffered from the many reviews pointing out its pro-Marxist and communist politics. The movie was well directed by the great John Huston at his best , its tense filmmaking makes this crackerjack entertainment. The flick was made in a good time when Huston made some masterpieces . Later on , he directed other good pictures, such as ¨The Red Badge of Courage¨(1951), ¨The unforgiven¨ and ¨Night of Iguana¨ (1964) , they were for the most part , well-regarded but certainly not close to the level of his earlier revered work . He also experimented behind-the-camera with colour effects and approached topics that most others would not even broach , including thoughtful and provoking themes and psychoanalysis . He subsequently directed other successes. Huston had good time of the 60s , 70s and 80s when Huston resurged as a director of quality films with Fat City, (1972), The man who would be king (1975) and Wise blood (1979). He ended his career on a high note with ¨Under volcano¨ (1984), ¨Honor of Prizzi¨ (1985) and ¨Dublineses¨ (1987) . Essential and indispensable watching for Jennifer Jones and John Garfield fans. A real must see for John Huston enthusiasts. Rating We Were Strangers(1949) : 6.5/10, above average , worthwhile seeing. A major movie achievement by any standard.

The part of a fiery revolutionary in 1933 Cuba seems tailor made for John Garfield. Both his politics and screen persona mesh nicely in the role of Nick Fenner for him in We Were Strangers. As for his lack of Hispanic accent, we are told that he is of mixed Cuban and American parentage. I'm glad Garfield didn't try an accent, he looked downright silly doing one as Porfirio Diaz in Juarez.

John Huston directed We Were Strangers and even second drawer Huston is better than first drawer of most directors. The film is about a really far out plot for a Coup d'etat against President Gerardo Machado of Cuba in 1933. Garfield has sold them one a plan to assassinate the president and his entire cabinet by means of a bomb at a funeral internment. As it happens Jennifer Jones's house is located across from Havana's main cemetery. The idea is to first kill a right-wing Senator and then when the funeral takes place and the deceased is interred at the family mausoleum, to blow up the place as the president and a lot of top bigwigs are sure to attend.

The scheme involves tunneling from Jen's house to the mausoleum and We Were Strangers starts to resemble The Great Escape at this point. Jen's cooperative because her brother was killed by Machado's secret police, but something terribly unforeseen spoils things and the assassins are forced to flee.

In fact the something that is unforeseen should have been foreseen and Garfield should have come up with a better idea. But the drama of this film is the tension of these conspirators working together in close quarters and we the audience getting to know them. We Were Strangers at first, but they all become comrades during the shared experience of conspiracy. Besides John Garfield and Jennifer Jones, the other in the plot are Gilbert Roland, Wally Cassell, and David Bond.

Best performance in the film by far though is that of Pedro Armendariz as the secret police lieutenant. Huston might have seen Armendariz in a similar role in John Ford's The Fugitive which was set in Mexico. It was a good stroke of typecasting then because Armendariz is a truly hateful figure.

I looked up Gerardo Machado who was the president of Cuba at the time and he was overthrown in 1933 but not by these guys. Wikipedia describes him as an equal opportunity tyrant who had all factions hating him by 1933. He started out as a fighter and youngest general in the Cuban war for independence against Spain in the 1890s. But last year's freedom fighter has a way of turning into today's tyrant.

We Were Strangers in the Huston career comes between Key Largo and The Asphalt Jungle, both better films, but this one while the assassination plot is far fetched is carried along by the skilled direction of a fine group of players.

"We were strangers" is considered a minor film among all Huston's masterpieces of the era:"treasure of the Sierra Madre" "Key Largo" "Asphalt jungle'' or "African Queen" .But many of this director's works are sleepers :"a walk with love and death" "Heaven knows mister Allison" or " Reflections in a golden eye" -which was an accurate rendition of McCullers' novel- are good examples ,sometimes more praised abroad than in America.

"We were strangers " is in the center of Huston's work:one of his permanent features was failure ("treasure" "asphalt" "misfits" ).the heroes of "strangers" are in a way ,misfits:they do not mix with the people and they do not feel that history is moving faster than they do.Forget the political background which may seem,to some,naive and vague :sometimes we wonder whether the heroes themselves are believing in what they are doing:hear this little ditty one of them sings as a leitmotiv ("we are digging all day,we are digging all night" "We were strangers" shows Huston's fascination for death: it would reappear in the overlooked "walk with love and death" ,in the dance macabre at the beginning of " under the volcano" and it is even more glaring in the director's final opus "the dead' where one of the characters ,still alive,appears on her deathbed.

Fighting against the tyrants is one good thing:doing so by digging a tunnel to get to a graveyard to kill one of the men of the dictatorship,Huston challenges realism!"there are two parts in the cemetery,says Jones ,one for the poor,one for the rich" even in death...

Jones ,some kind of romantic passionnaria (the part was tailor made for her- and Garfield an idealist American are part of the odd couples who are numerous in Huston's work:"African queen" "Heaven knows..." or "Roots of heaven" or "the Barbarian and the geisha" or "Annie" or...you name it...

a Huston which should not sink into oblivion....

John Huston directed this 1948 thriller about a group of revolutionaries trying to overthrow the brutal right wing Cuban Regime in 1933 when it was a crime, promulgated by their "parliament", for more than four people to gather in public or criticise its government.

John Garfield (Tony Fenner), stars as the ex-Cuban who comes back from the U.S. to set up the revolution.He meets and is assisted by Jennifer Jones (China Valdez) who gives him active support after her 19 year old student younger brother is gunned down on the steps of his university by the evil secret policeman (Pedro Armendariaz).Tony devises a plot to assassinate the head politico hoping his family and the heads of government and their family attend his funeral at a cemetary near where China and her family live.They decide to dig a tunnel from her house and place explosive under the grave to get the hated government in one fell swoop.At least that's the plan (no spoiler here).

Yet again Jennifer Jones is in a completely new role speaking with a convincing Cuban accent.She works in a bank but cannot escape the attention of the secret police who keep hounding and threatening her for information on Tony Fenner whom she has now grown to love.Assisting them both are a group of committed partisans including Gilbert Roland who plays a simple dock worker (his brother was killed by the government).He steals this picture by his acting and by singing topical calypsos about their revolutionary activities;(I find myself singing these verses or even making up new ones!).Another member "goes off the rails" and nearly gives the game away.

I suppose if you know Cuban modern history you can guess the outcome as Huston has to stick to the facts.The final showdown with Thompson sub-machine guns is almost surreal.This title is hard to find and is not available from main stream video dealers.Occasionally it comes up for auction on "e-Bay".If like me you love quality 1940's films you will enjoy this actioneer.