Havana [DVD]

Product Description

Robert Redford and Lena Olin star in Oscar®-winning director Sydney Pollack's passionate romantic adventure set in a place once called "the sexiest city in the world."

High-rolling poker player Jack Weil (Redford) is trying to make on big score in 1958 Havana, a pleasure-seeker's paradise on the verge of revolution. But his plan doesn't include falling for Roberta (Olin), the beautiful, enigmatic wife of revolutionary Arturo Duran (Raul Julia). After Arturo is removed by the police, Jack is drawn closer to Roberta, who ignites a passion that threatens his last chance for the big score. Breathtaking cinematography, a powerful story and a sensual score by Dave Grusin make Havana an unforgettable experience.
Bonus Content:

Featurette Production Notes Cast and Filmmakers Theatrical Trailer

Amazon.com

When Havana was released in 1990, a lot of reviewers unfavorably compared it to Casablanca, and those comparisons (in addition to audience indifference) turned the film into a box-office disaster. It deserved a better fate, because, while this is certainly no masterpiece, it's an intelligent and lavishly produced film about a chapter of history--the final days of Cuba under the collapsing Batista regime--that remains largely unfamiliar to the American mainstream. It's a compelling political backdrop for the story of a high-stakes gambler (Robert Redford) who comes to Cuba seeking the big score in poker games, following his expectation that high rollers will bet wildly as the Cuban government crashes around their heads. In Havana, Redford meets the wife (Lena Olin) of a Communist revolutionary (Raul Julia) with ties to Fidel Castro, and their attraction becomes powerfully mutual after her husband is presumed killed by Cuban police. What follows, as Cuba falls and Redford's character is forced into a crisis of conscience, is a mini-epic love story with tragic overtones, handled with great skill (albeit lagging pace) by long-time Redford collaborator Sydney Pollack. True, it's not nearly as memorable as Casablanca, but this is a worthwhile film, especially if you're interested in the political upheavals in pre-Castro Cuba. --Jeff Shannon, ISBN13:9780783229423 ISBN10:0783229429 Material Type:dvd