I don't know why people always like to look for some ideology, ideology, etc. in this film, with various positions, and compare them. And I, as a person who has lived in Cuba and ordinary people for many years, think this film is touching because of its countless metaphors, which perfectly interpret the history under the ancient communist rule, and praise the hardships and hardships. A strong and optimistic ordinary Cuban. In the film, the protagonist and his party hold knives, guns and sticks, venting like zombies all the way. This is not entirely to meet the needs of the action movie's violent fighting elements, nor to vent their anger to Cuban ZF, nor to criticize the evil American emperor, and more. To a large extent, it is to show the world the helplessness of Cuba in reality under Castro's beautiful political ideal, as well as the authentic Cubans today who face blockades and sanctions, but are not conservative and ignorant and endure material Deficient, but not betraying the country, facing countless difficulties and contradictions, they are painful and happy.
Once I was on a flight to Cuba via the Netherlands and a Cuban immigrant sat next to me in the Netherlands after boarding the plane. She is dressed in high-end fashion, but she can't hide the simplicity and enthusiasm that are unique to Latin Americans. Latin Americans are always so unruly, just like Juan killed a bunch of zombies handsomely in the film, raised his oars and snorted, and then scratched his crotch wretchedly... I know she is in the chat When she smuggled to the Netherlands to make a living, there was a large doll on the seat next to her. She fastened the doll with a seat belt. When the flight attendant saw it, she thought it was very funny and asked her to put it in the storage rack. She quickly explained that she was afraid that the doll would be damaged in the storage box, so she bought two tickets. I learned later that it was a gift she bought for her daughter in Cuba. When the plane descended slowly in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba floated like an emerald on the blue sea. At this time, I saw her tearing up with excitement. At that time, I could not understand this feeling until I left Cuba. With the passage of time, I slowly learned the charm of this island.
In the film, the most unforgettable scene is when Juan took his daughter on board and handed it over to his future son-in-law, but he stood still in the sea. Facing the exhausted shouts of his friends and family, he decided to stay. Return to the island to eliminate zombies. At this moment, this middle-aged man, who usually seems to be indifferent, cynical, and heartless, for the first time revealed his unyielding sincerity - the father's guilt and reluctance to his daughter, and the son's love for his daughter. Motherland's responsibility and perseverance. This is definitely not a rash of fearless sacrifices, it's just a choice that most middle-aged Cubans will make today. Juan comforted the people on the lifeboat by saying, "I am a survivor, I have managed to survive in Marel, Angola, special times and later disasters." This sentence is actually a reference to all the hardships after the Cuban Revolution. high-level summary. In the history of the Cuban Republic, this is a period of weight, no less than a battle for the Bay of Pigs, and it is described by special documents and vocabulary.
Mariel is a port in Cuba. In 1980, a large number of Cuban criminals and mentally ill people smuggled into Miami from here at one time. During the smuggling process, some people had no boats and could only sit on homemade rafts, sheepskin rafts, and even swim with buckets. 100 kilometers away on the other side. Many people died halfway through exhaustion, or were killed by sharks. Criminals and mentally ill, holding oil barrels...follow my words, when this scene comes to your mind, it may constitute a scene with a little dark humor in the general cartoon, in fact, in those days , Needless to say, the criminals, the so-called mental illness, there are more people who do not agree with Z, who are "mentally ill". Juan did not smuggle, it can be said that he chose a position at that historical moment, that is, to stay in Cuba, it can also be said that he was serving ZF at that time. It is worth mentioning that just this year, one of the special economic zones designated by Cuba's reform and opening up has the Port of Mariel as its core.
The film begins with Juan and his buddy Lazaro fishing on a raft made of sticks, tires and nets. There are many small wooden boats in the port of Havana. Why do you use such sharp boats for fishing? This kind of raft was originally used by stowaways. Generally, it was pieced together with car inner tubes, wooden strips, and fishing nets. Some of them were made of sheepskin to bundle a pocket, which was inflated and tied together. It can be seen that these rafts are very weak. On the raft, Lazaro asked Juan: "Have you ever thought about rowing to the United States?" Juan replied uninterestedly: "I'm not going to work there yet." This sentence summed up the characteristics of Cubans very brilliantly - Lazy, casual, no pressure, not aggressive, sunbathe every day, drink and drink, dance, sing, and ask for nothing else. In fact, this characteristic is not innate to this nation, but because of the sudden openness and fearless calm temperament that has accumulated after experiencing a lot of trouble.
What reason do I have to say that? Look at Angola first.
During the period of the African country Angola, South Africa sent troops to support "UNITA" in December 1975, and the "Angolan People's Movement" appealed to socialist Cuba for help. With the support of the Soviet Union, Fidel Castro sent troops to this country. Ground and Air Forces. Juan has experienced this historical event, and we can also appreciate his ease and sophistication in the fight against zombies, indicating that he was probably a soldier once and now, who has experienced the smoke and gunfire of the battlefield, and often passed by death. . And what we see today is just a calm, middle-aged man with a little diaosi temperament. There is no need to show off on him, and there is no need to show off. Who would know that he once went to a foreign country and risked his life? It's like seeing the dilapidated La Rampa Avenue today, who would have thought that nights decades ago, there were people coming and going, and there was a lot of traffic.
In the 1990s, with the drastic changes in Eastern Europe and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Cuba announced in 1990 that it had entered a "special phase in peacetime" for short as "special period". At this stage, Cuba lost the support of its big brother, suffered severe political and economic blockades and sanctions from the United States, was in great shortage of materials, and the common people were miserable. In this period all people are facing the problem of survival, Juan still did not leave.
As for the subsequent catastrophe, it may refer to multiple natural disasters, food production reduction, etc.
Juan said with disdain that he had gone through everything and managed to survive. This is actually a sentence that can be said on behalf of all Cubans now - after the catastrophe, we are still alive!
In the theater, many older Cubans saw this and burst into tears.
What does the group of Juan represent? It's pure Cuban. With the help of the background of zombie chaos, this film builds a platform for ordinary people to make their voices heard and express their demands. Every action plot, a metaphor for irony, reflects the voice of ordinary Cuban people.
At night, a group of people gathered in front of a building to sing. Afterwards, a lady started to speak. Some people said that this was the mission of the church. In fact, the signs on the building walls already told us that this was the "G Life Defense Committee", and the chart was a straw hat. A saber-wielding knight in the shape of a soldier in the army of the hero Jose Martí during Cuba's first déjà vu. The song that people sing is the Cuban national anthem, and after that, there is a meeting. Today, many Cuban institutions, communities, factories, schools, and farms operate in this way. The lady who read out the speech is similar to the aunt of our neighborhood committee today. She talked about two things. First, she said that she has been stealing and taking advantage of the wind recently, and reminded everyone to pay attention to the criminals. Ironically, Juan and his gang at the meeting were thieves. In Cuba, theft is commonplace, and national warehouses, canteens, and parts factories are often guarded and stolen by their own people. This does not mean that Cubans are of bad character, just because they are too poor. And Castro didn't take too much responsibility for the theft. If a cleaner steals a TV, he can support his family for half a year, and the leader of the stolen unit still applies to it and buys it at public expense. If you are caught on the spot during the theft, you will be locked up for a few days and then released, and you will be a cleaner in another unit. Although everyone hates thieves, who has a better way? Outside of many cigar shops in Cuba, you will encounter many vendors selling black market cigarettes to you. Some are workers in cigar factories who sell cigars that they are paid for, and some are dirt that they have stolen from themselves. Take it out and sell it. Countless people rely on this method to make ends meet. Afterwards, the aunt of the neighborhood committee announced another incident, saying that there is an epidemic of infectious diseases recently, please be careful. Just after speaking, an infected zombie broke out from the small building of the committee... The question is correct. Source and direction, which is another great irony.
Juan's team was cycling past a white building resembling the U.S. Capitol when an out-of-control helicopter crashed into the building's dome, cracking the dome and collapsing the building. This is CAPITOLIO, located in the old city of Havana. It is the capitol building built by the Batista regime supported by the United States during the colonial period of Cuba. It adopts neoclassical style and imitates the shape of the United States Capitol, but it is smaller in scale and simplified in structure. , so it is also called the Small Congress. The brand of the out-of-control helicopter was visually identified as Bell of the United States. There are few such aircraft in Cuba, but the MiG of the Soviet Union is used. There is no soundtrack or lines in this scene. An American plane crashed the landmarks of American colonization in Cuba and smashed the brand on Cuba's face. In the chaos, the first thing Cubans want to erase is the trace of the United States.
Next, they came to the house of a woman who called for help. The woman said upstairs a Spanish tourist had turned into a zombie, and then a group of scantily clad men and women came down the stairs wearing SM gear. Juan's expression at this time is a deep disgust for these foreign tourists consuming his fellow women. In the darkness that followed, Luo Hua Liushui was killed, and the woman who provided a room for foreigners was also killed. In Cuba, there are many private rental houses, and many European and American tourists often come here to buy X services. The Cuban people are extremely disgusted, but face the reality, in order to survive, they also have a lot of helplessness. And through this zombie chaos, Juan was able to vent on their behalf, eliminating all those who were riding, those who were willing to be ridden, and those who provided them with hotbeds.
At ten in the evening, Juan received the last customer call. This scene lasted for a few seconds. Juan did not speak, but asked in surprise: "Who?", and then immediately replied: "No no no, this is your own business!" Why introduce this meaningless content in the eyes of the audience, there is also a high-end black hidden here. It can be speculated that the caller was actually the power of Xiao K, who entrusted Juan's company to kill the old card. Juan did not want to be involved in POLITIC, so he decisively refused. He said, this is your own business, in fact, it is your family, between brothers. This shows that some Cuban people are struggling to make a living, but they don't really care about the games of power struggles at the top.
When the sun went down, Juan and Lazaro enjoyed the sunset on the roof deck chairs, saying that it was a pity that the sun was blocked by a tall building opposite, and the building collapsed while they were talking. The collapsed fan-shaped green building was also built by American entrepreneurs during the American colonial period. It was called the Fuksa Hotel. It occupies the best section of the seaside avenue. There is a square restaurant on the top floor called TORRE. Only foreign tourists, wealthy people can spend there and enjoy the sunset on Havana's seafront boulevard. After the building collapsed, Juan and Lazaro put on their sunglasses comfortably and bathed in the golden twilight that should have belonged to ordinary diaosi.
A lot of zombies gathered in a square, Juan and his party were heavily guarded. This square is called G-Life Square and is one of the landmarks of Havana. People often hold major events here, and Castro often gives speeches here. Behind the picture is a tall building with a neon silhouette of Che Guevana, the Cuban Ministry of Interior. A group of unconscious zombies surrounds a pillar, which is the stand that supports the plaza's broadcast speakers, which is obviously another metaphor. Just when Juan couldn't take it any longer, a missionary whose western cowboy attire and English revealed his birth as an American, driving a converted American jeep, shot an arrow on the pillar, the tail of the arrow. The pulled rope cut off the heads of all the zombies along the scalloped section. Why cut the head? The answer is obvious, what is the point of a zombie without a thought? Why do you want to sweep and cut in a fan shape? Did you suddenly think of a radar screen? Remember the spread of waves? All the zombies fell down, but Juan and his comrades who had thoughts and know how to avoid are safe and sound. China, who turned into a zombie in the end, grabbed Juan's feet and was beaten by Juan. This is not a nonsensical plot, nor an arbitrary catharsis of violence, but an expression of Juan's disdain and never soft-hearted people who have brains. mentality. Everyone escaped to the underground garage of HABANA LIBRE. The priest said he had a perfect plan, and was shot by Lazaro with a speargun before he finished speaking. This actually expresses that the Cuban people do not need believers to save them, and also expresses that some people are destined to be impossible to sublimate because of their ignorance and ignorance. The American Christian uses the jeep he found in Cuba to save Juan, a group of Cubans, uses your resources to save you, and borrows your bones to boil your oil. This is the essence of many colonial churches.
American believers speak English, Cubans speak Spanish. In the dialogue between Juan and American believers, there is a very classic scene. Juan can only say a few basic greetings, that is HELLOW, HOW DO YOU DU, FINE, THANK YOU, AND YOU? In fact, most Cubans can only speak these few colloquial words, but they have to advertise that they know English. Then Juan popped out a few English words in a questioning tone: sister paper, hotel, rental, cigar? This is also a Cuban characteristic, not forgetting to make money at the moment of life and death. Every year, many foreign tourists come to Cuba for consumption. X-industry, service industry, and cigars are great tourism resources in Cuba. Cubans who are more diligent can learn a few spoken English, lead the way for tourists, and earn some consumption. With the opening of Cuba, now you can meet more and more Cubans who speak foreign languages on the streets, and some also speak Chinese and Japanese.
The part where Juan and Lazaro are waiting for the sunrise on the rooftop is the first tear of the film. The screenwriter cleverly used the bloody base to cover up Juan's sadness that he was about to lose this good brother, and also showed that Lazaro was about to die. Not forgetting the indifference of flirting. When Cubans are faced with all kinds of helplessness, this is how they feel, but they are very uncomfortable on the surface. Having suffered various disasters all the year round, Cubans have become accustomed to it, but in the face of life, they are not submissive, only optimistic ridicule. The place where the two of them sat was the rooftop on the top floor of the Liberty Havana Hotel, which used to be the Hilton Hotel in the United States and was a commanding height in Havana. When the two brothers looked up, the huge neon behind them flickered - HABANA LIBRE.
Why did Lazaro not die after being bitten? Or not sure if it's a bite, because the writers and directors are not meant to kill him, because the brave, hippie Cuban doesn't.
In the final battle, we returned to the levee of Ocean Drive. There is a sculpture occupying three-quarters of the picture. The shape is two erected pillars. On the base lies the gun barrel of an old warship. This is the Maine. monument. The protagonists are just two tiny figures, taking up arms in the shadow of the sculpture and walking towards the seaside breakwater. On the eve of the Spanish-American War, the United States sank the USS Maine docked in the port of Havana, taking the opportunity to blame the Spanish authorities who colonized Cuba at that time, and used the pretext of launching a war to seize Cuba. Under the shadow of the big-picture mediation and grand schemes of the imperialist powers again and again, the innocent Cuban people can only pick up the backward weapons such as oars and spear guns and resist alone.
If you are interested, you will find that when the final cartoon part of the film is about to end, Lazaro, Juan's daughter, and her boyfriend all returned to the shore and fought with Juan. They did not leave, but stayed in Cuba to fight with Juan. This is today's Cubans, they don't want the redemption of Christ, they don't want the temptation of Americans, they want their free Cuba, a Cuba that is riddled with holes, but still worthy of love.
Somos cubanos, somos populares.
Zombie Juan, should not just be enjoyed as a horror, action or comedy. Ordinary Cubans, because they love their homeland, are eternal and great here.
Juan de los muertos is more than just a horror comedy.
What Cuban literature and art has brought us is not as simple as the image of a backward socialist island country.
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