Stone discusses work on Fidel Castro

Considered by many to be one of today's most controversial film directors, three-time Academy Award winner Oliver Stone is generally known for movies that explore the various facets of America's domestic landscape. However, Stone's two new documentaries, "Looking for Fidel" and "Comandante," screened on campus on Thursday and Friday respectively, delved into the psyche of Cuban president Fidel Castro. Stone spoke following Friday's screening in McCosh 10.

"Comandante" was filmed in February 2002 and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2003. It was set to air on HBO in May 2003.

However, after a series of arrests and executions in Cuba that were seen as unwarranted by the American public, "Comandante" was pulled from the network last year. Friday's showing was the first public viewing of "Comandante" in the United States since then.

"Some critics say, 'They were too soft,'" Stone said. Many felt that the movie, in attempting to humanize Castro, was too sympathetic to the Cuban president. Yet, he maintained, "I had no agenda."

Stone said he wanted Castro's own words to be heard and suggested America stop "interpreting him."

The director blamed the pulling of "Comandante" from the HBO lineup on a "lynch-mob mentality."

"We react like sheep, like a nation of sheep," he added.

While some Americans see Castro as a Stalinist dictator, Stone cautioned that "every case is gray. It's not all black and white."

Castro headed a revolution that led to progress in areas such as education and medicine, Stone said, and Castro "expects [Cubans] to give back to the Revolution" by staying in Cuba and contributing to society.

Stone sees Castro as a modern version of Shakespeare's tragic King Lear, the aging king of Britain who slowly goes insane and dies of grief as his power-hungry daughters attempt to betray him. "[Castro] has become rigid with time," Stone said.

"Like it or not he's been a player on [the world stage] for many years," Stone said, explaining what he sees as the indelible mark Castro has left on politics.

Stone said he cannot decide whether being in the middle of a revolution for so long a time has enabled Castro to see things more clearly or whether the prolonged battle has had a reverse effect on Castro's senses.

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Throughout "Comandante," Stone interviews Castro in various locales — in a restaurant, in Castro's office and on the street — and probes the president about politics and the current state of Cuba.

"[Castro] felt a chemistry with me," Stone, a Vietnam War veteran, said, pointing to their shared military backgrounds.

Stone returned to Cuba in the spring of 2003 and made another documentary, "Looking for Fidel," which focuses on specific issues such as the recent incident in which three hijackers, hoping to leave Cuba, were arrested, tried and executed.

Following the screening of "Comandante," a question-and-answer session was held. Several Cuban-American students told Stone his movies gave an unfair and dishonest portrayal of a man they see as an abusive dictator.

Stone said many accusations made against Castro are not based on reality.

He conceded that Castro, like King Lear, may justifiably be described as having become blind, rigid and hard. Yet, pointing to the Cuban dictator's heartiness in fending off American influence, Stone said, "The guy is amazingly strong."