Both a landmark of radical political cinema and one of the most visually ravishing films ever made, this legendary hymn to revolution shimmers across the screen like a fever dream of rebellion. The result of an extraordinarily ambitious collaboration between the Soviet and Cuban film industries, director Mikhail Kalatozov’s I Am Cuba unfolds in four explosive vignettes that capture Cuban life on the brink of transformation, as crushing economic exploitation and inequality give way to a working-class uprising. Backed by Carlos Fariñas’s stirring score, the dazzling camera work by Sergei Urusevsky—an inspiration for generations of filmmakers to follow—gives flight to the movie’s message of liberation.

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Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents I Am Cuba on 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of an impressive 4K digital restoration from the 35mm fine-grain positive in 2160p that is quite excellent even without HDR implementation. This release marks the first time this film has been made available in HD domestically. The included Blu-Ray is also quite fetching, but the 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc does offer some improvements that easily make it the preferred choice. The black and white cinematography is gorgeous with smooth gradients and subtle textures. The contrast remains stable and provides grand improvements in sharpness.

The transfer eradicates any dust specks or print damage you might expect from a picture that was cast aside for so many decades. This frame showcases some excellent depth to the image which gives way to a pleasing sense of scale within the various settings. This experience offers a cavalcade of textural details in the clothing and production design. This transfer maintains the filmic quality of the picture with fine film grain giving way to more detail than you would have thought possible. Black levels are appropriately deep without any unwanted nuisances such as digital noise or compression artifacts. The Blu-Ray disc has a lot more information it has to handle, but the 4K UHD disc allows the movie to breathe on its own. This transfer is a marvel for a film that deserves such treatment. This is a 5-star effort for cinephiles, and we appreciate that the Criterion Collection has taken such care with it.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a very strong DTS-HD 1.0 mono track in the original Spanish with optional English subtitles. There is also an alternate Russian dub in the same format which also holds up well. The music of the feature anchors the audience and sounds great when it creeps in throughout. Kalatozov makes sonically precise films, and this track does everything it needs to ensure that dialogue comes through clearly. Environmental sounds such as explosions or weather effects are rendered well alongside everything else. There do not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Criterion has given this film the perfectly preserved, faithful audio presentation it deserves.

Special Features

The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of I Am Cuba includes a foldout pamphlet featuring the essay “The Filmmakers Who Came In From The Cold” by film scholar Juan Antonio García Borrero which explores the themes, the history that is built into the narrative, the legacy of the film, and more that is very illuminating. The on-disc special features are as follows:

I Am Cuba, The Siberian Mammoth: The full 92-minute documentary is provided that explores how I Am Cuba came to be, the motivations behind its creation, the reaction when it was first released, and how it has been rediscovered by modern audiences. This goes beyond your simple A-to-Z retrospective with some genuine analysis of the text that is very worthwhile.

Bradford Young: A 22-minute appreciation piece by cinematographer Bradford Young in which he explores the accomplishments of the original filmmaking team, the impact the film had on him in college, the exciting ways the camera movement stood out in this period, the themes being explored, and much more.

Martin Scorsese: A 28-minute interview with the legendary director in which he discusses the movie and his role in rescuing the movie for modern audiences through distributing it with Francis Ford Coppola. Listening to Scorsese excitedly talking about movies is always an immense treat.

Trailer: This disc provides the two-minute trailer.

Final Thoughts

I Am Cuba is a bold artistic statement from Mikhail Kalatozov. Even if you do not know any of the political history that is working in tandem with the narrative, the camera movement and visual dynamism of the frame exemplify a crackling creative spirit. The four vignettes that make up this epic tale all provide a piece of the overall puzzle that reveals itself in grand fashion once we reach the end. If you approach this film as a propaganda piece, you can still appreciate the artistry of what is accomplished. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a wonderful A/V presentation and some marvelous special features. If you are a fan of the film, this is a must-buy. Highly Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of I Am Cuba will be available to purchase on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray on April 23, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.