Dr. Nagel, the Hero by Default

From a general cinematic standpoint, the hero and villain of La Habanera are established easily enough due to a somewhat formulaic plot line. The hero arrives to save the damsel in distress from the foreign villain with a formidable amount of power and influence. Don Pedro fills this character type well enough, but Dr. Nagel is only labeled as the hero for lack of a better option.

Don Pedro's role as the villain only occurs after the "ten years later" time lapse in between scenes. Before this, Don Pedro is shown in broad daylight, wooing Astree with impressive acts such saving the scared matadors or clearing the road with his mere presence. Don Pedro is even near heroic in his white suit, saving Astree from her oppressive aunt and sweeping her away to his massive estate, as shown with the wide shots of the building and his many servants. After the time lapse, Don Pedro is shown only with dark backgrounds, circles around his eyes, and grayer hair. His diminished looks and his crumbling relationship with Astree are symbolic of his transformation to the supposed hero to the villain.

Since every villain needs a hero to save the day, Dr. Nagel should fill that void, yet his portrayal in the movie prevents him from completely stepping into that role. Scenes with Dr. Nagel (specifically the scene where he receives his invitation to the dinner) often involve fast shots, representative of his nervous and gauche actions. In the scene where Dr. Nagel plays with the sled of Astree's son, Dr. Nagel's transitions from coming off as lively and carefree to immature and out of place. Dr. Nagel also fails to come off the hero in either of the typical "rescue" moments with the damsel: when Astree asks to come along back to Stockholm at the dinner party or once the ship departs. Both were prime setups for a dramatic, loving embrace, but Astree seemed more concerned with getting off of that confining island than she did about being swept away in the hero's embrace. Yet because there were no other choices to cast as the role of hero, Dr. Nagel wins by default.