Dr. Nagel vs Don Pedro

LaHabenera presents its two male stars in stark contrast, subtly extolling Aryanism over non-Nordic peoples. As Goebbels and other officials from the propaganda ministry state, good propaganda is when the reader/viewer has no idea that they are looking at a slanted viewpoint. This film is particularly good at tricking the view into making pro-Nazi assumptions through the use of two dynamic male characters and their complexities. The film presents Dr. Nagel as the smart European who is able to solve most problems he encounters, though he is physically lacking. In contrast, Don Pedro is a strapping, passionate man who maintains these youthful traits far into his later life. On the surface, it appears very stereotypical with the white doctor pitted against the Hispanic Don, however their relationship to Astree is what intensifies the plot and provides the best cover for propaganda. After the film establishes that Don Pedro has a mean side and his marriage to Astree is dead, the plot takes a U-turn and has Don Pedro loving Astree again at the thought of her singing La Habenera. This odd emotional reaction goes unexplained and is joined by the Swedish doctor's lack of participation in the plot resolution. If the doctor was the force to defeat the island's leaders or Don Pedro himself (instead of disease) the character of Dr. Nagel would gain more strength which is his greatest weakness. However, the complexities behind these two men are merely a ploy to force the viewer to make desired assumptions. These assumptions subtly appear several times, such as the off-the-cuff remark about the American medical team's failure to find a serum. This is briefly discussed but it asks the viewer to agree with American incompetence in order to proceed with the story. At another point the viewer must agree that Hispanic nations are incapable of handling their own problems and need Western help whether they want it or not. This very quiet part of the plot slips in at the end with the ironic death of Don Pedro. The complexities between Dr. Nagel and Don Pedro serve as a distraction to cover up the propaganda assumptions that lie in secret inside the film.