La Habanera

According to Eric Rentschler, German reviewers of the 1937 La Habanera gave the director, Detlev Sierck, lukewarm reviews. He was, however, “lauded for the manner in which he contrasted two very different worlds without painting in black and white” (p. 130). Indeed, it seems that Sierck’s greatest achievement in this movie was to distinguish the two worlds so subtly that even now, we’re not sure which side is supposed to be good and the other evil. He even makes Don Pedro and Dr. Nagel (Sven) simultaneously both the hero and the villain.

One of the last scenes of the movie, in which Don Pedro has invited Sven and his colleague to a dinner party, demonstrates perfectly how the roles of Don Pedro and Dr. Nagel have been confused. We understand that Astreé is tortured by living in Puerto Rico with Don Pedro and that he has several times threatened to take her son, Juan, away from her. We also know that she and Sven had once been in love. We naturally expect that as soon as she sees him, she will eagerly accept his invitation to come to Sweden with him. Of course, he expects this too. So why, we must wonder, does Sierck film Sven as an unwanted intruder rather than the charming knight in shining armor? When Sven arrives, he immediately starts playing around with Juan, going so far as to ride a wooden sled down a flight of marble steps. His buffoonery delights Juan, of course, but is embarrassing to the adults, Astreé particularly. And when Sven gets Astreé alone, he is overshadowed by the scenery and by Astreé herself. Whereas a hero would swoop in and be the center of the scene, Sven is pushed to the side and almost looks the same height as Astreé. But if Sven isn’t the hero of this film, who is? In this scene, although Don Pedro at times looks austere and almost sinister, he is our best candidate for the hero. He is kind to Astreé and is the most adoring fan of her performance. We also realize in this scene that he is only trying to protect his country. Just in this one scene, Sierck blurs the line between good and bad.