Mixed Heroes

While watching La Habanera, the filmmaker’s choice of a hero was not clear to me, however after discussing the characters a little bit in class, it seems as though neither Dr. Nagel nor Don Pedro is the definitive hero of the film. Both men seem to be represented positively in some manners while negatively in others. For example, although he is Puerto Rican and would have been considered a “savage” or “native” by most contemporary Germans, Don Pedro seems to represent the archetypal German hero physically: he is very manly looking, muscular, and regal. His body is intimidating and svelte, unlike Dr. Nagel, who is somewhat small, thin, and generally weak. Someone in class brought up that Don Pedro is represented as an almost devilish character, due to his beard and the sometimes-erratic look in his eyes, but I think these techniques are merely a way of depicting his passion for his wife and his country. Also, Don Pedro is undoubtedly the central authority figure to the locals, and he genuinely cares about his people and his country. He is presented as a capable, passionate, and dedicated leader, albeit at times illogical. On the other hand, however, Dr. Nagel is more heroic in terms of what he is actually able to accomplish. Dr. Nagel and Dr. Gomez are the characters that eventually find the cure for the Puerto Rican fever, and Dr. Nagel is the one who eventually convinces Astree to come back to Sweden, leaving the viewer with the sense that they end up together. While Dr. Nagel may not embody the physical characteristics of a hero nor the apparent leadership that Don Pedro has, he is heroic by means of his culture and the intelligence that eventually leads him to the discovery of a cure that could be used to help people. Therefore, while Don Pedro embodies the idea of a hero through his physical appearance and his admirable leadership qualities, the European Dr. Nagel is presented as a hero through his cultural “superiority.” Since Don Pedro eventually dies of the Puerto Rican fever that Dr. Nagel could have cured him of, the message of the filmmaker could perhaps be that European culture of intelligence and rationality will inevitably win out over passion and excitement.