Chico & Rita
Watch:Chico & Rita can be found on Netflex.
Chico & Rita is a tragic story of an unfulfilled love affair. What was your emotional reaction to the way the film portrayed their love? Would you have written the script differently? What is the role of sexuality in the film? What was your opinion of how Cuban sexuality was depicted?
What is your evaluation of how Chico and Rita were portrayed as musicians? What is your evaluation of how they were portrayed as people? In both respects, as musicians and as people, what were their strengths and limitations?
Does Chico and Rita make any political points about Castro’s Cuba? Even moments in an animated film can be analyzed in terms of mise-en-scene. Are there any particular scenes that give us a sense of the filmmaker’s opinion about Castro’s Cuba?
There are several Cuban musicians introduced in the film along with a number of African American jazz all-stars. Briefly list at least two Cuban and at least two African American names. What role did they play in the film? Did their presentation provide you with any new information about the history of jazz? I’ll give you a hint here…an important character worth consideration is Chano Pozo. What was your impression of the depiction of Chano Pozo. Does Chico & Rita make any significant commentary about the influence of Cuban musicians on the development of jazz? If so, what scenes best convey this message?