Steinesongo Too many fans seem to be blown away

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

GManfred A worthy effort that is spoiled by a false ending. I always felt that John Garfield was one of Hollywood's best actors, but here he is not challenged and given a role well within his ability. He doesn't have to extend himself and I thought his part was unworthy of his great talent. Jennifer Jones was miscast, Gilbert Roland was better (disregard Maltin), and Pedro Armendariz was excellent.All that said, I kept waiting for some suspense and it came in small doses. The movie was anticlimactic - forgivable, since it was based on historical fact, but maybe a little embellishment was in order. And so, it was a movie which promised adventure and excitement but did not deliver, and in the end lapsed into an unwelcome Hollywood ending. It had some soaring and poetic dialogue but needed 'rewrite', a favorite Hollywood byword, to 'punch it up'.

tieman64 John Huston directs "We Were Strangers". Taking place in 1933, the film revolves around a group of revolutionaries who are attempting to overthrow a Cuban tyrant (Gerardo Machado, whose regime lasted from 1925 to 1933, and who was actively supported by the United States).It's a leftist tract, as many of Huston's films are, but the director doesn't lay his politics on thick, probably out of fear of being blacklisted (the film was made at the height of the HUAC Committee hearings on communist infiltration in the United States).The film is sluggish in places, and its plot a bit too melodramatic, but as always with Huston there are things to admire. The director opts for a cast comprised heavily of Hispanics, spends much time mulling over the collateral damage, death tolls and rubble left by revolutionaries, is fairly bold in his subject matter (presidential assassination, a big deal in the 1940s), and dwells now and then on details which films of the era often skirt over (subtle things, like the reloading of guns, planting of dynamite, wearing of gas masks etc).Throw in some striking, film-noir styled cinematography, and you have a fairly good film by John Huston, though no where near as powerful as his classics during this period.7/10 – For Huston completists only. Worth one viewing.

bob-1070 Every once in awhile, I find a film on Turner Classic Movies with a lot of A-list talent that I've never heard of. Usually there's a good reason why I'd never heard of it: it's bad. And when it's a film directed by John Huston, which he co-wrote with Peter Viertel (who collaborated with Huston 2 years later on "African Queen"), and with a cast as good as this...well, it seems even worse because of heightened expectations. There are maybe fifteen good minutes in this film, most of which include the great Pedro Armendariz as a sleazy, scary Cuban Cop. The rest ranges from mediocre to dismal. Heavy handed, didactic dialog is presented in static, stagy tableaux. Characterization -- other than by Armendariz -- is non-existent. One clever plot reversal leads to an unbelievable ending that comes out of nowhere. Story points are suddenly dropped, things happen completely out of convenience or because the director decides they should happen that way, and there is absolutely no sense of tension. Garfield is totally miscast, Jones tries her best, and Roland is a cartoon character. You can read the other positive reviews posted here and think that I must be way off base...but just ask yourself why you've never heard of this movie. If it was any good, you would have.

whpratt1 This is a film I have never viewed and enjoyed the great directing of John Houston and also his screen play. Jennifer Jones, (China Valdes) works in a bank in Cuba and when her brother is killed by the chief of police which is really a dictatorship throughout Cuba. China decides to devote her life to avenge her brother's death. China meets up with Tony Fenner, (John Garfield) who is an American and was born in Cuba and wants to overthrow and kill the Prime Minister and his cabinet. Tony Fenner enlists a group of people who believe in Tony's plans and the story becomes very involved and interesting. Jennifer Jones gave an outstanding performance and John Garfield gave a great supporting role. Enjoy.