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The 70s was very popular time for been agitated by drastic social and political changes in the United States and all over the world, to mention a few of them there was the civil right movement, the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, back then many movement from men and women who felt oppressed for different social differences, there was not an open minded society as it happens to exist now days where it really doesn't matter your religion, race or if you have any political tendency although most people prefer to avoid such topics to keep things calm, back then it was not the case since all this subjects matter a lot a often people were label because of it. It was during this period that Huey P. Newton the charismatic and controversial chairman of the Black Panther Party had to go through a severe persecution from the FBI and a murder charge, turn him into a desperate man to escape the country and find refuge, Newton turned to an unlikely ally: Bert Schneider, a famous Hollywood producer who has produced movies like "Easy Rider" who was a recognized person in the film industry at the time.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19399602/
- Platform: AppleTV+
- Release: May 17, 2024
A Daring Escape Plan
The Big Cigar (2024) seem to be a well made mini series that tells the story of Newton and Schneider's unexpected partnership and the plan they cooked up to get out of jail. Schneider, who was very much into social justice, regarded Newton as an authentic revolutionary and was really incline on helping him for this he came up with an elaborate and risky plan: he would pretend to create a movie production in Cuba, which would be a way for Newton to escape pretending to be a movie star. The plot of this TV series is full of twists and turns, at certain points just from the trailer it looks dumb and lack of that excitement that is been a wanted men but after all I think it has more comedy than action, whereas Newton and Schneider face the difficulties of their strange partnership and the risks of their escape plan. The road to their goal is full of various interesting people, including an FBI agent who is after them and a Cuban official who doubts their plan.
Themes: Identity, Freedom, and Resistance
The Big Cigar (2024) is not only a fascinating adventure story it is also a deep look at the issues of identity, freedom, and resistance, the show gives an accurate image of America in this period, focusing on the social and political movements that were leading the country lets take for example The Black Panther Party which was established by Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966 was a main force in this social movement, promoting black power, socialism, and community programs.
The character of Newton in The Big Cigar (2024) gives us the look into the complexity of identity and the ways in which it can be both a source of strength and a target of oppression usually this characters or leaders tend to be complicated persons split into both sides of the story, Newton was a disputed figure, some of them being the one who saw him as a hero and the others as a villain. The show does not avoid the controversies, but on the contrary, both sides of Newton on this story.
The program also touches the subject of freedom cant have a story of oppression and revolution without it, which can be understood as the freedom of the body for example the freedom to move, to choose, and to live one's life without constraints, on the one hand Newtons way of escape from the country and on the other hand in the aspect of political and social freedom. The Black Panther Party's fight for black power and socialism was a direct challenge to the mainstream power structures of that moment, and the show points out the ways in which these movements were opposed and restrained.
At its core this TV series might be a tribute to rebellion and the strength of people to bring about a change, the audacious escape plan that Newton and Schneider made is a clear proof of their determination, desperation and resourcefulness, and the show shows the consequences of their actions, which inspired other people to participate in the fight for social and political change.
Very well balanced cast
The cast of The Big Cigar (2024) is a very well balanced one, with Marc Menchaca's performance as Huey P. Newton and Alessandro Nivola's as Bert Schneider being the highlights of the show. Manchaca, in his role as Newton, puts on a great performance that is both subtle and strong, and he shows both the charisma and the vulnerability of this intricate person. On the other hand, Nivola is a master in showing the inner conflicts and difficulties of a man who is standing between his beliefs and the actualities of the film world.
The FBI agent Glynn Turman, being in the show, adds to the ongoing tension with his menacing appearance. The other cast members, such as Tiffany Boone, Moses Ingram, and Olli Haaskivi, all give excellent performances, which contribute to the complexity of the mini series.
Production: A Long Time in the Making
The Big Cigar (2024) has been in the process for a long time since the project was first announced as a movie in 2012 this has been mention in a few websites although there is no confirmation that it was a movie adapted into a mini series, then the series was approved by Apple TV+ as a mini series in April 2022, and André Holland was cast to star as Huey P. Newton while Don Cheadle was selected to direct the first two episodes in addition to being the executive producer.
The shooting for the series started in Toronto in June 2022, and afterwards, it continued in Hamilton, Ontario, where the Hamilton City Hall was used as a double for San Francisco International Airport. The choice to turn the story into a mini series enables the characters to be better introduced and the events that happened during Huey P. Newton's escape to Cuba and the role that Bert Schneider played in the plan to be more thoroughly explored.
The Big Cigar (2024) is a must see for anyone who wants to know more about this interesting period of time during the 70s and moving forward, same for anyone who likes conspiracies and try to get to its roots to figure out its origin. The show has a very well balance cast, not all super stars, immersive storytelling is what I would like see and some more exploration of themes such as identity, freedom and resistance would keep viewers like me interested, this might not be that kind of production full of action but more drama, suspense and mystery than anything else, similar to others like Franklin (2024). In the case of this mini series I can already see those who would catalog it as propaganda in some way and if you are the type of person, like me; who does not let others ruin the fun of watching content then don't let them discourage you from watching this series.
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