Style

Director William Friedkin, (The Exorcist) wanted to create the most realistic depiction possible of the actual events on which the film was based. In the film's director commentary track, he describes the editing style as "elliptical" and without a constant linear structure. He cites Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless and Costa Gavras' Z, along with Sherlock Holmes as direct influences on his film, in which he sought to capture the "documentary feel" through the use of various technical methods.



Most of the film's camerawork was done with very low light levels, and much of the footage was captured using handheld cameras, perfect for creating his desired documentary style. He employed famed cameraman Enrique Bravo who, using handhelds, filmed much the Cuban revolution from the side of Fidel Castro himself. All scenes were shot on location.