Preludio 11 (1964)

Cuba during the Cold War: The revolution has triumphed in Cuba, and Fidel Castro is at the head of the state. Meanwhile, the United States is planning a counterrevolution. Under the code name “Preludio 11,” four Cuban exiles and the Guatemalan Rico, led by the American McLash, are to make their way into the interior and blow up an important bridge near the city of Esperanza. The bridge falls within the jurisdiction of Comandante Palomino, who is playing a double game: he works as a spy for the Americans. Palomino’s staff includes Lieutenant Ramon Quintana and Daniela, a single mother whom he loves. Her boyfriend, Miguel, has left her and defected to the Americans. Miguel is part of McLash’s group, whose boat runs aground, forcing them to make the long journey to the bridge on foot. Palomino initially orders the bridge to be guarded. McLash’s group continues farther inland, but is ambushed by revolutionaries in a village. A firefight breaks out, and McLash is seriously wounded. He dies shortly afterward. The group does, however, capture the revolutionary Peña, who is forced to accompany them farther inland. His stories about the revolution’s successes gradually wear the group down. He manages to win over Rico in particular to the revolutionary cause. Palomino orders the bridge guards to leave their posts and search the wooded area for the counterrevolutionaries. This allows paratroopers dropped by the United States to land near the bridge without interference at first, but the local farmers attack them. After the farmers set fire to the swamp around the bridge, many men die. Only the radical Barro manages to reach the men, now led by Miguel and the moderate Figueras. The counterrevolutionaries realize that the bridge is too far away to reach on foot. They need a jeep, which Miguel is supposed to obtain through Daniela, his former girlfriend. Miguel disguises himself as an ordinary Cuban and approaches Daniela. At first, she believes he is on her side, but she soon realizes that he is playing a double game. She refuses to cooperate, but cannot bring herself to arrest Miguel. Having failed, she turns to Palomino, who is to decide whether she will remain with the revolutionaries. Palomino tells her to take the jeep to Miguel’s group, claiming that he will post men along the route who can arrest the group quickly. At the same time, he orders Quintana to guard a cement factory instead of the bridge, since, according to instructions from Havana, the counterrevolutionaries are planning an attack there. Although Quintana doubts Palomino’s order, he goes to the factory with his men. Peña and Rico manage to escape from the counterrevolutionaries. They go to Peña’s factory—the cement factory where Quintana is now stationed. They tell him that the bridge is still the counterrevolutionaries’ target. They also report that Daniela will bring a jeep to the counterrevolutionaries, and Quintana believes she has decided to cooperate with Miguel. Taking matters into his own hands and after briefly notifying Palomino, he mobilizes his men to cut off the counterrevolutionaries. Palomino realizes that his plan has failed. He shoots himself. Quintana and his men intercept the counterrevolutionaries. Some are shot and the rest are arrested. Peña is also killed in the confrontation. Quintana wants to confront Daniela, but learns over the radio that Palomino has betrayed them. When Daniela also turns away pointedly as the arrested Miguel is led past her, Quintana realizes that Daniela never switched sides.