Ronster said:
Each Prologue should have been separated by the characters name as a chapter header. I really think something as small as that would help it out a lot too. One of the main problems is they have different fake names when they get to Vera Cruz and it’s hard to follow who they were and who they are pretending to be now. This really does not help on a first viewing. I don’t know, all I know is that I could not grasp the names of the characters on a first viewing.

Having at least one name to cling to could be just the ticket. I also thought about the alternative as showing each characters fake passport before their prologues with their fake names and their mugshot.

I’ve seen this masterpiece quite a few times since my teens, sadly not in the theater but on TV and VHS onward to the Blu-ray, and I’m not a native English/French/Spanish speaker, but I’ve never had problems following the story. It’s meant to tell you more by not telling too much, if you get my meaning.

They change names when they get to exile. It’s that simple. You’re supposed to get in that headspace - unknown surrounding, ominous characters, fear. No need for showing fake passports and whatnot… I certainly wouldn’t change opening introductions and the ending. Everything today has to be spelled out for the audience. This is not one of those movies.