History and the passage of time being what they are, to many people, Che Guevara is merely a face on a T-shirt.
To director Steven Soderbergh and his screenwriter Peter Buchman, Ernesto "Che" Guevara is a complex and fascinating person. The pair has decided to reveal Guevara through his own words. The movie's mission is not to elevate the man or condemn him. Its goal is to make you see him as he saw himself.
As a film, "Che" is demanding, maddening and riveting. This truly is epic moviemaking. The picture runs 258 minutes long and comes in two parts. Most theaters show it as separate admissions.
What you get for your time is Che Guevara's thoughts on the day-to-day struggle (led by Fidel Castro, of course) to overthrow the Batista regime in Cuba. Success doesn't always repeat itself; therefore, you have Guevara failing to toss out a government in Bolivia.
The film is based on Che's "The Cuban Revolutionary War" and "The Bolivian Diary." The movie's two parts are entitled "The Argentine" and "Guerrilla."
This is not a conventional biographical film. We join Guevara already in Cuba. You either know his background, or you don't. Che is working with Castro, but the movie doesn't give us many insights into their relationship. In fact, it doesn't show them working in tandem all that often. You're on your own if you want to know why Che left Cuba.
Soderbergh and his screenwriter are in love with the idea of Guevara as a mystery man. Why the move to Bolivia? Find out for yourself. But Bolivia it is.
In the popular "The Motorcycle Diaries," we learned some things about the revolutionary's political education. He was a doctor from Argentina who studied Marxism and believed in its precepts. In "Che," we learn very little about his formative years. Perhaps the director and writer felt the explanation territory was well traveled.
It was Guevara's choice to live as a revolutionary. It's here that we are educated about his mission. His life's work would be to overthrow governments. Born into the privileged class, Che would find camaraderie with peasants. He believed in fighting injustices against the have-nots. If he can assist, or lead them against a government, he is convinced that his ideas exemplify what is right.
For a while, we see the victorious Che as family man. But because of his reputation, he is a family man in disguise. How hidden is he? He can dine with his second wife and children, but his kids won't recognize him. His wife is very nearly his equal in revolutionary fervor, but not much is heard from her about how she sees her husband's mission.
Soderbergh and Buchman are intrigued by Guevara's association with his guerrillas. They show the man devoted to his fighters, eager to help them, zealous about transferring his political ideas to them. But there is an emotional distance between Che and the guerrillas. If he has to carry a wounded comrade through miles of jungle, it's less about the man himself and more about shared ideas
The difference between the reception received by Guevara (and Castro) in Cuba and the welcome Che receives in Bolivia is striking. His disappointment is palpable. In Cuba, the rebels are heroes. In Bolivia, which is under military rule, the population in the countryside is reticent to greet Guevara with open arms. What once was easy for Che is now very, very difficult. In addition to Bolivian government troops, there are also American military advisers with which to contend.
"Che" the movie is filled with scenes of fighting and preparation for war. Bullets are lethal, but in Guevara's mind, so are his ideas. He is convinced of his rightness, from an economic as well as a moral point of view.
As one would expect from an epic two-part film, there is a huge cast and crew. It's obvious that Guevara is Soderbergh's obsession, and you want to praise his dedication in making such a monumental work. He is serious about his subject matter.
The director is fortunate in his casting of the primary role. Benicio Del Toro is nothing less than astonishing as Guevara. He strips away all actorish conventions and immerses himself in the part. Del Toro will impress you with the different set of emotions he imparts in Cuba and Bolivia. In the Cuban scenes, his face exudes an infectious joy. In the jungles of Bolivia, his face is a mask of rigid concern.
"Che" is a movie about a passionate personality, but it is also a movie made with passion. It's an engaging, sometimes uncomfortable, often exhilarating story about a complex man. You have every right to question Soderbergh's decision not to explain too much about Che, but I think you have to admire his willingness to take on such a theme.
Would a more traditionally "biographical" approach have made "Che" more accessible? Probably. However, what's on screen is a rarity these days. Words and ideas are depicted in thoughts and images that have the powerful feel of reality. As filmmaking, "Che" is something different, something unique.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | March 31 2009 |