Che: Part One (DVD)

FILM ONLY REVIEW Although I knew for some time that this movie was coming I tried as far as possible to avoid the reviews. Che Guevara is a figure who splits opinion; to some he is a hero of the Cuban revolution, the symbol of an alternative culture for several generations, while to others he is a brutal murderer who put his own political ideals above the needs of a country that wasn't even his own. The truth is probably a little of both of these and more. I have my own very fixed thoughts on Ernesto "Che" Guevara and I suspected that the reviews would depend on how the critics perceived the man himself. Che: Part One is subtitled ...  Read the complete review

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Che stars Benicio Del Toro as Che Guevara, the iconic character we all know from his later exploits, in this film, Che is an idealistic Argentine doctor who is persuaded to join Fidel Castro (Demian Bichir) and his revolutionary forces in 1956, to fight against the corrupt dictatorship of General Batista. The film follows the revolutionary campaign between 1956, when Che sails to Cuba with Castro, until the Cuban Revolution in 1959. The film takes on a documentary focus in addition to the biopic by including black and white sequences from a visit by Guevara to New York in 1964 for an address to the UN. This film ...  Read the complete review

This is the first part of the Steven Soderbergh film on the life of Ernesto Che Guevara. Benicio del Toro in the role of the Che Guevara is amazing and his resemblance makes all even more impressive and convincing. He was awarded for this role at the Cannes festival. Before watching 'Che Part One', I had seen 'the motorcycle diaries', which brought out and focused on the human gentle nature of Che. The director's point of view in 'Che Part 1' is completely different. The film has long narrating parts and a documentary feeling, that makes it a bit hard to follow, mainly at the first 30 minutes of the fim. But due to my great interest on Che's biography, I ...  Read the complete review

Many have remarked that Benicio Del Toro seems to have been born for the role of Che Guevara - he not shares a great likeness to the man, but he's obviously of the same tongue. Many lament the fact that Del Toro wasn't even nominated in the Best Actor Academy Award category. Del Toro didn't deserve to win (that honour rests with Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler, who was himself shockingly ousted by Sean Penn for his performance in Milk), but this is an impressive performance and likely the best performance of Che on screen yet. What's also strong about the film is Soderbergh's direction - the film depicts Che's rise as a revolutionary, but cuts between the ...  Read the complete review