Plot New York, 1964: Argentine-born doctor and revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara (Del Toro) arrives in town to address the UN. Flashbacks show how, eight years earlier, Guevara helped toppled the Cuban dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.
Review
When Cuban farmers emerged from the mists of the Sierra Maestra mountains to join Che Guevara in his battle against Batista’s military government in 1956, few knew what the man looked like, let alone what drove him. They came, it’s said, out of a deep-set belief that this man would lead them to a better place.
Twenty minutes into Part One of Steven Soderbergh’s four-hour-plus Guevara epic, after we’ve endured a whistle-stop ‘News On The March’ history lesson, and observed a mumbled scene in Mexico City in 1955 where Fidel Castro (Demián Bichir) outlines his plans to Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara (Benicio Del Toro), it becomes clear that Soderbergh is adopting a similar approach. Watching Del Toro’s blank, unemotional Che crossing the Gulf Of Mexico on a rickety boat, bound for Cuba, we remain in the dark, sticking with the film out of our own belief that this man Soderbergh will lead us to a better place.
Despite the promise implied by a plot in which a charismatic maverick rounds up a bunch of crazy associates to overthrow Mister Big, this is no ‘Ernesto’s Eleven’. In fact, Part One is closer to the game-playing of The Limey and Solaris — dream-like reworkings of Hollywood genres with added existential dread.
Although he’s never off the screen, Del Toro’s performance is as beautifully enigmatic as that Alberto Korda photo reproduced on T-shirts around the world. Eschewing the clear biography of Walter Salles’ The Motorcycle Diaries, Part One simply drops us into the confusion and drudge of conflict. Small pieces of information emerge — he’s near-crippled by asthma; he uses his medical training to treat Cuban peasants; we cadge fragments of his philosophy (“The punishment for treason is death”) — yet it’s only ever what the soldiers know. In addition, Del Toro’s Che is delivered as a performance within a performance; like the soldiers, we’re watching doctor and family man Ernesto playing at (and slowly becoming) Che Guevara, the cold, efficient leader of men.
The New York sequences (shot in rich Life magazine black-and-white), in which Guevara is interviewed by ABC correspondent Lisa Howard (Julia Ormond) and addresses the United Nations, are less successful. By showing Guevara’s life as flashbacks within a TV interview, Soderbergh gives us Che the unreliable narrator — do we believe him? — but the overall effect is a bit like nipping out of the cinema exit to attend, well, a meeting of the United Nations.
However, all is forgotten during the film’s final set-piece, the battle for Santa Clara. Shot amid the dirty pastels of the deserted Cuban province, here’s a stunning amalgam of Gunfight At The O. K. Corral, The Battle Of Algiers and the second half of Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket that also throws in an astonishing train crash straight out of Lawrence Of Arabia. It’s both an object lesson in the strategic genius of Guevara’s men, and one of the great battle sequences of modern cinema.
Verdict Part One of Soderbergh’s Che epic dismantles the clichés and myths to craft a dream-like if frustrating essay on the heroism and the claustrophobia of war, perfectly centred by a compelling star performance.
Finally got round to seeing it as my local is showing Pt 1 for this week only. Very good but as others have mentioned, it feels i've only seen half the film and I think I'll have to see Pt 2 before I judge the film as a whole, but so far - very good. ... Read More
Just seen the 1st part, so far so good.
My only criticism of it is that it does literally feel like watching half a film, so it's difficult for me to properly judge it until I've seen the 2nd part. I'd imagine some folk may of come out frustraited in anticpation of more a stand alone film, but then that would be their own stupid fault anyway.
Still, Del Toro is utterly convincing as Guevara, particularly in the UN addresses, plus the assault on Santa Clara is brilliantly r... Read More
I really liked it! I enjoyed the subtle humour and well written music, and it's really informed me of the Cuban Revolution which I didn't know too much about, prior to watching the film. I'm anticipating February for Part Two! ... Read More
I really liked it! I enjoyed the subtle humour and well written music, and it's really informed me of the Cuban Revolution which I didn't know too much about, prior to watching the film. I'm anticipating February for Part Two! ... Read More
Saw Part One on New Year's Day, and I thought it was superb from start to finish. Excellent acting and it looks beautiful on screen as well. I think the structure of the film allows you to not only feel like you're there, but allows you to see it "as it happened", and come to your own conclusions. I think it helps to be interested in the subject beforehand so if you're not, you might avoid it, but I'm looking forward to Part Two. ... Read More
From start to finish Steve Sodbergh has grasped ultimately, exactly the story based on the characters own memoirs, and everything from dialog in original Spanish, to setting & the grainy black & white flashes of Guevara at the UN in New York. Although the script is detailed & quite complicated, it doesn't fall down. The action & battle scenes are superb, as well as the portrayal of the central characters & their philosophy towards their fellow fighters & countrymen.
Ca... Read More
L: morg1138
L: Samfran
Sigh, I was gonna travel 25 miles to the nearest cinema to watch Che today, but woke up late and missed my train. Looks like I'm off to the local to watch The Spirit then :(
ould be worse when i went to see the double bill my mate parked two spaces in front of me and some random traffic warden, working on New Years dayhim a parking ticket /quote]
Trust me The Spirit worse. ... Read More
Classic
Excellent
Good
Fair
Tragic
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