Che

[res0nat0r]

Re: Che

im still waiting for part 1...i think feb 24th is the release date.

[Shpira]

Re: Che

the second part is out already?

No...They were both made at the same time so i kinda made an effort to run into a copy of part two...anyway part one is better.

[Highsteppa]

Re: Che

I managed to see the full four and a half hour version (not including intermission) that's screening here at the AMC at Yonge and Dundas and I'm not really sure what to think of it. The first half of the film is an interesting depiction of the Cuban revolution, but it doesn't really allow you to know who Che actually was, and Castro seems almost like a footnote. The second half is a bit more subtle - it shows the failure of his attempts to stir a revolution in Bolivia, when the populace seems indifferent or preoccupied with maintaining their status quo. I'm not sure if Soderbergh is trying to make a statement about present society or not, much less what the point of making this movie is.

It's not for everyone, and people expecting a JFK or W, Oliver Stone kind of biographical film are going to be sorely disappointed. I'm not sure how much I liked it, as I wasn't really certain if I had watched a straight ahead recreation of two important parts of Che's revolutionary career, or if I was watching a historical art film. Benecio del Toro is great as Che, I can't imagine someone else playing him or looking the part. But I felt that the film The Motorcycle Diaries was something that allowed a lot more insight into who he was, and was far more accessable.

[Shpira]

Re: Che

To be honest I though the Motorcycle Diaries as a pretty poor attempt at showing Che for who he was...having read a couple of books about his life I really appreciated "Che" as a simple depiction of some of the things that that made him great...after watching the first part I felt in a way invigorated I have to say...almost like after watching a good action movie when I was a kid...while the second hit me like a truck...I mean I knew how it ends but I just couldn't stop hopping that somehow he makes it...I know it sounds very silly.

I agree with you that that these films don't really show you who he was, where he came from and all the things he gave up in life to be a revolutionary I guess...thats sort of the point to get you interested to go and find out more.
I think the great thing about these films is that they stay with you especially the second one...I still think its very sad and I remember the ending very vividly...
I think Guevara's story shown through Soderbergh eyes does tell us a lot about human nature as it depicts some diametrical opposites and how we each digest the things we are surrounded by.

Benicio del Toro did a tremendous job acting so much so that I had to and look at a photo of Che in a book afterwards to remember what he looked like...I just couldn't imagine anyone else playing Che in this film.

[Highsteppa]

Re: Che

I guess that's the difference in the interpretation - I really don't know all that much about Che, and wasn't really sure what to expect when I went into the film, apart that I was about to sit through a really, really long film. I appreciate the craft that went into it and it's a really technically well made film, but I kind of wish I was better prepared as to what I was getting into, and how this film was going to be telling and depicting the points depicted in his life.

I get the sense that Soderbergh was trying to show much more than just Che the man, and more what he stood for in the sense of who Che the revolutionary was, but that took a lot of talking with the others I went with to come to that conclusion.

[res0nat0r]

Re: Che

Thanks for the good reviews above, I think I might hit the roadshow edition of this here in my town this friday if i can. i might head over to the theater myself and check out both parts this friday night instead of going out. looking forward to this still and how it plays out.