On DVD - Che: Parts One & Two

On DVD - Che: Parts One & Two

indiemoviesonline.com | Nov 8th 2009

A two-part epic about the world’s most famous revolutionary was always going to prove a challenge. Cara Frost-Sharratt asks if Steven Soderbergh got it right.

To some people, Che Guevara will always be the man who shifted a thousand t-shirts. The ubiquitous pop art image of a bearded and beret-wearing Che has been plastered across the chests of students for decades. As hash smoke swirled around his poster in hippy households and his image was adopted by the cover-all cause of anti-establishmentarianism, he became one of the most iconic figures of modern history. However, while his face was instantly recognisable, most people only had a loose grasp of his back-story.

Steven Soderbergh’s ambitious two-part epic attempts to redress the balance between recognition and knowledge, providing an in-depth portrait of the man behind the Cuban cigars: his motivations, his achievements and his failings. Tellingly, the alternative title to the first installment of the film is The Argentine, and this immediately dispels the belief of any half-hearted Che sympathisers who automatically assumed that, having led the Cuban revolution, Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara was Cuban. This vital fact actually offers the viewer a huge amount of information in terms of dissecting the complex character of the film’s namesake. His core tenet existed outside the realms of patriotism or infamy and his die-hard communist motives were deeply embedded in his psyche. He considered himself a citizen of the world and, as such, could use his extraordinary leadership skills and dogged determination to rally the war cries of the proletariat against the dictatorships that sought to oppress them.

Che: Part One details the Cuban revolution that he led and the jungle mainstay is inter-cut with subsequent interviews with the lieutenant. This storytelling decision and the nature of the switch between colour and black and white helps to establish and delineate the two distinct sides of Che’s character. This is where Soderbergh has triumphed, as there is absolutely no question as to Che’s credentials. He appears equally at home in a banquet as he does on the battlefield and it’s an easy transition from leader to schmoozer as he garners support for his successful, post-revolution mission in New York. Although necessarily glamorous in his portrayal of Guevara, Soderbergh never shies away from the darker side of the revolutionary’s character. We see his own men suffer from his exacting notions of justice and retribution: executions are carried out with clinical formality. His physical flaws are also driven to the fore, as he battles throughout with chronic asthma, a condition that festers and worsens in the basic jungle conditions.

The big question that needs to be asked about Che: Part One is whether condensing events could have negated the need for a second part. Although undoubtedly large in scope and in terms of the story it portrays, this is still only a small section of a far larger tableau and, as such, there isn’t a point at which you can feel entirely satisfied with the film. The moments of barbarity and humanity are interlaced with what is largely mundanity, as fighters live, train and engage in combat in inhospitable conditions. The pace of the film is more languid than a stoned snail in a 100-metre sprint and there’s a luxurious use of time. As yet another jungle scene rolled slowly to its conclusion, I couldn’t help thinking that the editing room floor was probably a little light on cuttings with a hefty four hours to fill.

Che: Part Two
Although Che: Part Two takes up the baton of the first film, there’s a distinct interval in terms of both time and historical context. We’re dropped into the centre of La Paz as Che Guevara makes an audacious undercover entrance into Bolivia to kick-start the revolution. There are subtle nods to the thrillers of the sixties, with stylish, dialogue-free shots that quickly bring us up to speed with events. Indeed, dialogue is superfluous when Bolivia is the backdrop. A crazy conglomeration of desolate jungle and desert scapes nuzzled up to the insanity of La Paz, Bolivia is surely one of the biggest psychedelic trips available to mankind without the aid of mind-altering drugs.

However, once ensconced in his latest jungle surroundings, the pace once again tails off and the film resumes its characteristic, slow rhythm. Benicio del Toro gets under the skin of the rebel leader of the revolution as problems mount. Che continues to suffer from asthma and the harsh existence of the revolutionary fighter begins to take its toll. From the outset, the raw and vital exuberance of the Cuban revolution is missing from his latest crusade and there’s a sense of the hero living up to his reputation and following his chosen path of righteousness, rather than assessing the situation as an armed fighter and strategic military planner.

You can essentially sit back and allow this film to wash over you. Although absorbing and engaging, there’s never any chance of being wrenched from your seat and pulled headfirst into the action.

There’s preparation for the inevitable conclusion to this overthrow attempt and it seems implausible that the sick Che Guevara should continue in his pursuit of the revolutionary dream. Morale is low amongst the fighters, food is scarce and the mood is a far cry from the war cries of the first film. It is, however, important to see the results of this bungled operation in order to appreciate the huge impact that this figure has had on the history books. Buoyed by his initial success, it’s no great surprise that a man of his beliefs – both politically and with regards to his own capabilities – should try to repeat the revolution on Bolivian soil. It’s also no surprise that his dogged refusal to admit defeat led to him continuing with the enterprise when it was clearly doomed.

Rating on a scale of 5 riled revolutionaries: 3

Release date: Out now
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Written by: Peter Buchman and Benjamin A. van der Veen
Cast: Benicio del Toro, Demian Bichir, Carlos Bardem
Rating: 15
Running time: Part One: 134 mins, Part Two: 135 minutes



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