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Che (2008)

Release Date:

Friday, December 12, 2008

MPAA Rating:

Rating Reason:

Some violence.

Genre:

Drama

Starring:

Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bichir, Santiago Cabrera, Elvira Minguez, Elvira Minguez, Jorge Perugorria, Edgar Ramirez, Victor Rasuk, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Rodrigo Santoro, Unax Ugalde, Yul Vazquez

Written By:

Peter Buchman

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Synopsis:

Che (2008) | Preview

Overview

Greg Wright

5 Stars = Profoundly Spiritual
1 Star = Not At All Spiritual

Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh delivers this ambitious and sprawling biopic of one of the 20th century's most influential political figures.

In the first 137-minute segment, THE ARGENTINE, we meet Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro), a young Argentinean doctor who teams up with Fidel Castro on a dangerous mission: to overthrow the corrupt Cuban dictatorship run by Fulgencio Batista. Che's commitment to the cause impresses everyone around him, and soon he is one of the leaders of this burgeoning guerrilla movement. Against all odds, Castro, Che, and their undermanned forces charge forward, conquering Batista's forces on their way to an expected showdown with the man himself.

Soderbergh films this first segment--a battle that everyone knows Che is going to win--with beautiful widescreen photography, like a Hollywood epic from yesteryear. Composer Alberto Iglesias accompanies this imagery with a sweeping orchestral score. Soderbergh intercuts the primary story of the revolution with Che's 1964 appearance at the United Nations in New York City, recreating that event in documentary-like black-and-white. However, as impressive as these technical attributes are, it is Del Toro who steals the show. He inhabits Che in a way that feels like he isn't just acting. THE ARGENTINE is an inspiring tale of a man whose fierce determination and unflinching spirit turned him into a hero to disadvantaged people throughout the world.

In the second 130-minute segment, GUERILLA, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro) has abandoned Cuba in order to start an even more daunting Latin-American revolution. He starts in Bolivia where, using a pseudonym, Che begins training his cobbled-together forces. This time around, however, Che's asthma is taking a greater toll, and the odds are stacked much higher against him. Yet even when the cause appears to be lost, Che remains defiant. Having accomplished the impossible in Cuba, he is determined to do the same thing here. But unfortunately time catches up to him, putting an end to his mission once and for all.

For the second segment of his two-part epic, Soderbergh changes his style, reflecting the tougher battle that Che confronted in Bolivia. Gone is the glorious widescreen photography; replacing it is a more claustrophobic 1:85 ratio. Also gone is the tripod, which produces a much more frenetic, unstable effect for the viewer. As Che wheezes his way through the woods, learning of the loss of more and more soldiers, Soderbergh prepares us, through his cinematography and Alberto Iglesias's foreboding score, for his inevitable fall from glory. Once again, Del Toro is phenomenal in bringing the notorious Che to life on screen. Watched in succession, Soderbergh and Del Toro's CHE is a grueling experience, yet it is rewarding in a way that few films are.

More About Che

Reviews:

•Out to Save the World, Darrel Manson

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