Che: Parts One and Two [Blu-ray]

Very much a film of two parts (two films?), part one focuses principally on the year-and-a-half leading up to the 1959 Cuban revolution and part two concentrates on Che's ill-fated year-long Bolivian adventure from 1966 to 1967. The complete omission of the intervening years is in itself a serious weakness of this film.
Part one is excellent, its success largely due to the time-shifts so often criticised. The film opens in the US in 1964 with an interview with Che in which the question is posed whether or not US-sponsored reform might not be an alternative to revolution in South America. From there we flash back to Cuba to see the brutalities of the Batista regime in 1952 and from there we shift to Mexico in 1955 where we meet the revolutionaries in exile, whose discussions of the (previously graphically-portrayed - important!) dictatorship in Cuba make it quite clear that so-called reform is not an option. The rest of part one focuses on Che's role in the Cuban revolution from 1957 to 1959 with periodic time-shifts to Che in the US in 1964. These time-shifts enable the director to convey extra dimensions to the story in a subtle and unobtrusive way. Thus the combination of Che's actions and experiences in the field combine with the US scenes to give significant insights into his ethics and philosophy, revealing a profoundly humane and practical man with an unshakeable belief in truth and justice. In the field, Che reads during his rest-break, encourages his fighters to study, and emphasises the importance of education: "a people who cannot read and write are a people easy to deceive". In Che's revolution, the people join to fight, but also to learn.
Part two is a rather rambling account of Che's Bolivian adventure which lacks the extra dimensions of the first part. It follows Che's training activities and periodic confrontations with the Bolivian army through to his demise in la valle de Yuro. It is less effective precisely because it lacks the political and ethical dimensions that the time and scene shifts create in part one. The striking Bolivian miners, for example, are referred to on a number of occasions, but never represented directly. This is a major weakness. Nor - apart from the occasional encounter with a mountain peasant - is the socio-economic reality of Bolivia conveyed to the viewer.
The high point throughout the film however is Benicio del Toro's fantastic portrayal of Che. Each nuance is perfect!
A final (slightly technical) note on translation. It is entirely to the film's credit that the Spanish-speaking characters speak Spanish and that we have English subtitles. But unfortunately the translation is adequate rather than good. It is weak on two counts. One, it just doesn't convey the colloquial register of the protagonists, especially in part one: we often get stilted, formal English equivalents. Two, the frequent emphatic expressiveness of the Cubans in particular simply doesn't come across: we get a bland, "unmarked" English translation. This seems to be because the translator shies away from marked English syntax. While English might not have the syntactic flexibility of Spanish (in the colloquial verb-subject option for example), it does have much more flexibility than this translation recognises (and as a dip into functional linguistics would reveal). In short, the translations should really be better when they are of such central importance.

This pack offers both parts of the excellent Che films and although the extras and bonus features are a little sparse, this is a good way to own both films.

`Che Part One' (aka as The Argentine) explores Che Guevara's experiences during the Cuban Revolution based on his own Cuban diaries. It looks at how he developed as a revolutionary and how Castro gave him more and more responsibility as his talents grew. He comes across as idealistic and honest and looked after both his men and the peasants in the areas he fought in. Del Toro acts superbly throughout and you could really believe this is a documentary, rather than a film, as the acting and direction is so good. This is shot mostly in Spanish, with subtitles, which adds authenticity to the film and isn't a hindrance to understanding or enjoyment. This film also uses colour and black and white cinematography to good effect. The revolution part of the film is shot in colour and the scenes where Che is talking at the U.N. after the war has been won is shot in black and white. This is very effective and gives the film a historical feel to it. Having read the book I know that rather being a exact chronology of the revolutionary war, it is rather a series of the exploits, battles and experiences as told by Che. This film follows the same format and if you don't know some of the history of the Cuban issue it may be confusing at times. For example it makes reference to the Bay of Pigs (where the U.S. sponsored an invasion of Cuba) but doesn't really specify any other information about it for those unaware of the history. Although in the films defence I am guessing the kind of person who would want to see this film would have a rudimentary understanding of the war and general history in the first place. This is quite slow moving at times and isn't good for those expecting an all Hollywood action movie, but if you enjoy authentic feeling bio-pics then this is well considering. It is brilliantly acted, has amazing locations and shines a light on the character of a twentieth century icon.

`Che Part Two' (aka Guerilla) looks at how Che tried to formulate and win a revolutionary war in Bolivia. Like part one this is shot entirely in Spanish with English subtitles, but the filming style feels different. You don't get the mixture of colour and black and white photography and this feels less like a documentary and more like war footage. It has plenty of hand held camera angles and a more intimate feel to it. Che has to deal with disobedient, unprepared and ill trained troops this time and you can see he struggles from the word go. He also has to deal with men who don't believe in the final objective as strongly as he does. In Cuba he had the backing of the peasants but in Bolivia they worked against the revolutionaries and hindered their progress at every turn. Che comes across as softer here, but just as resolute and with the same integrity he brought to the Cuban war. As before Del Toro is exceptional and the direction is impressive throughout. This is based on Che's own Bolivian diaries and like the first installment it can feel a little slow at times, but yet again we get offered an accomplished Bio-pic of an icon. This concludes both films with impact and leaves you with a greater understanding of the man and the times he lived in.

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This is not one for the box-office. Part I has a bit more of action as the rebels take over Cuba, so it will appeal to an audience expecting to see what you typically see in Hollywood productions: people hurting, maiming and killing each other so the audience can express their death instincts in a safe environment. Part II is more like a documentary, something you would typically see on Discovery Channel, only this time there using actors. The film is so well made that you feel like you were there, in reality. And reality can be boring (most often it is!). I guess the beauty of the whole film (Part I and Part II) is that it gives you this perspective of being there. The film tries hard not to show the "Che" character as a "hero" nor as a "demon". Depending on your expectations, this might come across as a disappointment.
Some people have criticized the film for not showing the period when Guevara was part of the Cuban government. Actually, it does show some of that, through Guevara's appearances in the US when he spoke at the UN. I find that kind of criticism unjustified because it accuses the film of not telling a part of the story that I would like to see more of. Well, that is a matter of choice by the producers and director. This the story they are telling. If you want to see a different part of the story, go produce your own film about Guevara. Tell the story of his childhood, or his teen years in Argentina.
I enjoyed the film very much and came away feeling that this is a historic piece. Years from now, people interested in understanding what happened in Cuba and Bolivia in the 60's will be referred to this film. It is not romanticized, it's quite a sober piece. It was not made for entertainment, it was made to throw some light upon events and characters whose deeds were so politically charged (and still are) that I'm a bit surprised that the film was distributed at all. There are many people out there who would love to see the film banned, or portrayed as a flop, because they do not want the Cuban revolution and the ideology behind it to be on display.
As it happens, the film is not a revolutionary pamphlet. It describes events and leaves the discussion (and the conclusions) to the audience. Not the kind of stuff for a popcorn matinee, but a great piece for whoever is interested in discussing Latin American issues.