Che - Part One and Two - The Complete Story DVD 2008: Amazon.co.uk: Julia Ormond, Benicio Del Toro, Oscar Isaac, Pablo Guevara, Franklin Díaz, Armando Suárez Cobián, Rodrigo Santoro, María Isabel Díaz, Demián Bichir, Mateo Gómez, Ramon Fernandez, Yul Vazquez, Steven Soderbergh, Alvaro Longoria, Anna Roth, Belén Atienza, Benjamin A. van der Veen, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, Peter Buchman: DVD

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Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh delivers this ambitious and sprawling biopic of one of the 20th century's most influential political figures. This is the full, unabridged version of CHE and comprises THE ARGENTINE and GUERILLA.

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Customer Reviews

23 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

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4.1 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)

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46 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong words softly spoken, 25 Jun 2009

By	Mr. David Halliday (Ilkeston Derbyshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

A fascinating life story that was both turbulent & doomed is told with subtlety & restraint. Where many would have made a summer blockbuster war movie Steven Soderbergh instead paints with a gentle hand so that an almost serene & dreamlike quality is achieved. Many saw this as ideal material for Oliver Stone, with opportunity aplenty for dramatic shots of soldiers dying and a relentless pounding anti-war theme. In some respects, on occasion, Stone's pace & drama would be welcome but on the whole would have left this unbalanced & unfocused.
We follow Che from his first meetings with Fidel Castro quickly through to his involvement in guerilla warfare in a battle to take control of Cuba. Scenes of 'in the field' fighting & training are interspersed with black and white newsreel style scenes of his time in New York. The first 15 minutes are a little confusing as the timelines flit all over the place but eventually things settle down and a juxtaposition between his role as representative and soldier.
At first the battle sways back & forth with Battista's forces holding the stronger ground but bit by bit the revolution begins to take hold and the inevitable victory finally arrives. It is at the moment of victory, with Che on his way to Havana that the first part ends.
The second part see's Che head off to mainland South America in the hope of effecting change across the continent. Starting in Bolivia he begins to start another training campaign but his deteriorating health begins to hold him back & the battle is a wholly different one to that faced in Cuba.
Soderbergh uses handheld cameras for the second half so that gone are the slow, steady sweeping shots of stunning tropical scenery to be replaced with juddering , jarring shots of claustrophobic jungle that closes in on Che as his soldiers fall and the inevitable approaches.
This was never going to be a laugh riot and sure enough as the story progresses so that dreamlike feeling returns, whereby the main character seems to be constantly running but unable to get away & becoming increasingly helpless. However he remains defiant & assured of his mission throughout.
From stunning scenery to sudden bloody battles and moments of camaraderie throughout a vivid & memorable picture is revealed of Ernesto Guervara. To this end Benicio Del Toro is quite outstanding in his portrayal of Che. No grandstanding or scene stealing here in fact quite the opposite as he plays his character as a quiet & thoughtful man, more at ease working amongst the people as a doctor yet always wishing to return to the jungle to fight once more. Ruthless yet insistant that his soldiers be literate & show respect for the peasants that they come across. The scenes with him struggling to overcome his increasingly debilitating asthma are a tribute to the subtlety and deftness of touch that this actor brings to the role. Del Toro didn't miss out on an Oscar, he was robbed!
This has been a little sidelined in the media as being 'worthy',(a euphemism for boring), and too long. True enough any film in excess of 4 hours is going to test the nerve endings in your butt however a little patience is a small price to pay for such an enjoyable & thoughtful film experience. This avoids the heavy political stance that Stone would no doubt have brought to the table,(although with such a long look at one man there was always going to be a little bias), and can easily be watched as a biopic of a true one of a kind man. Agree with his motives and ideals or not this makes for a fascinating & very watchable movie that is well worth your time.
The picture is excellent, particularly in the first half with vibrant, deep colours. The sound too is well mixed with extensive use of the sub in battle scenes and excellent separation. Too the dialogue is centered well and clearly,( a nice touch whenever Che is being interviewed off camera during a scene is the first word or two being in Spanish but then fading into English as he speaks),.
The extras are extremely poor and sound a loud warning that there is very likely to be an all bells & whistles edition at some point in the future.
Highly recommended.

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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great portrait of Che, 30 July 2009

By	Antonio Moncayo (Zaragoza) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I feel Soderbergh movies are an acquired taste and the viewer needs to know how he handles action before watching a movie ,having said that I feel the does it better in Che than in his previous movies.

For a topic like this it can be very hard to present a objective view of Che without trying to make him look "too good " and the film excels at that offering a good balanced account of his life from the arrival in Cuba until his death.

Filmed in Mexico and Puerto Rico great care was taken to make it look as real as possible and the result is excellent .Campeche in Mexico looks very much like Santa Clara ( albeit the Mexican city is slighty richer ) and the jungle location are spot on.

The second movie is different and more claustrophobic filmed in La Paz and the mountains of Toledo ( just south of Madrid ,Spain ) shows Che as a looser when things begin to go wrong ,the uprising is not supported ,the locals are unwilling to help and radios break down ,is a different and sad Che trying to keep discipline ,some sense of mission and stay alive.

It offers a balanced view of Che in a movie which can be too long at times but will be enjoyed by those who prefer direction ,tension and script ( the thin red line ) over action sequences ( peral harbour ).

The extras are very intersting ,I found Soderbegh's point of view was waorth watching.

4 1/2 stars . Great movie , no masterpiece.

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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soderberg's sensitive portrayal of Che is beautiful to watch, 9 July 2009

By	Lynette Fox (Bedfordshire, UK) - See all my reviews

The media has dismissed this film but for those who do not need films to be non stop 'entertainment' it is a compelling portrait of one of the great iconic heroes of my generation. I loved it. I agree with comments that the switching timelines can be confusing - giving an episodic feel to much of the film but if you have previously read 'memoirs of a cuban revolutionary' or have an understanding of Cuban history up to the early 60s then you will soon get into it. Beautifully and sympathetically filmed - you will respect Che as a man of principle and honour who dies fighting for what he believed in. We need more heroes of his kind................

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Could have been so much better
Unfortunately I watched part 2 of the film before part 1, for various reasons. Part 2 was good (if a bit long) but it only concentrated on the Bolivian struggle, which was a short... Read more

Published 27 days ago by Mr. Steven Richard

5.0 out of 5 stars An Epic
This is an extraordinary movie about an extraordinary man. A man who gave up family life and a secure profession as a medical doctor to free the oppressed masses from poverty and... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Justice Peace

4.0 out of 5 stars highly under-rated
this is one of the best films of the year. a shame that not as many people saw or appreciated it. steven soderbergh seems to be a master of all forms of film. Read more

Published 2 months ago by steppes

3.0 out of 5 stars Style over substance.
Very disappointing really.
Beautifully shot, some of the battle scenes and scenery are quite stunning but all in all a rather soulless attempt at what seems to be the... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Seeker Solace

5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the superficial viewer
This is a serious attempt to re-create faithfully the years of revolutionary struggle leading up to Che's death in Bolivia in 1967. Read more

Published 3 months ago by metzki

5.0 out of 5 stars Che part one and two
The first part was boring and in my view did not have a story to it the second part was excellent and a much better story behind it I do recommend it

Published 3 months ago by K. M. Perston

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing and rambling
I find Che Guervara a fascinating and complex man. His own writing (apart from the Bolivian Diaries, which remained unedited due to his untimely death) is inspiring and her... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Bwana Kobe

5.0 out of 5 stars Che - Part One and Two The Complete Stories 2008
This movie was made to be a reenactment of Che's actual diaries. It is not intended to show you a action packed blockbuster hit. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Zii Rios

4.0 out of 5 stars Che Part One and Part Two
Part One is the better where the story develops in an attentive manner. The brutality is avoided and the people are shown to be almost 100% behind or submissive to Fidel and the... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Mr. William Wilton

4.0 out of 5 stars benicios hour
this is a lesson in great acting from Benicio Del Toro he is che guevara without a doubt, everyone in it is brilliant he obviously idolises him and it does come across in the... Read more

Published 4 months ago by C. Clennell

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Che - Part One and Two - The Complete Story [DVD] [2008]

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