CATRIONA PAUL at the Movies.

A ROAD TRIP round South America that helped define a 20th century romantic and revolutionary icon is the subject of Walter Salles’ latest film. Gael García Bernal, (Bad Education, Amores Perros) takes the lead, in the role of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara.
  
In 1952, before Guevara became the beautiful rebel-hero of revolutionary Cuba, he undertook a journey with his best friend, biochemist Alberto Granado. They set off on a motorcycle and travelled from their homes in Argentina into southern Chile and then north to Peru and Venezuela.
 
Guevara was just 24, a term away from completing a medical degree. On the road, his political conscience was awakened when faced with the poverty and hardship of native peoples who had, centuries earlier, been disinherited by Europeans and were still suffering at the hands of land regulators, mining companies and leprosy.

The spirit of this epic journey is captured beautifully on film. Bernal mixes the right amount of honesty, intelligence, compassion, magnetism, bravery and good looks to suggest the future leader. Rodrigo De la Serna makes Alberto a warm presence in the film – older than Guevara, cannier. Their camaraderie provides some understanding of how the pair survived the many scrapes which pepper the film.

By focusing on the exploits and writings of the young Guevara, Salles has hit upon a winning story without having to confront the more difficult aspects of Che, the mature and ruthless revolutionary. Adding to the iconic status of Guevara, Salles shows what sets heroes apart. In one of the final scenes, the asthmatic Guevara swims a river to celebrate his birthday with lepers rather than hospital staff – a people’s champion emerges from the water.
  
The Motorcycle Diaries would stand apart from other road movies on a number of levels – the beautiful landscape of South America, the fascinating political context of the 1950s, the engaging nature of the lead characters, the quality of the acting, direction and cinematography. But when you remember Guevara was real and think of what came next for him, what is already a great film becomes quite haunting.

THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES

Director: Walter Salles
Based on the books: The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Guevara; With Che through Latin America by Alberto Granado
Scriptwriter: José Rivera
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna, Miá Maestro, Mercedes Morán, Jeanne-Pierre Noher, Lucas Oro, Marina Glezer, Sofía Bertolotto, Franco Solazzi, Ricardo Diaz Mourelle
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 126mins
Country: Argentina, Chile, Peru, USA
Language: Spanish dialogue with English subtitles
Year: 2004

© Catriona Paul, 2004