I don't think that this film was about Che the revolutionary. It is instead about Ernesto, discovering the country and continent that he is a part of, and coming of age to discover that the privilege that his family is fortunate enough to be a part of was unfortunately not the life of the majority of those living in South America - especially not those indigenous to the continent.
In the end, it becomes a film about the revolution of the mind rather than the revolution of the people. We see the path that Che Guevara was set upon without seeing the destination - this gives us stronger understanding of the character of Ernesto without being bombarded with Che's ideologies. And yes, they are separate personalities - the raw and the evolved, if you will.
You can clearly see the path to the man who fought for liberation and the rights of the South American and Cuban peoples, but I'm glad they left politics out of the film - it's MUCH stronger for it, even if the film wasn't one hundred percent accurate.
As well, the parallels between this film and Hero astound me. I would never suggest that Hero had any influence on The Mtorcycle Diaries - even though it did come out a couple of years ago - but the fact that it DIDN'T have any influence makes those parallels that much more astounding. If you will:
1) Both films are about the goal of uniting a divided people and a divided land (the warring Chinese nations vs. South America divided along lines of ethnicity and class in addition to borders)
2) Both films are about the liberation of the people from the oppression that they suffer.
3) Both films focus on the LAND - from the awe-inspiring colours and landscapes of Hero to the all-weather and hardened South American land in The Motorcycle Diaries.
4) Both films are about politics without ever actually touching on politics.
5) In both films, the hero must go through quite a lot of hardships and discover a lot about PEOPLE that they were never able to, beforehand.
Like Hero, The Motorcycle Diaries will give me much to dwell upon, and it is strongly relevant to our time and our treatment of people, in a personal, social and communal way. Go see both films and compare - you will take home something from both of them, hopefully something that opens your mind and heart to the people around you.
In the end, it becomes a film about the revolution of the mind rather than the revolution of the people. We see the path that Che Guevara was set upon without seeing the destination - this gives us stronger understanding of the character of Ernesto without being bombarded with Che's ideologies. And yes, they are separate personalities - the raw and the evolved, if you will.
You can clearly see the path to the man who fought for liberation and the rights of the South American and Cuban peoples, but I'm glad they left politics out of the film - it's MUCH stronger for it, even if the film wasn't one hundred percent accurate.
As well, the parallels between this film and Hero astound me. I would never suggest that Hero had any influence on The Mtorcycle Diaries - even though it did come out a couple of years ago - but the fact that it DIDN'T have any influence makes those parallels that much more astounding. If you will:
1) Both films are about the goal of uniting a divided people and a divided land (the warring Chinese nations vs. South America divided along lines of ethnicity and class in addition to borders)
2) Both films are about the liberation of the people from the oppression that they suffer.
3) Both films focus on the LAND - from the awe-inspiring colours and landscapes of Hero to the all-weather and hardened South American land in The Motorcycle Diaries.
4) Both films are about politics without ever actually touching on politics.
5) In both films, the hero must go through quite a lot of hardships and discover a lot about PEOPLE that they were never able to, beforehand.
Like Hero, The Motorcycle Diaries will give me much to dwell upon, and it is strongly relevant to our time and our treatment of people, in a personal, social and communal way. Go see both films and compare - you will take home something from both of them, hopefully something that opens your mind and heart to the people around you.