Che Part 1 - The Argentine (2008)
Violence and coarse language
| Director: | Steven Soderbergh |
| Actors: | Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bichir, Santiago Cabrera, Vladimir Cruz, Alfredo De Quesada, Julia Ormond |
26 November 1956; led by Fidel Castro (Demian Bichir), a band of 80 rebels sails to Cuba. Among these young rebels is Argentine physician, Marxist, soldier, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro). Nation-less, strapped for resources and fuelled only by determination, the group engages in swift, bloody battle to free the Cuban people from the corrupt dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Che and his soldiers wrestle the nation's resources and affection from Batista's grasp. Though considered a hero by some, Che becomes a hugely controversial figure. At the height of his fame and power, he disappears. Entering South America incognito, Che recruits another band of guerilla fighters in the harsh Bolivian jungles. They embark upon a mission to spark revolution throughout Latin America.
| Status: | QuickPick |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 131mins |
| Origin: | UNITED STATES |
| Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 |
| Run Time: | 131mins |
|---|---|
| File Size (Approx): | 1.2 GB |
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Member Reviews (11)
11 Member
Reviews
Andrew
says
A well made history lesson on Che's time in Cuba.
Carmel
says
Great start to Che's life as a revolutionary and how he met Fidel Castro and started his life to helping others within South America. Shame that his hunger for a better South America has not continued into the 21st century.
JonathanB
says
Great biopic of one of the icons of the 20th century, about whom not much is known by the general public. The film is acted, directed and overall executed superbly (even if 41 year old Del Toro is a bit old and fat to resemble a 30-year old Che, he at least pulls it off well).
Also great to see the inclusion of some of the other ???heroes??? of the Cuban revolution, notably Camillo ??? a real character who is almost as iconic as Che in Cuba. The translation (unfortunately perhaps) tones down his language quite aggressively.
It???s a shame that there???s only 2 films to cover the story which is far from sufficient, although the Motorcycle Diaries at least nicely covers off Che???s formative years.
KM
says
Good film... it has a great deal of reverence for its subject and perhaps falls into hero worship at times. Recommend watching the Motorcycle Diaries first to get some context and motivation. Look forward to part 2.
janet
says
Waste of time gettting this if you dont speak the language.. It has subtitles but as the dialogue is so quick they disappear before you have chance to read them.
Carl R
says
AWEsoME
mu
says
Turned it off after about 1/2hour, one of the most boring slow movies I've seen. Apart from dodging about from one time frame to another the sub-titles finished so quickly I lost the thread of the story anyway. Very dissappointing as Benicio is usually good value. Have taken part 2 off my list.
AD
says
so unusual. Needing to read subtitiles made it harder to focus on the movie but the story is very interesting and I look forward to seeing Part II
Ebanie F.
says
The most boring movie I have ever attempted to watch, didnt even make 30mins.
Arthur S.
says
I sense that Soderbergh wanted to play with perspective here, moving back and forth from before and after the revolution, from Mexico and Cuba to Washington DC and NYC, from Spanish (with subtitles) to Spanish with interpreter, from color to black and white -- but no great insights arise from these structural conceits.... Instead, we are lost in a sea of barely characterized Cuban revolutionaries and Benicio Del Toro moving amongst them, gradually rising in confidence and stature (as Che). The one triumph here is that I gained a palpable sense of the duration of the military campaign and its weightiness, stubbornness, achievement against the odds...
Amour S.
says
Interesting to see the beginnings of it all.
And if this portrayal is true, then these men were trying to do the best for the common people.
Teaching them how to read and write, and shoot and kill for a cause.
I was not aware The Bay of Pigs was symbolic of using pigs hanging from trees as bait.
My main interest was to watch Benicio Del Toro play his role.
I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in history - and war strategy.