Che (The Argentine & Guerrilla)

I had read so much about Steven Soderbergh's Che. Some was negative and some was positive. But I wanted to see it for myself. Rather than wait and see it at my local art theater as two films or on IFC On Demand I chose to see the four and half hour road show version that is playing at only one theater in the city.

From the beginning I felt that Soderbergh was not the right director for this film. I wanted to be proven wrong but I was not. I do give him high marks for trying. This is not a mainstream film and that is a good thing. But just because it is not mainstream doesn't mean that it will work.

The production values are terrific. You really feel that you are on the battlefields of Cuba and Bolivia. But there is way too much of that. The majority of this film is about fighting. We never really get to learn about Che the man. There is absolutely no emotion in this film. I wanted to know more about how he got to the point where he wanted to be a rebel and nothing else. I wanted to know more about his relationship with Aleida and what happened to his first wife. And I certainly wanted there to be something about the period of time between the Cuban revolution and his time in Bolivia. During the time he helped Castro rule Cuba Che did some very bad things. But we see none of that.

Benicio del Toro is stunning as Che. He becomes Che. You can see that del Toro put his soul into this role. But I don't think that Soderbergh took enough advantage of this amazing actor's talents. But del Toro's performance makes the film worth seeing. Demian Bichar gives a great performance as Fidel Castro - but he is not in the film nearly enough. Catalina Sandino Moreno is wasted as Aleida. She is given very little to do. And while I enjoyed seeing Jordi Molla, Carlos Bardem, Rodrigo Santoro, and others I just wish that their roles were better written.

During the first part of the film (The Argentine) we see two different time frames. We go back and forth between the Cuban revolution and Che's visit to NYC. The visit part is in black and white - which is a nice touch. And it is my favorite part of the film. Why - because Che is speaking about his beliefs. There is no fighting going.

Besides Soderbergh not being the right director for the film I also blame Peter Buchman's screenplay. It lacked depth. A few years ago I read a Che screenplay by a writer named Ronan Bennett (who I used to be friends with). Even though I read it a long time ago I can say that it is a better screenplay. I think I will have to reread it.

Despite my disappointment, I am glad that I saw the film. It should be seen by anyone who loves cinema. And I got a nice program book that comes with the Roadshow screenings. I love subtitled films and films that are not mainstream. But this one just didn't work. But it confirms del Toro's status as one of the greatest actors working today.

So, was Che a murderer or a hero? Well, I would say that he is both - depending upon who you speak to. But he is an important figure in modern history and deserves to have a really good and truthful film made about him during the years of the revolution, his working in Cuba and fighting in Bolivia. In the meantime you can always watch a great film about his early years - The Motorcycle Diaries. And if you haven't seen that film go out and rent it at once!!