The movie The Motorcycle Diaries is an interesting attempt to portray the early life of one of the noted revolutionists and the communist guerilla leader Ernesto “Che” Guevara. This 2004 biopic, directed by Walter Salles, focuses on the early 60s when Ernesto was about to complete his degree in medicine while living a normal middle-class life.
Che Guevara was an Argentine revolutionary leader who was Fidel Castro’s chief lieutenant in the Cuban revolution; he was also active in other Latin American countries; he was captured and executed by the Bolivian Army when he was only 39 years old (1928-1967).
At the age of 23, Ernesto (Gael Garcia Bernal) went on a motorcycle tour to see the various parts of South America along with his best friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna), a 29-year-old biochemist.
As a real-life drama, the film documents the four-month expedition and the life of two friends who were only on a road trip to have some fun and adventure, but end-up witnessing the reality, the plights of people on first hand which finally sowed seeds for the birth of a revolutionist – Che Guevara, as the face of the Cuban revolution.
You may also read Che Guevara: Beyond the Myth (2017) [A Documentary by Director Tancrede Ramonet]
More than just a diary of events, it is about their journey. The trip later became a journey to search for truth, Guevara’s search for purpose and meaning of life while on the way, they met people of all classes and cultures, as they struggled to cope with their own life finding food and shelter. What they witnessed is the immense plight of people who have no other alternatives but to stick to what they have.
Without talking much about the movie in detail, I would like you to watch this classic tale of a huge historical figure, his early life, who denounced his fairly middle-class normal life in Argentina, studying and socializing, for a greater cause for the people across the continent.
The Motorcycle Diaries is all compelling with much detail on the early life of Guevara. Mexican film actor and director Garcia Bernal has stunningly pulled off one of his career-best performances, and so has Rodrigo de la Serna as his friend Alberto Granado. A MUST-WATCH INDEED!
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo De la Serna, Mia Maestro, Gustavo Bueno, Jorge Chiarella, Mercedes Moran, Jean Pierre Noher, Facundo Espinosa
Direction: Walter Salles
Screenplay: Jose Rivera
Music: Gustavo Santaolalla
Cinematography: Eric Gautier
Editor: Daniel Rezende
Release Date/Year: 15 January 2004 (Sundance); 19 May 2004 (Cannes); 24 September 2004 (US) Page Last Updated: 02-04-2018
Where to watch The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
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