"Che: Part One" Movie Review

If there ever was a film project that took the history from the history textbook and applied it to film, that film project would be the “Che” saga. “Che: Part One”, follows (as the title suggests) the revolutionary life of Ernesto Che Guevara as he leaves the shores of Mexico with just 82 men, all commanded by Fidel Castro, onto the beaches of Cuba to ignite a revolution that would supplant the dictatorship regime friendly to the US.

Che is played by none other than Steven Soderbergh-veteran - Benicio Del Toro. Benicio's portrayal of the young Commandante is exacting and poignant. Although Benicio's Che looks sterile and stiff, it is in the subtleties that the character's portrayal truly shines. From the sporadic spasms of asthma that Che was famous for, to the significant pauses of thought in conversations taken between Che and the enigmatic TV journalist, Lisa Howard; Benicio vehemently succeeds in his depiction of the iconic general.

Part one of this two-piece series focuses on Che's accomplishments in the Cuban revolution. Fidel Castro's guerrilla warfare against Batista's army leads to many instances of heated battles and ultimately directs it to a successful war that installs a Communist regime in Cuba.

As a viewer, what struck me as refreshing is the absence of Director Steven Soderbergh's signature visual palettes such as over-saturated film, different colour hues and a noticeably shaky camera. Although you may argue for these artistic techniques; I, for one considered them too distracting and these techniques essentially left me at odds with his previous films such as "Traffic" and the "Ocean's" series. This time, Soderbergh instead lets the action on screen speaks for itself and uses subtle visual cues to highlight moments of importance such as the taking of Santa Clara and the black-white infused cinematography of Che's visit to the United Nations in the December of 1964.

I would not be surprised if Benicio's performance earns him high acclaim, but the other standout portrayal is Demián Bichir's depiction of Fidel Castro himself. After viewing some footage of the real Fidel Castro for comparison, I found Bichir's performance to be as exacting as the film itself. The numerous similarities, apart from the eerie resemblance, lends itself to awe-inspiring appreciation. The filmmakers were smart, however, as Fidel Castro is shown in bits and pieces and there aren't many scenes where Fidel is the centre of attention. Nevertheless, I felt that in every scene with both icons present, Bichir's performance outmatched Benicio's.

Many will argue, I'm sure, that the film's relentless effort to show everything and anything concerning Che's Cuban conflict is unnecessary and will likely yield itself to a boring view.

I disagree.

I think that the films exacting standards are well deserved and matches the epic nature of the entire 26th of July Movement that "freed" Cuba of its repressive government.

Watch it.

If you don't appreciate the detail, you will at least welcome it's result - a well made piece of historical cinema that deserves your complete attention.

Written by Akhil Kamble

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892255/