Che (2008, Dir: Steven Soderbergh)

Che is a two-part biopic of Che Guevara, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Benecio del Toro as the revolutionary hero. The two films, separately titled The Argentine and Guerrilla, total almost four and half hours - a mammoth piece of filmmaking.

Of the two, The Argentine is a masterpiece. The film starts with the first meeting between Guevara and Fidel Castro in Mexico, after which we are thrust straight onto a boat headed for Cuba. Intercut with the main narrative are flash-forwards to a 1964 visit by Guevara to the United Nations; and an interview in the same year, which plays as an intermittent voiceover throughout.

We follow Guevara through his journey from combat medic to Commandante, and from the jungles of Cuba down into the cities. Along the way, he exhibits a degree of humanity that instantly warms him to everyone he meets. We’ve seen this side of him before, of course: as portrayed by Gael García Bernal in 2004’s The Motorcycle Diaries (adapted from Guevara’s diaries, as are Soderbergh’s films), and it is this attribute of Guevara’s that is key to understanding his effect on others.

Del Toro is amazing in the title role, and it’s a travesty that he – or for that fact any other contribution to the film – was not up for anything at the last Academy Awards. Perhaps it was due to the Spanish, the overall length or the fact that it was split into two – but not even any nominations? Apparently Sean Penn made reference to this when he picked up his Best Actor award for Milk, and rightly so.

It’s also nice to see Soderbergh doing something to stretch his legs after the yawnfest that was the Ocean’s 11 films. I felt violated after Ocean’s 12 – to the extent that I can’t even bring myself to watch the third one. Much to my amusement, he brings in Matt Damon for a very brief cameo during Guerrilla, as a German priest. Thankfully, George Clooney and Brad Pitt don’t appear as Bolivian peasants.

Aside from another brief cameo by Lou Diamond Phillips (yes, you read that correctly), Guerrilla doesn’t really offer much in the way of interest, at least during its first half. Guevara attempts to take his ideals to Central America, but the Bolivians don’t appear to be interested in a revolution. He hints at this during The Argentine when he says “Revolutions are not transferable,” but tragically doesn’t heed his own advice.

The ends of each film couldn’t be any more different. The Argentine ends in triumph after the battle of Santa Clara (but still with Havana to take); whilst Guerrilla closes with a muted telling of Guevara’s inevitable capture and subsequent execution. Unfortunately for me, in the final few frames of the film as Guevara’s body rises into the air strapped onto a helicopter, an inconsiderate female sat behind me decided to answer a phone call.

Hopefully, when the revolution reaches New Zealand, one of the first things to be addressed will be cinema etiquette.