Che Guevara, the man with the beret with the star, embodies one of the strongest myths of the 20th century. He was a combination of a saint and an adventurer; somewhere between Don Quixote and a latter-day Jesus Christ. In... more » his relations with Fidel Castro, he is the hero of a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. Che Guevara became a symbol of an entire generation. Today he is a myth. Some still draw inspiration from him - others condemn him; sometimes bitterly. For all, he is a subject of controversy and passion. This film examines the myth, and contains: His voyages of discovery through Latin America, the meeting with Fidel Castro, when an instantaneous friendship was born, his travels around the world, and footage of his tragic end in Bolivia at age 39. Special Bonus Feature: Tracing Che. In this documentary, a Canadian film director goes in search of the man behind the myth, re-creating the legendary road trip through South America on an old Norton motorcycle that Che documented in The Motorcycle Diaries. On his way, he encounters many of Che's family and friends - including the friend who took the trip with him - who shed light on the truth behind this icon of the 20th century. This is a film that discovers the humanity, the passion, and the free spirit of a young 22 year old whose eyes were forced open on a relentless road trip.« less
Genres:Educational, Documentary Sub-Genres:Educational, Biography, Military History, Politics Studio:White Star Format:DVD - Color DVD Release Date: 04/15/2003 Original Release Date: 01/01/1998 Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/1998 Release Year: 2003 Run Time: 2hr 30min Screens: Color Number of Discs: 1 SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 0 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated) Languages:English
ohlefty | Silver Spring, MD United States | 02/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Trust me, this documentary is worth the price and then some. For those who don't know much about Che Guevara, it's perfect, an engaging and thorough synopsis of his entire career, with a pretty good explanation of the background of his political theories. For those who think they already know the man's complete life story (like me, at least before I watched "El Che"), it's packed full of interesting facts that aren't usually included in condensed tellings of his biography. Examples: Certain difficulties he faced during his various official terms in Cuba; some additional reasons that the Bolivian mission was doomed from the start; insight into his relationship with Fidel, which is still under debate by historians. This film contains extensive (and I mean EXTENSIVE) firsthand film footage of absolutely everything it covers, plus the added bonus of interviews with Fidel. It only strenghtened my admiration for Che and my belief that the world lost a genius and a true revolutionary idealist when he died. My only wish is that the narrator have been a bit less melodramatic and drippy at certain points, as Che's life is enough of a saga in and of itself. But it's really a small price to pay. Definitely watch this one!"
El Che Vive
Abdallah Z. Issa | 02/11/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This DVD contains a fairly detailed account (for a film) of the life of Che Guevara, it follows him from his Argentine birthplace to his eventual death in Bolivia. It also contains many interviews from people who either knew Che personally or had even fought against him. In once instance there is even an old interview with a CIA agent in Bolivia as they are tracking down Che. If you want to learn about Che Guevara but for some reason do not have the time, or do not want to put forth the effort, to read his biography, then this DVD is the perfect alternative. The film is also great if you have already read one of his biographies and are looking for an audio/visual companion.
In addition to Che's biography, the viewer is also treated to a short film about a man who takes a similar Motorcycle trip as Che did. He follows the exact same path and tries to see what Che saw. Of course much of what Che saw on his trip was missing at the time of the filming, but the viewer can get an idea of what the Argentina/Chile portion of the trip was like for him."
Kalfon's version of Guevara
Abdallah Z. Issa | 05/17/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is the film version of French biographer/diplomat Pierre Kalfon's book "Che -- Ernesto Guevara, a Legend of the Century" (as yet unavailable in English, though Amazon sells the French & Spanish versions.) Made by Canal +, it is certainly the best thing available in video on the subject for English-speaking audiences. Beginning with the famous Carlos Puebla "Hasta Siempre, Commandante" song, it covers his military/political life with reasonable thoroughness and restraint, giving a strong, clear-eyed picture of the public man while still managing to remain sympathetic overall. It has quite a bit of good footage of Che as well as interviews with various friends and associates (esp. the then recently defected Col. Dariel Alarcon Ramirez, aka "Benigno", who served with Che in the Sierra Maestra all the way through to the bitter end in Bolivia), though Che's US TV interviews and his memorable appearance on "Face the Nation" are missing. But at the very least, this film has the guts to point its finger at Castro as Che's ultimate betrayer, something Jon Lee Anderson, in his massive and massively footnoted bio, couldn't bring himself to. However, the tone here comes off a bit stodgy and superficial with very little info or insight into Che as a human personality. Also, as one earlier reviewer put it, the BBC-ish narration is indeed a little "corny" (though said reviewer should be made aware that when the narrator compares Che to "Rambo", he is not referring to the movie super commando but to the French poet Arthur Rimbaud, famous for his wandering.) Overall this is by no means the definitive last word on Che, such a documentary film has yet to be made. But take it all around it rates a very solid 4 stars."
Che Speaks! Rare black & white footage, some with audio.
Abdallah Z. Issa | 01/06/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Very informative, if sometimes simplistic, documentary charting Che's political life. Lots of home movies courtesy of Che's father,excellent news footage from the revolution and rare video/audio footage of some of Che's speaches. Lacks an indepth look at the Congo campaign but makes up for it in the film's overall quality. The personal look at Che is a little one dimensional but as a video introduction to this icon of the sixties the film works well."
An in-depth look at the man behind the legend.
cjohnson40@juno.com | Arkansas, USA | 02/25/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This film has rare footage of Ernesto as a child, and later views of him with his parents after the taking of Havana. The interviews with his compadres and some of the Bolivian officials involved in his capture are insightful. There are a lot of views of the treatment of his remains after his execution. There are a few confusing aspects, such as when they showed a recent interview with his daughter Hildita. This film was released in 1998, but I believe Hildita died in 1995. They must have done that segment of the picture in 1995, but they do not say so. Overall, it was a very enjoyable film. The shots of Che's speeches are great, especially the one in which he is speaking fluent French. I highly recommend the film."