RSS 2.0The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
The Motorcycle Diaries is based on the diaries of Ernesto ‘Ché’ Guevara and Alberto Granado and follows the road trip of these two friends across South America, from Buenos Aires to Caracas. Besides the jaw-dropping landscapes (ranging from the snowy mountains of the Andes to the majestic ruins of Machu Pichu), and smooth, ongoing pace, this film is all about friendship, political awareness and finding your true identity.
We have seen road movies of all sorts in the past couple of decades, but The Motorcycle Diaries is truly exceptional, since the South American landscape serves as a background against which the story is set, yet doesn’t dominate unlike many road movies. Confronted with leprosy and social inequalities, Alberto, and especially Ernesto, are deeply affected by the people and circumstances they meet along the way.
It’s hard to see a movie such as this out of context, since we all know Ernesto would eventually lead the Cuban revolution under his nickname ‘Ché’, but (and this is no spoiler of what kind so ever), that is where The Motorcycle Diaries leaves you. It tries to portray the events that made Ché Guevara into an iconic revolutionary and that is, in the end, all there is to it. It starts by depicting the two main characters as true rogues, but seamlessly shifts into a more serious tone.
The Motorcycle Diaries is carried by the performance of the eternally flawless Mexican actor Gael García Bernal (Amores Perros, Y Tu Mamá Tambiénand La Mala Educación), who I suspect can’t perform poorly. In fact, I wonder if this movie would even be half as good if Bernal wasn’t in it. Director Walter Salles (Central do Brasil, also responsible for the upcoming American remake of Dark Water) , knows how to tell a story in an intriguing way, but loses himself on occasion with slowing down the pace for an essential element of the story – especially during the scenes in which Alberto and Ernesto settle down in an Indian leprosy camp. Also, the scenes in which the two main characters are confronted with social injustice could have been spun out a bit more strongly and with more emphasis. But besides this, it still has a lot to offer and The Motorcycle Diaries is a true gem; yet, at points, a diamond in the rough.
In short: A visually jaw-dropping treat, with South America as the third main character, The Motorcycle Diaries, exceeds many other road movies by its intriguing story and character development.
Directed by: Walter Salles
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna
Runtime: 128 minutes
Release Dates: US: 24 September, UK: 27 August, The Netherlands: 25 November
Official Website
seen: September 14, 2004
Arjan Welles (213 posts)Arjan Welles - law graduate. I work at a bank, I work as a film critic for Dutch and English media. My favorite directors are David Lynch, David Fincher, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino. I love arthouse over blockbusters.
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Having been to Cuba, this is now at the very top of my to-see list. I find Guevara to be one of history’s most interesting characters, although it was Castro who ‘led’ the revolution…
Comment by weefselkweekje — Tue October 5, 2004 @ 8:19there is not a single part of Cuba in the entire movie
Comment by arjan — Tue October 5, 2004 @ 14:41just Chile, Argentina, Brasil, Venezuela, Peru
I know, but there’s plenty of Che Guevara in Cuba
I’ve been to his mausoleum and museum amongst others…
Comment by weefselkweekje — Tue October 5, 2004 @ 14:55Well this film could easily have a sequel…
Comment by arjan — Tue October 5, 2004 @ 15:19i finally saw this and i loved it. I think you are absolutely right that South America is the “third character.”
But i disagree with you about the slowing down. I had no problem with the pacing. I wanted to see his development happen slowly. It wouldn’t have been believable otherwise.
Comment by marisa — Tue November 30, 2004 @ 3:57This was a great movie, though the ending was a bit unsatisfying.
Comment by Paco — Tue February 22, 2005 @ 2:08t’s hard to see a movie such as this out of context, since we all know Ernesto would eventually lead the Cuban revolution under his nickname ‘Ché’, but (and this is no spoiler of what kind so ever), that is where The Motorcycle Diaries leaves you. It tries to portray the events that made Ché Guevara into an iconic revolutionary and that is, in the end, all there is to it. It starts by depicting the two main characters as true rogues, but seamlessly shifts into a more serious tone.
“I Totally Agree”
Comment by Peru Vaccation — Tue April 7, 2009 @ 9:03I just don’t like the ending but overall, not bad.
Comment by Motorbike Helmets — Tue May 5, 2009 @ 22:46—Instead of serving up self-indulgent, pandering
mythmaking around discredited, upper-middle class
‘Marxist messiahs’ —Hollywood would better serve the
cause of truth and humanity by ‘outting’ its own
rampant, decades long ‘involvements’ with the most
awesomely genocidal regime history has EVER seen
—across the Pacific. FACT
Spinning stale moral alibis a la this uninformed 70′s
take on Che is —-worse than nowhere —WAY.
AMEN
Comment by nano X — Sat January 23, 2010 @ 14:37