Che is a two-part biopic about Argentine-Cuban Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Benicio del Toro. Rather than follow a standard chronological order, the films offer an oblique series of interspersed moments along the overall timeline.
Part One is entitled The Argentine and focuses on the Cuban Revolution from the landing of Fidel Castro, Guevara, and other revolutionaries in Cuba to their successful toppling of Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship two years later. Part Two is entitled Guerrilla and focuses on Guevara’s attempt to bring revolution to Bolivia and his demise. Both parts are shot in a cinéma vérité style, but each has different approaches to linear narrative, camerawork, and the visual look.
The second part begins with Guevara arriving in Bolivia disguised as a middle-aged representative of the Organization of American States hailing from Uruguay, who subsequently drives into the mountains to meet his men. The film is organized by the number of days that he was in the country. On Day 26, there is solidarity among Guevara’s men despite his status as foreigner. By Day 67, Guevara has been set up for betrayal. He tries to recruit some peasants only to be mistaken for a cocaine smuggler. On Day 100, there is a shortage of food and Guevara exercises discipline to resolve conflicts between his Cuban and Bolivian followers.
By Day 113, some of the guerrillas have deserted and the Bolivian Army has discovered their base camp. Much to Che’s disappointment Tamara “Tania” Bunke, Guevara’s revolutionary contact, has botched elaborate preparations and given away their identity. On Day 141, the guerrillas capture Bolivian soldiers that refuse to join the revolution and are free to return to their villages. CIA advisers arrive to supervise anti-insurgent activity and training. On Day 169, Guevara’s visiting friend, the French intellectual Régis Debray, is captured at Muyupampa by the Bolivian Army, which launches an aerial attack on Day 219.
Guevara grows sick and by Day 280 can barely breathe as a result of his acute asthma. On Day 302, the Bolivian Army massacres Tania Bunke, Juan Acuña Ñunez, and several others in Che’s forces as they attempt to cross the Vado del Yeso. By Day 340, Guevara is trapped by the Bolivian Army in the Yuro Ravine near the village of La Higuera. Che is wounded and captured. The next day, a helicopter lands and a Cuban American CIA agent Félix Rodríguez emerges.
The Bolivian high command are then phoned and give approval for Guevara’s execution. He is shot on October 9, 1967, and his corpse lashed to a helicopter’s landing skids and flown out. In a final flashback scene, Guevara is aboard the Granma in 1956, looking out over the ocean. He sees the Castro brothers alone at the bow of the ship; Fidel is talking and Raúl is taking notes. Guevara hands a peeled orange to one of his comrades and returns his gaze to the lone brothers before the scene fades to black.
Che – The Guerilla
Starring: Armando Riesco, Benicio Del Toro, Benjamín Benítez, Benjamin Bratt, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Franka Potente
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Screenplay by: Peter Buchman
Release: December 12, 2008
MPAA Rating: None.
Studio: IFC Films
Box Office Totals
Domestic: $1,336,708 (85.0%)
Foreign: $236,423 (15.0%)
Total: $1,573,131 (Worldwide)