Review of Che: Part One (2008) by Fong K — 18 Jun 2017

Steven Soderbergh's opening chapter of the biopic about the life of Che Guevara is a tour de force showing the role the revolutionary played in the overthrow of the Batista government in Cuba. Benecio del Toro gives a great performance of the legendary and charismatic Guevara and I was also particularly impressed with Demian Bichir as fellow freedom fighter Fidel Castro.

The movie paints a picture of a complex, thoughtful and frustrated figure who had a talent for inspiring his fellows and creating tight, passionate teams fired by the revolutionary spirit. He was a man with a great talent for how people think and react and used this to great effect in the revolutionary struggle.

I loved this movie and felt that the pace and amount of action was just right. It shows the struggle against the Cuban forces was a hard fought and gruelling struggle in which the communist forces faced setbacks and failures until they ultimately won through and tried to create a better society.

Whether you believe they were successful will depend on your political views of the Castro regime but Che: Part One will better help you understand the passions and drives of one of the key political figures of the 20th century.