Review of Che: Part One (2008) by Karlo M — 03 Jun 2009

For film enthusiasts or anyone who has been following the recent trends in cinema, 2008 can be regarded as a promising glimpse into the future of the medium. With ongoing advancements in HD technology- cameras, theatre projections, home entertainment systems, etc- time based media are being produced, distributed, and consumed in a whole new set of language.

Digital technology has democratized filmmaking- giving artists room to produce work outside of the structural systems of the film industry. Its relatively low cost and efficiency makes it a godsend for any independent filmmaker with limited means. The most encouraging sign is the effect seen on established names such as Demme (Rachel Getting Married), Aronofsky (The Wrestler), and now Soderberg with Che.

The result is a wide range of reconfigured genres that highlight technological innovations with an alternative approach to storytelling as pushed on by a new kind of realism. Soderberg's film is a prime example. Che takes place in the 'present tense' and seems quite content being there. It follows the character and observes him at his most banal moments. Here is Che: he runs around the bushes, he plots, smokes cigars, occasionally meets with Castro to plot some more, etc. Its existential style and superficiality are its virtues.

Without the budgetary restraints of film coupled with the superior image quality over video, HD allows for a hybrid of documentary and fictional drama. Sound familiar? Television has had a jump start with Reality TV shows that linger between staged documentary and realism (The Hills/Laguna Beach). These and other shows have catapulted "real" people into celebrity-dom in the same manner that Hollywood studios in the golden age produced countless icons. The French New Wave had also done the same thing half a century ago introducing a list of icons who started off as non-actors or were simply a director friend's "girlfriend".

Despite of all its virtues it is ironic that Che fails to really work on a fundamentally leftist stance. By casting a big name such as Del Toro (who does a spectacular job as the fallen icon) Soderberg fails to make a true neo-auteur statement to re-write the pages of history. After all, it still is a studio produced film despite of its artistic merits. But one shouldn't wait for these hollywood giants to make a true statement. The future of cinema lies in the hands of the young and the unknown. It is only a matter of time before a crop of filmmakers takes advantage of the shifting paradigm and continue to build (or subvert) this new trend. Until then, a fully realized cinematic revolt cannot take place. "It is easy to start a revolution, it is more difficult to sustain it, and still more difficult to win one" -Battle of Algiers.