Review of The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) by Omar K — 16 Sep 2015
â??Yo ya no esto yo o por lo menos no esto lo mismo yo interior.â??
The final line of the Spanish dialogue which translates to â??I am already not myself or for the moment I am not the same person insideâ?? perfectly encapsulates the journey you experience and feel within the psychological state of Guevara.
The Motorcycle Diaries is a biopic of the iconic guerrilla revolutionary Che Guevaraâ??s 1952 expedition through South America with his friend Alberto Granado. An iconic figure today, but at the filmâ??s inception we know simply as Ernesto. You do not know Che yet therefore this is vital because it allows you to remove the universally well-known revolutionary image we have of him and understand his real story as if he was anyone else.
Throughout, Ernesto is confronted by new knowledge about society that conflicts with his existing beliefs and values. Thus, the expedition acts as the catalyst for changing his understandings of life. The change is highly recognizable because at the beginning he was an innocent person seeking fun and adventure but by the end he is battling his inner bewilderment at the poverty of his surroundings. During the visit of Machu Picchu in Peru, these feelings are congealed into the blood of Ernesto and therefore from this point on you see the identifiable Che Guevara in the making.
Gael GarcÃa Bernalâ??s portrayal of Ernesto is spot on at monitoring the characterâ??s inner transformation. He is credible in portraying his change without disillusioning you; instead he further drags you into agreement and deep understanding of his cause. Sounds like a real microscopic view of a personâ??s inner struggles, but you have not even heard about the second half of the film. Yesâ?¦ I said half! Alberto Granado is Guevaraâ??s friend and plays a big part in catalysing Ernestoâ??s beliefs as they spend 9 whole months together. Alberto is characterised by his humour (just like Chandler in Friends), which also takes a lot of the pressure off Ernestoâ??s mental revolutions. They are polar opposites in terms of personality but you are never too caught up by the mental anguish you feel in Ernesto because of Albertoâ??s banterous interchanging with his buddy. Rodrigo de la Serna is seemingly comedic in nature as his interpretation of Alberto is natural and gives him almost equal importance to Ernesto. He experiences the change with him even if they are so different in personality yet nevertheless become friends for life. At the end of the film, there is a beautiful cameo by the 82-year-old Alberto Granado watching over the final scene.
The beautiful cinematography represents the splendours of the South American scenery. Their journey lasts more than 14,000 kilometres in which they travel through Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. They actually travelled through half of all the countries of South America in 1952; Suriname and Guyana would later become independent states. The amount of countries visited by Guevara and Granado gave an opportunity for Brazilian born director Walter Salles to display his national continentâ??s beauty for what it wasâ?¦ and he does! He definitely makes sure South Americaâ??s most famous monument (Machu Picchu) marks the change in Ernesto.
The Verdict:
It does so well in removing all that international recognition from Guevara, that from the moment you see the young â??Ernesto,â?? you would not have expected to see a revolutionary â??Cheâ?? budding inside of him by the end of his journey.
â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â??â?? 8/10.
This review of The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) was written by Omar K on 16 Sep 2015.
The Motorcycle Diaries has generally received very positive reviews.
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