The Image of Ernesto “Che” Guevara
The image of Ernesto "Che" Guevara is dramatically transformed in the two part biographical film “Che” directed by Steven Soderbergh. In the first part of the film, (during the revolutionary campaign of Cuba) Che is heavily romanticized to the mythological and iconic figure many are familiar with today. This more “mature” Che is very different than the younger Guevara we see in Motorcycle Diaries. In Motorcycle Diaries, Guevara is portrayed as a young and playful doctor whose political identity is just starting to develop. However, part two of the bibliographical film captures a different side of Che. During the Bolivian campaign the portrayal of “Che” compare to part one is more distance and less motivated …show more content…
Unlike his film counterpart, the younger “Che” of the Motorcycle Diaries is young and naive. It is only until he completes this trip (his coming of age story) that Che develops a political consciousness about his role in society and the world around him. This awaking transforms the playful doctor into a revolutionary. For example, before his travel Guevara was unfamiliar with the growing inequalities surrounding Latin American people. In fact he doesn’t fully become aware of the problem until he witnesses these social injustices and the exploitation of the poor in Latin American countries such as Chile. In Chile, Che starts to develop a political consciousness when he meets the communist working class couple. The miners, as Che explains, should not be living in unbearable living conditions at the expense of others and specially not because they believe in an ideology [communism] that gives them the hope for a better future. (Guevara 78) In this example, Che begins to take a political stand on how he believes the government should be treating its working class citizen. Like many other experiences, these events work towards reimagining Che’s own political ideologies and identity as a revolutionary. At the end of his travels, he consolidates his image as “the …show more content…
In the revolutionary fight of Bolivia, Che is barely recognizable both physically as well as mentally. Unlike the Che from the first part of the film, the iconic appearance of Che Guevara in Bolivia disappears and he looks more “human”. Worn out from his battle in Cuba, Che is much older and his physical health is affected by his asthma. He is also much more distance from this revolution than he was in Cuba. Not only does he seems less interested and motivated in this revolution, but it feels as if Che takes part in the revolution because he feels obligated to do so. This “disconnect” is what fails to bring revolution to Bolivia and causes the Bolivian fighters to betray or abandon the cause. Che spends more time natively trying to reunite the separated troops than actually fighting for revolution as he did in Cuba. Furthermore, unable to gain support for the revolutionary, Che decides to adopt a small form of violence his ideologies and “policies”. For example, when a stranger offers to help with transportation, food, and supplies Che accepts his help. He also however, tells Tuma and another soldier to instill a little fear into the stranger to ensure his alliance. That way , as Che says, “..if he betrays us he’ll pay with his life.” These changes we have seen in both the film and in Motorcycle Diaries highly contradict different life
The image of Ernesto "Che" Guevara is dramatically transformed in the two part biographical film “Che” directed by Steven Soderbergh. In the first part of the film, (during the revolutionary campaign of Cuba) Che is heavily romanticized to the mythological and iconic figure many are familiar with today. This more “mature” Che is very different than the younger Guevara we see in Motorcycle Diaries. In Motorcycle Diaries, Guevara is portrayed as a young and playful doctor whose political identity is just starting to develop. However, part two of the bibliographical film captures a different side of Che. During the Bolivian campaign the portrayal of “Che” compare to part one is more distance and less motivated …show more content…
Unlike his film counterpart, the younger “Che” of the Motorcycle Diaries is young and naive. It is only until he completes this trip (his coming of age story) that Che develops a political consciousness about his role in society and the world around him. This awaking transforms the playful doctor into a revolutionary. For example, before his travel Guevara was unfamiliar with the growing inequalities surrounding Latin American people. In fact he doesn’t fully become aware of the problem until he witnesses these social injustices and the exploitation of the poor in Latin American countries such as Chile. In Chile, Che starts to develop a political consciousness when he meets the communist working class couple. The miners, as Che explains, should not be living in unbearable living conditions at the expense of others and specially not because they believe in an ideology [communism] that gives them the hope for a better future. (Guevara 78) In this example, Che begins to take a political stand on how he believes the government should be treating its working class citizen. Like many other experiences, these events work towards reimagining Che’s own political ideologies and identity as a revolutionary. At the end of his travels, he consolidates his image as “the …show more content…
In the revolutionary fight of Bolivia, Che is barely recognizable both physically as well as mentally. Unlike the Che from the first part of the film, the iconic appearance of Che Guevara in Bolivia disappears and he looks more “human”. Worn out from his battle in Cuba, Che is much older and his physical health is affected by his asthma. He is also much more distance from this revolution than he was in Cuba. Not only does he seems less interested and motivated in this revolution, but it feels as if Che takes part in the revolution because he feels obligated to do so. This “disconnect” is what fails to bring revolution to Bolivia and causes the Bolivian fighters to betray or abandon the cause. Che spends more time natively trying to reunite the separated troops than actually fighting for revolution as he did in Cuba. Furthermore, unable to gain support for the revolutionary, Che decides to adopt a small form of violence his ideologies and “policies”. For example, when a stranger offers to help with transportation, food, and supplies Che accepts his help. He also however, tells Tuma and another soldier to instill a little fear into the stranger to ensure his alliance. That way , as Che says, “..if he betrays us he’ll pay with his life.” These changes we have seen in both the film and in Motorcycle Diaries highly contradict different life