Che: Parts One and Two

Steven Soderbergh’s latest instalments come in the four and a half hour epic that is Che, the now legendary story of Argentine doctor Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara and his two campaigns in Cuba and Bolivia.

Obviously the film’s defining characteristic is its narrative. Which may seem indigestive and, to some, unapproachable at the length it is. Although, the brilliant thing about it is that it is so unbelievably well paced: it never seems to drag and there never seems to be a lagging or unnecessary moment where each step along the incredible story seems absolutely screen-worthy. As mentioned above, the two films show two campaigns – the revolution in Cuba and the failed campaign in Bolivia; which led to his assassination. Although the two may at first glance seem very similar, they actually have totally different tones and themes throughout each narrative, resulting in rather mirroring texts.

Che: Part One is a quite straight-forward film in terms of how it portrays the revolution and Cuba’s rise to power over Fulgencio Batista’s dictatorship. However it is coupled with black and white excerpts from his address to the United Nations and various other events that occurred after the initial revolution and Che’s very brief stay in New York. Although the black and white scenes bracket the colour scenes and give a form of closure to them, allowing for necessary developments for part two, they seem at times quite inane. It leaves one wondering what it would have been like if the interview sections had been left out and what kind of development the film could have had.

Part Two, on the other hand, is somewhat slower burning and at times feels rather existential and sympathetic to Che. It shows how he can no longer function in “regular” society with his new wife and family; how he has been into hiding and has to deal with an ostensible celebrity status, and as the film progresses it seems that there are feelings of doubt and regret to their actions.

In terms of filmmaking and cinematic quality, the film is breathtaking. The way Soderbergh moves the camera around the landscapes is beautiful and as the film progresses; so does the quality, whilst at times it leaves quite a haunting feeling and by the closing half an hour it draining and bleak. The use of sound is also mind-blowing, with all channels of the soundtrack being used to genuinely encapsulate a feeling of at times freedom and space but by the end it feels drowning and engulfing, leaving the film’s themes and political notions to really shine through.

Benicio Del Toro’s acting in the film is also flawless, the quality of his portrayal is amazing and at times it feels like you’re actually watching Che speak. A similar kind of encapsulation can only be compared to Bruno Ganz’s depiction of Adolf Hitler in Der Untergang (Downfall). Each second that Che is on screen seems to have been carefully calculated and thought-out so that the utmost accuracy can be shown. This can also be said for the filmmaking too: as the film progresses it becomes richer and fuller and by the time the film has ended the text has now become so vast that ending and Che’s execution comes a shock and genuinely heart-breaking moment.

At first I thought the films would work better as one long epic, but on reflection perhaps they do work better as two films. The two narratives do oppose each other and do show very different times of Che’s life and if done as one, it could have been that the sudden change in the middle would have become too negative. For the being though, relish in the fact that the two separate films are glorious and provide everything you could need in an epic.