Motorcycle Diaries, The

Posted by: Luna on Friday, October 1st, 2004

Motorcycle Diaries
The terrific true story of Ernesto (Che) Guevara and his journey across South America. As he travels by motorcycle, by foot, and by river raft across the continent he becomes more and more aware of the injustice that surrounds him. The journey was a discovery period for Che – he experienced the toils that the poor need to go through each day, and the injustices that comes with being poor. * Traveling by raft for the very first time, they are captivated by the natural beuty that surrounds them	He becomes more serious as he interacts with more walks of life, who in turn reinforce his point about government negligence and unfairness to citizens. * Che and Alberto walking through a desert enroute to a mine. * Cruising on their tiny motorbike, ironically called “The Mighty One”.
* In their quarters at the Leper colony, as they reflect about their future. * Trudging through the snow, halfway their to Veneuzela.	The story is slow yet poignant, and is memorable because it wants the audience to really feel the emotions that Ernesto is going through. The movie is a mosiac of beautiful clips of nature throughout South America, and was very considerate to not force any opinions upon the audience. For that, I think it’s a very great film.

Motorcycle Diaries

The terrific true story of Ernesto (Che) Guevara and his journey across South America.

As he travels by motorcycle, by foot, and by river raft across the continent he becomes more and more aware of the injustice that surrounds him. The journey was a discovery period for Che – he experienced the toils that the poor need to go through each day, and the
injustices that comes with being poor.

* Traveling by raft for the very first time, they are captivated by the natural beuty that surrounds them

He becomes more serious as he interacts with more walks of life, who in turn reinforce his point about government negligence and unfairness to citizens.

* Che and Alberto walking through a desert enroute to a mine.

* Cruising on their tiny motorbike, ironically called “The Mighty One”.

* In their quarters at the Leper colony, as they reflect about their future.
* Trudging through the snow, halfway their to Veneuzela.

The story is slow yet poignant, and is memorable because it
wants the audience to really feel the emotions that Ernesto is
going through.

The movie is a mosiac of beautiful clips of nature throughout
South America, and was very considerate to not force any opinions
upon the audience. For that, I think it’s a very great film.

Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal (Ernesto Guevara de la Serna), Rodrigo De la Serna (Alberto Granado), Mia Maestro (Chichina Ferreyra), Mercedes Moran (Celia de la Serna)

Ernesto Guevara is a young medical student who has lived in Buenos Aires all his life. He felt an urgent need for him to fulfill his youthful ambitions by doing a roadtrip through Latin America with his friend Alberto Granado.

While they trek deeper and deeper into Latin American, Ernesto keeps a diary and writes as though it’s to a family member. The diary he keeps is brilliantly insightful and poetic. He takes nothing for granted — and documents his battles with the environment, weather, and the walks of life he encounters from village to village.

Although Guevara and Granado had hundreds of encounters with villagers, the movie focused on ones that seem “normal” and not interesting, but it is precisely that reason that makes such a big impact on them.

One example of such an encounter was when they were traveller by foot across what seemed to be a desert. A couple was walking along the same dusty road, who camped out with them overnight. The couple, as all Ernesto and Alberto’s encounters, were extremely open and sincere about their problems. They had explained that they are criminals in their own land, and have to flee and find work in the trecherous mines to stay alive. The couple were ordinary people, who needed to work to stay alive. No gripes, no anger was conveyed — it was portrayed as just a fact of life. They all walk together to the mine, where the cruel foreman eyes the crowd of work seekers and quickly filters out the workers he wants. The foreman herded the workers up into a truck as though they were nameless and subhuman.

Feeling of injustice and political negligence were themes in Ernesto’s diaries as they approached their final destination.

They reach Venezuela, where they spend a couple weeks volunteering at a leper clinic. The clinic was split into two sections which was physically separated by a river — one side lepers, the other side doctors. Although the clinic was a good honest and helpful one, the theme of segragation is reinforced again.

Ernesto and Alberto changed the policies of the clinic by example. A policy of the clinic was to wear gloves at all time when dealing with the lepers even though the disease isn’t contagious. Ernesto defies the rule and offers his hand to a leper to shake the lepers crippled hand as a gesture of friendship. The leper was taken aback by his openess at first, but eventually lifts his stubbed hand to shake Ernesto’s. That was just another small example of how he changed lives.

The movie leaves off with them leaving the clinic by a raft that was given to them by the workers at the clinic. The floated down shore and then fades out.

The ending fades into facts that were displayed as text, which speaks of his later adventures, the causes he fought for, and the conspiracy of the US government wanting to assisinate him while he participated as a general in the Cuban revolution movement.

*This spoiler written by Gastown Grouch! Thanks!

Want to know more?
Read more about this film at The Internet Movie Database.
Don’t forget to Check out the official website OR Watch the trailer!