The Bottom Line
"The Motorcycle Diaries" deserves the often misused label "inspiring." By carefully investigating the roots of the revolutionary impulse, Salles has created a lovely ode to idealism and compassion.
Pros
- An inspirational look at young Che Guevara
- Moving performance by Gael Garcia Bernal
- Breathtaking cinematography
- The film debut of marvelous Argentinian actor Rodrigo de la Serna
Cons
- There are no cons; a great film, great special features too.
Description
- Starring Gael García Bernal, Rodrigo De la Serna, and Mia Maestro
- Directed by Walter Salles
- "A Moment with Alberto Granado"
- Making-of featurette
- "Take One with Gael García Bernal" Telemundo interview
- Interview with the composer
Guide Review - DVD Review: The Motorcycle Diaries
In 1952, a young Argentine medical student and his friend left on an aging motorcycle to travel through South America: from Buenos Aires to Chile, Peru, and on to Venezuela. The trip changed both men profoundly. Under his nickname, the youthful medical student Ernesto (Gael Garcia Bernal) would become the iconic revolutionary Che Guevara.
Basing the film on Guevara's memoir and his travel mate Alberto Granando's diaries, Walter Salles limits his story to a formative time in Guevara's life, focusing on the motorcycle trip that sparked the transformation of an honest and ambitious asthmatic into a hero of the people.
