Che (M). Running time: 131 minutes (Part One), 133 minutes (Part Two). Director: Steven Soderbergh. Starring: Benicio Del Toro.
'Che Christ' has been a popular image among liberal Christians; the face of Christ melded with that of Ernesto Guevara as seen on those ubiquitous Che T-shirts. While it is common for martyrs in literature and popular culture to be cast as Christ figures, in this instance, Christ the radical is cast as a 'Che figure'. It is testament to the virility of Che as a revolutionary symbol that his image is used to augment this understanding of Christ.
In the biopic, Che, Steven Soderbergh takes Guevara as far from myth and symbol as possible. Rather than a rousing anthem, Che is a forensic account of military action. It shies from the sensational and even the political. It presupposes much historical knowledge as it recounts with clinical detachment two opposing arcs of Che's life: first, the momentous Marxist revolution in Cuba; second, the ill-fated attempt to achieve the same in Bolivia.
Che is portrayed by Del Toro, who, while too old (Guevara is in his late 20s when the film commences; Del Toro was pushing 40 at the time of filming), blends chameleon-like into Che's world. Del Toro's Che is an everyman who has grown into his leadership role in Castro's revolution, after first shaking his insecurities about being an 'outsider' (Che was an Argentine). Che's habit of greeting comrades by name, with an embrace, hints at why he was well loved. Del Toro's intense performance of Che's strangling asthma attacks underline his human frailty.
But this is no E! True Hollywood Story. The film neither condemns nor adulates Che and his beliefs, and director Soderbergh asks his audience to invest much. Che is four and a half hours, shot with hand-held cameras, and in Spanish with English subtitles. While it is divided into two segments, Part One and Part Two, it is still heavy going, particularly for those who are not well versed in South and Central American political history. But effort is rewarded; Che certainly leaves a lasting impression.
Part One is based on Che's memoir Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. It lingers on the minutiae of guerilla warfare, culminating in a tense recreation of the decisive battle at Santa Clara. It has a ramshackle but comprehensive feel, like facts and details scribbled on scraps of paper and scattered across