CHE: PART ONE (E1, 2008) D: Steven Soderbergh, w/ Benicio Del Toro, Demián Bichir. Rating: NN DVD package: n/a Rating: NN
Why did Steven Soderbergh want to make this movie?
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You might guess he did it for the drama inherent in Argentine doctor Ernesto Guevara (Benicio Del Toro) hooking up with Fidel Castro (Demián Bichir) in Mexico and going off to fight the Cuban revolution. But none of that reaches the screen. There’s no conflict between Che and Castro – conflict being the essence of drama – and none among the rebels, except for a couple of deserters who get executed. Until the final fight, even the warfare is served up in placid long shots.
Maybe Soderbergh made it for the character. But Che doesn’t have much. All he does is spout a few revolutionary truisms, issue orders and denounce American imperialism, always in quiet, reasonable tones.
Del Toro does it with a kindly twinkle in his eye. Give him a red suit and he’s Santa Claus.
Maybe Soderbergh did it for the history lesson, but the big picture here is awfully vague. Or maybe he just liked Puerto Rico’s lush jungle, standing in for Cuba. I did.
Whatever his motive, he’s not telling. There are no bonus materials here or on Part Two, coming August 4.
EXTRAS Widescreen. English, French, Spanish audio. English, French subtitles.
