The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara

So there's no eye-opening 'Grapes of Wrath' conflict, though he is always contrasted with his carefree companion, Alberto Granado. He is mostly an observer and inconsistent protester of injustice, not a victim - it's startling that his culminating noble sojourn at the leper colony, where he can put his skills and indivisible warmth to specific good, is only for three weeks. Mostly just leaving his sheltered life, particularly being dropped by his wealthy girlfriend, and seeing the continent, especially his first exposure to the indigenous peoples who suffer the most in every South American country even while tourists are visiting the ruins of their ancestors, becomes the nexus of his pan-continental political ideals. Rather it sets off an internal thoughtfulness that is difficult to catch on film. He was already a liberal who wanted to help leprosy patients, so what happens isn't a complete turn-around - even when they are broke, they can wire home for more money. But it's surprising how undramatic what happens that turns a sweet, middle-class med student into a revolutionary. The scenery throughout Latin America is beautiful and the two leads are very affecting, especially Gael García Bernal as Ernesto Guevara de la Serna when 'Che' is still nascent.

'For every comic escapade of the carefree roustabout there is an equally eye-opening moment in the development of the future revolutionary leader.'The Motorcycle Diaries' (Diarios de motocicleta) works more effectively as a bio-pic than on its own as a road movie. In amidst the tales of youthful adventures - of women, wine, thrilling escapes and the power of friendship - the young Che also learns first-hand about poverty, philosophy and philosophy and forms himself into the man who would become the world's most famous and admired revolutionary and freedom fighter. They travelled not to visit the usual tourist attractions, but to meet ordinary people and understand Latin American life. a revolutionary bestseller' GuardianĪt the age of twenty-three, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado set out from their native Argentina to explore their continent, with only a single 1939 Norton motorcycle to carry them, nicknamed La Poderosa ('the powerful one'). 'A Latin American James Dean or Jack Kerouac' Washington Post

The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara