Che Part 2: Guerilla byu Steven Soderbergh (2008)
5 January 2010The more depressing sequel, again Shot with a red, but with spherical lenses, continues the life of Che Guevera, from where the last film left off, having won the Cuban revolution and going on to his death fighting in Bolivia on October 9th, 1967. This really shows his struggles, and what he wanted to do for the rest of South America, but this was harder, as he and his men did not win the hearts and minds of the Bolivians, and this cost them dearly. This film is much more straighfoward than the last, telling the story linearly from Che’s point of view, and is a sadder film, as we know this is his end. Another amazing film, and a must see!
In 1965 Ernesto “Che” Guevera (Benicio del Toro) says he is going to check on Sugar growing, and he leaves Cuba, leaving a letter which Fidel Castro (Demian Bichir) reads on the TV to the Cuban people. In it Che gives up his Cuban citizenship, to go foment revolution elsewhere, leaving his family behind. He first went to the Congo, but this film focuses on him in 1966 when he goes to Bolivia, disguised as a middle aged Uraguayan businessman. He heads out into the woods to foment revolition, having trouble at first because he is an Argentine and not a Bolivian, but he has fought through that before. He wants the overthrow of American backed President René Barrientos (Joaquim de Almeida), but has problems right from the get go.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Che hides his identity, as they know Barrientos will go for him, if he knows where he is, and he attempts to recruit the peasants to help them, but they are constantly betrayed. Some think they are cocaine dealers, and believe they can make more money, and many believe government lies, but also the Army goes in and will kill the peasants if they help Che, so he and his people are constantly betrayed.
There are food shortages, and many problems between his Cuban soldiers and the Bolivian ones.
By Day 113 there are deserters and the Bolivian army get their basecamp.
Tamara “Tania” Bunke (Franka Potente) screws up and lost their identity and gave away the basecamp and 5 years of planning. She is wounded and ends up with a wounded group trying to get back to Che’s unit.
And Mario Monje (Lou Diamon Phillips) the head of the Bolivian Communist Party does not want armed conflict, so he does all he can to hurt the revolution.
And the CIA has set up a training camp to train a special forces of the Bolivian Army to do counterinsurgency, and they also give helicopters and airplanes, and men trained in Vietnam.
By day 280 Che is very sick from his asthma, and he had left his medication at the basecamp, and can’t get any more, so he is in bad shape.
On day 302 Tania and the wounded are killed by the Bolivian army, having been betrayed by peasants as they crossed a river.
On day 340 Che and his forces enter a seemingly abandoned town, and are surrounded and taken out one by one. Che is wounded and captured, and locked in a hut.
Cuban American CIA agent Félix Rodriguez comes to talk to Che, who won’t talk to a traitor, but Che had his uncle executed in Cuba. The Bolivian government gives approved to execute him, and a soldier volunteers and shoots him in the hut, bringing out his corpse on a helicopter.
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A sad film about a man who could easily have lived the good life in Cuba, but even though he had such bad Asthma wanted to go on and fight the good fight, but was unsuccessful, and was killed doing what he believed was right. Benicio del Toro is amazing, as always, and deserved best actor at Cannes!
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